So you are among those who realize that shampoos were the evil that dried your hair out. You have sworn off shampooing and have decided to wash your hair with conditioner only. That is great. But what are you doing for your scalp? Sure, co-washing is great for your hair but it’s not so great for your scalp.
Clean Scalp Weekly
Your no-poo routine is working wonders for keeping your hair moisturized and frizz-free. Are you beginning to notice scalp itch and maybe even flakes? This is because conditioner is not a good substitute for cleansing your scalp. In order to maintain scalp health and ultimately your hair’s health, clean your scalp at least once a week. There are different ways to do this without shampooing your hair.
Condition, Shampoo and Condition
Sounds weird doesn’t it? This method helps if you have to use a dandruff shampoo, like I do sometimes. What this method consists of is:
- Apply your co-wash conditioner to your hair only.
- Apply a sulfate-free shampoo (or dandruff shampoo if needed) only to your scalp.
- Massage the shampoo into your scalp.
- Rinse out both the conditioner and shampoo with lukewarm water.
- Apply a moisturizing or deep conditioner to hair only.
- Rinse out with cool water.
This method allows you to co-wash your hair and use a shampoo to cleanse your scalp without shampooing your hair.
Brown Sugar Scrub
If you have used a body or facial scrub that contains brown sugar, you know how well such a scrub works at exfoliating as well as making skin smooth and soft. Since your scalp is also skin, it has the same effect on it. When I first tried this I took some of my mother’s brown sugar (I don’t buy the stuff often) and mixed it with olive oil. Use two tablespoons of brown sugar and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix together to form a paste. Pour an additional tablespoon or two into a saucer for dipping your fingers into. Then proceed as follows:
- Part hair into eight sections.
- Release one section of hair and apply the paste to the scalp of that section.
- Dip fingers into the saucer of olive oil and begin to slowly massage scalp in a gentle, circular motion for about a minute.
- Repeat steps two and three for the remaining sections.
- Rinse scalp with lukewarm warm.
- Co-wash and condition hair as normal.
The reason why I added the saucer of olive oil for dipping your fingers into is because olive oil softens skin. Even though the brown sugar is in a paste it can still irritate a dry scalp, the oils soften and moisturize the scalp a little more while you exfoliate it to eliminate scalp irritation.
These are two of the easier and gentler methods of directly cleansing your scalp on a weekly basis. You can supplement with an ACV rinse once or twice a month. It doesn’t matter which method you choose or how you modify to suit your scalp’s needs. Just make sure to cleanse your scalp regularly to maintain its health and your hair’s health.
More from ShawnTe
How to Take Charge of Your Unruly Curls
The Kinky Girl’s Grocery List: Must-Have Items for Your Kinky Curls
5 Ways to Clarify Hair Without Shampoo
