Do-it-yourself Dandruff Destroyer

Whether it’s winter or not, does snow seem to fly wherever you go? Don’t cover up those flakes – get rid of them! Dandruff is an incredibly common scalp issue and only slightly annoying to contend with. It can be caused by poor diet (too much sugar), stress, certain medications, changes in weather, excess shampooing etcetera, etcetera. So what to do? There are plenty of chemical based shampoos on the market but they sometimes consist of some funky things including coal tar that comes from exactly where you think it comes from. Studies say coal tar is only carcinogenic in high doses but who wants to take the risk? And if everyone’s running coal tar down the drain, that adds up in the water tablet. There are, of course, more natural options available but why not save dollars a bottle and make your own?

It’s easy peasy:

If your scalp is on the oily side, give this one a whirl:

3 capfuls apple cider vinegar (white vinegar works too but the smell isn’t as pleasant)
1 glass cool water

Mix em up and pour over your head after shampooing. Allow to sit for a few minutes and give yourself a nice scalp massage while you’re waiting. Rinse and condition.

If your scalp is on the dry side, try this:

A few drops of rosemary oil or a handful or sprig of fresh rosemary (or lavender)
A tablespoon or two of olive oil

Mix em up and pour over your head, concentrating right at the scalp (if you’re using fresh herbs allow them to sit in the oil a little while). Wrap your head in a towel to warm the oils or work the oil in with a scalp massage. Rinse and condition.

Limit these treatments to once a week at most and see how it goes – every head will respond to something different so experiment. You can also try aloe (straight from the plant), baking soda (mixed with vinegar) or tea tree oil. Also try laying off the hair dryer (saves energy too), washing your hair less (save water too) and avoiding all those fancy pants styling sprays, goops and gunk. Up your circulation and pamper your noodle with regular scalp massages (a killer, cost free Valentine’s gift too). Easy on you, the planet and your dark colored clothes.