How To Treat Dry Scalp

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You may be surprised to know that dry scalp is the number one cause of a flaky scalp.

You may be more surprised to know that these flakes aren’t technically dandruff at all.

Confused?

Well you’re not alone.

The shampoo industry is too. The pictures you see on the shampoo commercials are almost always dry scalp rather than “dandruff”.

Whatever it is and whatever it’s called, treating a dry scalp is extremely straightforward.

You’ve come to the right place…

What causes a dry scalp

Dry scalp is your scalp feeling dehydrated and in need of some moisture. The root cause may be in the way you are washing or treating your hair.  There are many ways you can do this.  These include:

  • Washing your hair too much
  • Using a harsh shampoo that is stripping your hair of it’s natural oils
  • Using a shampoo you that irritates you or you’re even allergic to
  • Washing with water that’s too hot
  • Overusing the blow dryer
  • Overdoing the hair products
  • Improper use of hair-coloring products
  • Excessive use of your curling irons
  • Not rinsing well enough
  • Your bathing is too hard

If none of these seem familar there are other factors that can cause your scalp to dry out too:

  • Overexposure to sunlight
  • A sudden change in temperature, in particular cold, dry weather
  • Hormonal changes
  • A poor diet
  • Dehydration
  • Stress or anxiety

What are the symptoms of a dry scalp?

If you suffer from a dry scalp your scalp will feel tight and itchy.  Your hair will feel dry, lifeless and brittle. The dry scalp may be a symptom of some other chronic condition such as psoriasis but in the majority of cases your scalp simply needs moisture. You can tell if you have a dry scalp as your dandruff will be loose, small, white and grainy.  Remember the dandruff they show in the commercials is almost always dry scalp.  Dandruff from scalp psoriasis is typically large brittle silver flakes as opposed to small grains.  Dandruff from Serborrhoeic Dermatitis is typically yellow in color.  It also often feels oily and crusty.

How to treat dry scalp

Treating dry scalp is a very distinct process from treating regular dandruff and a few lifestyle changes will help alleviate the problem. Keeping yourself hydrated is the number one priority.  Drink plenty of water.

If you’re like my girlfriend then turning down the temperature gauge of your shower from “not fit for human” scalding to warm will also help.

Try to loosen the dead cells from your scalp prior to shampooing using a soft (preferably boar) bristle brush. Something like this is ideal.

You can always try to moisturize your scalp. There are a few treatments and approaches to this. Shea butter is one such approach and can be applied to the scalp and has been used for centuries as a natural moisturizer and medicine.  Use the unrefined Shea Butter for maximum effect. However, if you have seb derm I would avoid this completely – it is high in oleic acid which can trigger a seb derm outbreak.

Some people also find an oily diet helps. Try eating oily fish, walnuts and flax for omega-3s and liver, yeast, fortified grains and eggs for vitamin B7.

Finally, the choice of shampoo is absolutely key. Using a regular anti-dandruff shampoo to treat a dry scalp isn’t a good idea. Anti-dandruff shampoos are typically designed to control fungus on your scalp or inhibit the rate your skin regenerates.   If you have dandruff from a dry scalp these medicated shampoos will do no good at all.

Instead, you should start with a very gentle shampoo.  The shampoo should not contain harsh chemicals which either dry your scalp or cause contact dermatitis.  This is a where most people go wrong.  Most people aren’t aware what goes in their shampoos or what effect these chemicals can have on our scalps.

We monitor all our shampoos for over 90 harsh chemicals commonly found in shampoos.  Ideally, the shampoo should be specifically designed to moisturize your scalp. This will, in turn, relieve the itching and tightness in your head.

Luckily there are a number of great products on the market these days.

The best shampoos to treat a dry scalp

These shampoos are excellent starting points to control your dry scalp. They are much gentler than traditional shampoos and are far less likely to strip your scalp of its natural oils.

Pharmaceutical Specialities Free & Clear Shampoo

Pharmaceutical Specialities Free & Clear Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp and Psoriasis

Pharmaceutical Specialties formed in 1974 to “start a company to make better products than were commercially available for people with sensitive skin”. And boy, have they achieved it with this Free and Clear shampoo.

What is perhaps surprising on a website dedicated to dandruff treatments is that this isn’t a dandruff shampoo at all.

It’s rather a "a non-medicated, mild shampoo for sensitive skin and scalp.”

That said, we can’t use a medicated shampoo all the time, and this is my go to shampoo for those “between” washes.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

BIOM8 Skin Conditioning Oil

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

BIOM8 Skin Conditioning Oil is now part of my daily skin care routine. It’s as simple as that. I have lost count of the number of products I’ve reviewed over the years and I can count on one hand the number of products that have impacted me on this level.

If you suffer from dry skin, facial seb derm or rosacea I simply can’t recommend this product highly enough.

It even makes a good beard oil!

Read the entire review buy now

Maple Holistics Hydrate Shampoo

Maple Holistics Hydrate Shampoo

Designed to treat Dry Scalp

Maple Holistics Hydrate Shampoo has been superbly formulated to soothe and moisturize the scalp and hair. The ingredients have been carefully selected to decrease the chance that the product will irritate the skin. Using multiple low dose surfactants is a stroke of genius and only the fact the shampoo contains only one potential contact allergen says it all.

This is as close to perfection as you get in the commercial shampoo world.

I simply can't recommend this highly enough.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Nurture My Body Everyday Fragrance Free Shampoo

Nurture My Body Everyday Fragrance Free Shampoo

Designed to treat Dry Scalp

Nurture My Body Everyday Fragrance-Free Shampoo is an excellent gentle option for sufferers of a dry irritated scalp. The absence of any noteworthy irritants or allergens combined with the expert formulation of anti-inflammatory moisturizing ingredients makes an excellent change from the usual harsh surfactants and other toxins that lead to a vicious cycle of irritation and inflammation.

They've managed all of this in a shampoo that foams and washes well.

It's not particularly cheap, but this is simply one of the finest dry scalp shampoos out there.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Sebclair Shampoo

Sebclair Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

Calling all sensitive scalp sufferers, if you haven’t yet found an anti-dandruff shampoo your scalp can tolerate, you haven’t yet found Sebclair shampoo. A piroctone olamine, Malassezia yeast quelling formula with extremely mild yet highly effective cleansers, accompanying scalp hydrators, flake fighters and natural anti-inflammatories. No fragrance, no essentials oils, no allergens. Sebclair shampoo really does stand out in our anti-dandruff crowd.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Tru Moroccan Repair Shampoo

Tru Moroccan Repair Shampoo

Designed to treat Dry Scalp

An impressive dry scalp treatment shampoo with an innovative formulation.

I have to applaud any company that can formulate a shampoo with so few allergens. The fact that it washes so well is marvelous. For those not sensitive to Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol or fragrances - this is an excellent shampoo.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Eucerin Dermocapillaire Calming Urea Scalp Treatment

Eucerin Dermocapillaire Calming Urea Scalp Treatment

Designed to treat Dry Scalp

This dry scalp treatment isn’t a shampoo at all, but rather a leave on moisturizer that you apply to your hair after washing.

The advantage of this approach is that, while shampoos are designed to clean (and all the sensitizing issues that come with that) this treatment is designed to moisturize and nothing else.

You’re free to use the shampoo of your choice and us this treatment in combination.

It’s an excellent approach that I hope other manufacturers take notice of.

Read the entire review buy now on ebay

Maple Holistics Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

Maple Holistics Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

Maple Holistics Tea Tree Shampoo is an outstanding Tea Tree shampoo for treating Dry Scalp or Seb Derm. It doesn’t contain any artificial coloring or fragrance, sulfates, parabens, or carcinogens. It contains only three potential contact allergens, with two of the three being tea tree and rosemary essential oils.

The combination of cleansing agents used are gentle, effective and innovative while the shampoo smells ace and washes even better.

If you're looking for a tea tree shampoo, I can't recommend this highly enough.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Cleure Volumizing Shampoo

Cleure Volumizing Shampoo

Designed to treat Dry Scalp

Cleure Volumizing uses only a handful of skin conditioning agents and gentle cleansers to treat a dry scalp.

It contains only two potential irritants that should be considered low to moderate concerns, compared to other much harsher alternatives. This shampoo doesn’t use any sulfates, parabens, artificial fragrances, dyes, alcohol, salicylates, formaldehyde, or SLS, making it a good option for those with sensitive scalps who typically react to less gentle, conventional shampoo and other personal care products.

Unless you have severely sensitive skin and are highly reactive to any potential irritants, we suggest trying this shampoo from Cleure and seeing if it calms your sensitive skin, and helps to clear up any dryness and itchiness on your scalp.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Puracy Natural Shampoo

Puracy Natural Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp and Psoriasis

Puracy Citrus Mint Natural Shampoo offers a great natural alternative to the many sulfate laden shampoos on the market today. Whether you are looking for an everyday use shampoo, or one that you can rotate your medicated dandruff shampoo with, we’d recommend trying the Natural Shampoo.

Because there are essential oils in the formula, we recommend caution to anyone who is sensitive to fragrances, or sensitive or allergic to any of the ingredients.

Otherwise, you’re looking at an expertly formulated shampoo that, for once, lives up to the manufacturer’s promises.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Sebclair Non-Steroidal Cream

Sebclair Non-Steroidal Cream

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

Sebclair Non-Steroidal Cream is an anti-fungal, piroctone olamine based treatment partnered with a trophy cabinet of natural anti-inflammatory actives. If you have a mild to moderate case of seb derm, hate steroids and love naturals Sebclair is for you. Best bit – there’s only two known allergens or irritants.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

Sea Magik Mineral Shampoo

Sea Magik Mineral Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp and Psoriasis

Dandruff shampoos can wreak havoc on dry, itchy scalps. Sea Magik Mineral Shampoo is different. A calming, hydrating formula with a combination of gentler, anti-dandruff actives. With independent research to back up claims that it’s potent, powerful yet still soothing. A great overall formula that's suitable for all but the most hypersensitive or allergy-prone skin types.

Read the entire review buy now on ebay

E45 Dry Scalp Shampoo

E45 Dry Scalp Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

E45 is a brand synonymous with dry skin care.

If you frequently get dry scalps after washing then this shampoo could be an excellent choice.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

La Roche-Posay Kerium Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

La Roche-Posay Kerium Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

La Roche Posay is a combination shampoo, combining both Piroctone Olamine and Salicylic Acid. The Salicylic Acid will help exfoliate existing dandruff build up while the Piroctone Olamine is designed to prevent any new outbreaks. It’s a match made in heaven.

I can’t let a mention of a review pass without commenting on how luxurious this shampoo feels and smells when washing – better than any medicated shampoo I have ever tried. And I’ve tried lots!

There are a couple of harsh ingredients but compared to the majority of the shampoos on the market, this is a first class Piroctone Olamine shampoo.

Read the entire review buy now on ebay

Pura Dor Argan Oil Scalp & Dandruff Treatment

Pura Dor Argan Oil Scalp & Dandruff Treatment

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp

Pura's D'or Argan Oil shampoo features an interesting formula that combines traditional therapy and herbalism.

It wears a premium price tag, but it is truly a premium product.

The active ingredient in Pura's product is the familiar zinc pyrithione. It also includes aloe vera and grapefruit seed extract, which have antifungal and antioxidant properties, and a number of fragrant essential oils.

Normally, shampoos containing argan oil send up a red flag for people with seborrheic dermatitis. The oleic acid content can exacerbate the condition. However, the amount present determines the sensitivity level, and a little should have no impact.

After using the shampoo, we found that it delivered a great performance without producing adverse reactions.

If you're sensitive to fragrance, cocamidopropyl betaine or phenooxyethanol, you may want to steer clear of this shampoo, but for many dandruff sufferers, it can achieve complete control of symptoms while providing a pleasant and surprisingly sudsy washing experience along with reliable treatment results.

Read the entire review buy now on Amazon

You can’t go wrong with any of our staff picks but we have plenty of other Dry Scalp treatment reviews for you to take a look at.

Author

  • The site owner. I founded, and have ran this site for too many years now. I have extremely sensitive skin, have suffered from seb derm for all my adult life and this site is my way of doing something about it. Check out my sister site at safehouseholdcleaning.com

1 thought on “How To Treat Dry Scalp”

  1. So many people are oblivious to the fact that scalp therapy shampoos for fast hair growth (obviously without any sulfates, parabens or DEA) even exist. Individuals are now able to attain longer hair and have more options. For sure worth looking into it.

    If you’re talking about alopecia, hair damage, preventing scalp disorders, fast hair growth, hair care more often than not, similar ideas actualize.

    As a rule of thumb, you want to steer clear of hair products and treatments that use chemicals such as parabens, DEA or sulfates.

    What’s beneficial for your hair is healthy for your skin all the same.

    Clearly the content on this page is spot on for various reasons. It avoids the accustomed errors and traps so many fall into- getting ineffective alternatives. Keep it up!

    Reply

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