Dry scalp is painful, unsightly, and downright annoying. It leads to flaky skin coming through the hair and can even restrict the hair growth. We’re left with thin, tired locks that just need some life put back into them.
While you can work on the hair itself, you need to work on the dry scalp. There are so many reasons for dry scalp, which isn’t something we’ll look into today. Instead, it’s time to look at how to treat your dry scalp issue through the use of essential oils.
Yes, we want to focus on essential oils. There are plenty of treatments over the counter, but they are expensive and quite honestly they’re filled with chemicals that just make the dry scalp worse. You want something natural and effective.
Essential oils are extremely powerful and used in various home remedy treatments. They help to moisturize and balance the hormones, which can help to repair the natural oil production. But you need to use the right types of essential oils for your scalp condition.
So, with that in mind here is your ultimate list of essential oils that will treat your dry scalp condition. Now all you need to do is choose the essential oil that you prefer the most.
Fight Infections with Tea Tree Oil
One of the reasons for dry scalp is an infection. This is commonly a viral or fungal infection that your body is trying to work off. You may also have a skin condition like psoriasis or eczema that is attacking your scalp more than other parts of your body.
Tea tree oil should be the first essential oil on your list for these reasons for dry scalp. It is full of antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. In short, you get everything that you need to fight off whatever infection is causing the dry scalp.
It can also help to reduce inflammation, which is a common side effect of dry scalp. You won’t feel the need to scratch as much, and you’ll find the irritation subsides.
Tea tree oil has been used for centuries to treat all sorts of skin conditions. If you’re acne prone, wherever on the body, you will find this essential oil is worth stocking up on!
Of course, it smells great, which is a major plus. You can apply it directly to your scalp, or you can add it to your conditioner to work directly into your scalp. A leave in conditioner would give the tea tree oil more time to work on any infection that your body is trying to fight off.
Create your own conditioner with coconut oil and tea tree oil. While coconut oil isn’t technically an essential oil, it is powerful for fighting dry scalp conditions. It is a natural moisturizer and something that can be used to everyone (unless they’re allergic!). I used it on both my daughters to treat their cradle cap, which was resistant even to cradle cap shampoo!
Some people can be allergic to tea tree oil. Test it on a small part of your skin, like the back of your hand or on your wrist to see if you have a reaction before using it on the whole scalp.
Add Peppermint Oil to the Mix
Peppermint oil is full of healing properties. In fact, any type of mint has healing properties. One of the benefits is in the balancing of hormones.
The scent of peppermint helps many people unwind. The brain instantly gets the message that you’re relaxed and happy. You release more happy hormones to combat stress hormones in the body. It’s the stress hormones that are causing your skin conditions – you’ll like notice that you have a flare up when you’re extremely stressed.
There is also a cooling effect within peppermint oil. When your skin is dry, it becomes irritated, and that causes swelling. Of course, there’s redness and heat when there is inflammation. By applying peppermint directly to the affected area, you will boost the blood flow, reduce the inflammation, and improve the temperature around the area.
Your skin cells will thank you. Your hair follicles will also benefit. The extra blood flow rejuvenates them, so they don’t end up clogged and causing a problem with the natural oil production.
You can add a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil to some coconut oil and use it as your conditioner. Don’t forget to rinse it out before you get out of the shower!
Invigorate Skin Cells with Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil and peppermint oil work extremely well together. Rosemary has a slight minty scent, mixed in with the woody aroma. When the two work together, your body is instantly invigorated. That invigoration affects your cells. If you thought peppermint on its own was good for the blood flow, you’ve experienced nothing yet!
At the same time, Rosemary is jam packed with antioxidants. If your dry skin is connected to some type of viral or fungal infection, your body will find it easier to get to work on it. The dry scalp symptom is gone because there’s no disease within the system to cause it.
If you have oily hair, this is the essential oil that you want to add in. There is a common misconception that people with oily hair shouldn’t use any other types of oils. That is definitely not the case. The rosemary will get deep into the glands and clear clogged pores. It helps to balance out the hormones, meaning that the oil production is affected for the better. You end up with strong, non-greasy locks.
The antioxidants can also help to combat signs of aging. You’ll find your hair is able to growth through quicker and brighter because the skill cells are protected.
If you don’t like the scent of peppermint and you can’t use coconut oil, you can just add rosemary to olive oil. Both will work together to unclog pores and stimulate the cell repair.
Use Lavender on All Hair Types
Lavender essential oil has the benefit of being perfect for all hair types. Whether you have dry and damaged hair or greasy hair, you’ll find that you gain something from the use of this essential oil.
Let’s just stat with the scent. Lavender oil doesn’t have the same minty aroma as rosemary or peppermint. It has a floral scent that most people will already be used to. There are high chances that you’ve burned lavender oil in your home or have been somewhere that uses it on a daily basis. It’s one of the more popular scents with diffusers and store-bought air fresheners.
The oil works into the scalp and boosts the blood circulation. This will instantly help to boost the growth of the hair. Dry scalps tend to block hair follicles causing thinning hair, but this no longer becomes an issue.
There are also antiseptic properties to the oil. If your dry scalp is a symptom of a condition, you’ll find that your immune system is better supported. The antiseptic properties can also reduce infection if you damage your skin while scratching, even though you know deep down that you shouldn’t do that! Children have a tendency to have no impulse control. They scratch because they need to and that can cause cuts on their head. Using lavender oil on them regularly will help to look after the skin.
Lavender oil also comes with antibacterial and antifungal properties. You get all the same benefits mentioned above. This oil is just better for all types, including mixed types, of hair.
The oil will get right into your scalp and into the pores. It unblocks them, making it easier for natural oil production.
One of the best ways to use lavender oil is to add a few drops of coconut or olive oil. Massage all the oils directly into your scalp to help improve the blood flow and leave. You can leave overnight with a shower cap over your head to prevent transfer onto the pillow and then wash out the next morning. Doing so will help to boost the quality of your sleep since the scent helps your de-stress!
Get a Woody Scent from Cedar Oil
Cedar oil is commonly used in dandruff treatments. This woody scented essential oil is warm and soothing. It can help to reduce the burning sensation from an inflamed or irritated scalp. It is also commonly used in hair loss treatments because of all the benefits. In fact, cedar oil has been proven to reverse hair loss through alopecia – studies have only shown that this oil is effective in this!
The benefit you get with cedar essential oil is the balance of the natural oil secretion within your glands. This is why it’s useful for all types of hair. If you have greasy hair, it will balance out the overproduction to slow it down. If you have dry scalp, it will boost the production, so you get enough for your locks. It can also help to boost hair growth, thickening your locks and making them look luxurious.
Like many other oils already on the list, cedar essential oil is full of healing properties. It can fight against fungal and bacterial infections that can cause dry scalp. It will also fight against infections caused by cutting the scalp while scratching.
The method of using the essential oil will depend on the type of hair that you have. Those with oily hair are best not to leave the essential oil in for too long. Add a few drops to your usual shampoo so it can repair dry scalp but reduce the natural oil production. Those with dry hair will need to leave the essential oil in their hair for at least an hour. It can be left overnight if you wish.
Lighten and Repair with Lemon Essential Oil
When you’re dealing with dry scalp, you don’t want to let your hair look heavy and worn. You want to brighten it up, and this is where lemon essential oil can be extremely useful. Lemon is also healing.
Let’s look at the healing properties first. You’ll know from experience that lemon cleans out wounds. The citric acid kills off the majority of infections, helping to resolve any infections that appear due to the dry scalp. It is one of the best natural medicines for the whole body.
The lemon essential oil will get deep into your glands. It kills off anything that shouldn’t be in the pores to help balance out the natural oil production.
The citric acid will also help to brighten up the hair. It’s a natural lightener – all you need is some sunlight. Be safe when using lemon juice on your hair for lightening it. Even with the essential oil, you may burn your hair from the UV rays.
The downside with lemon essential oil is sensitivity. If you have sensitive skin, you may find that this isn’t suitable because of the citric acid. You can test this by putting some of the oil on your wrist or back of your hand. If it becomes irritated, you know that you can’t use it on your hair.
Put Together a Plan to Care for Your Dry Scalp
The good thing about essential oils is that you can use them all together. If there are a couple of on list that you think will be beneficial for you, you can add drops of each to your olive oil or coconut oil. This is especially beneficial for oils that have similar properties for similar hair types. Rosemary, tea tree, and peppermint oil are commonly combined, for example.
Use them so that you get the maximum benefits from them. That means don’t rush the healing process. Allow the oils to soak in and opt for massaging right into the pores and leaving the oils overnight. You will start to see results within days if you use the essential oils once a day. Once the dry scalp has gone, you can keep using the essential oils each time you wash your hair.
