I’ve suffered from a dry scalp on and off throughout the years. I never really liked the typical drugstore dandruff products because they have an overwhelming chemical smell to them and dry out my hair.  Here are a few ways and products I like to use to get a healthier scalp.

Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with water. This is a nice affordable option. Mix it in a spray bottle with water and apply to your scalp directly over the bathtub. Be careful not to get it into your eyes or onto your face because it can burn. I’m not coordinated enough to avoid this, but maybe you can be. After I let this sit on my scalp for about 15 minutes or so, I’ll follow with my regular shampoo and condition routine. I usually just eyeball the apple cider vinegar to water ratio by filling up an 8 oz. spray bottle halfway or so with an even ratio of apple cider vinegar to water. I have a big head and lots of hair, so you may need less mixture than me. This results in a calmer scalp with less flakes and healthier, shinier hair!

A Heaping Tablespoon of Baking Soda mixed into my shampoo.  This one is very low maintenance and helps remove the buildup of dry shampoo. Mix about a tablespoon of baking soda with your shampoo between the palms of your hands and shampoo as normal working up a nice lather. I read somewhere that you shouldn’t dig your nails into your scalp and instead should use your fingertips to gently massage the products onto your head. Rinse and condition as your normally would.  This leaves the scalp feeling very clean and results in a softer blowout.

Moving onto the products you have to save your pretty pennies for.

Aesop Sage & Cedar Scalp Treatment can be applied directly to your scalp for up to 15 minutes before shampooing. The directions say to apply 5 drops directly to your scalp, but I tend to use more than that because I find that 5 drops is not enough product to cover my whole scalp. I will start by brushing my hair and then apply the drops to my scalp directly and gently massage it in for a minute or so. After 15 minutes, it’s time to shower and proceed with your regular shampoo and conditioning routine. If you love the smell of Sage like I do, then you will love this. It’s a very calming smell and even my husband commented on “that great smell” when I had the mask in my hair. It leaves my scalp super calm, clean, and happy plus I noticed healthier locks after use! I love this and think it will definitely be a staple in my beauty cabinet for years to come. It’s a lot more enjoyable than my makeshift Apple Cider Vinegar treatment and yields better results.

Aesop Rose Hair & Scalp Moisturising Masque  can be applied to your hair after shampooing. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse it out. This is good for a healthier scalp and moisturized locks. I tend to save this as a special mask to do on weekends when I have some free time on my hands.  Believe it or not there doesn’t always seem to be time for this on the weekends, so it’s more of a production to use. However, it’s definitely great for the hair and scalp and worth trying!

Kevin Murphy Young Again Masque is to be used after you shampoo and before you condition.  My hairdresser recommended this product to me because I was complaining about my dry scalp, frizzy , and thinning hair. This product has great reviews online and I’m hoping it will help restore my hair to better condition with more frequent uses. You can’t really go wrong with Kevin Murphy hair products and I highly recommend trying some of his other great products that I blogged about here and here.

Christophe Robin Cleansing Mask With Lemon is a product I have been eyeing for-ev-er and was lucky enough to get it as a free sample from Sephora recently.  It can be used as a Shampoo and there’s a lot of different ways to use it, so I suggest finding what works best for your needs. I really LOVE this stuff and haven’t been able to stop playing with my hair after I did the Aesop Scalp Treatment followed by Christopher Robin Shampoo and Kevin Murphy Angel Hair Conditioner.

Now, I will admit I have always been lazy when it comes to my hair. Blowdrying it can take 20-30 minutes with a good T3 blowdryer or even longer if I really want to do an awesome blowout. I have to be at work by 8AM and just can’t bring myself to wake up at 5am to blowdry my hair in the morning.  That being said, I still believe it’s important to take good care of it, so that’s what I’ve been doing.  What are some of your favorite ways to maintain a healthy scalp? Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about the products or routines.  Thanks!