How do I take care of my scalp skin? Top scalp skincare tips
Posted by Skinsider Team on 27th Aug 2021
We spare loads of time talking about skincare but what about scalp care?
Just like in skincare, it's easy to get things wrong when it comes to your scalp and hair care.
Yes, we all have tendency forget that under your hair lies the sensitive skin of your scalp. The skin produces the oil necessary to keep the skin on your scalp lubricated.
What is a healthy scalp care routine you may ask? Obvious regular cleansing to remove bacteria, sweat and excess oil from the skin. However, there are also steps you can take to protect the scalp skin and keep it healthy and balanced.
Check our tips on how to keep your scalp healthy.
Does your scalp age faster than your skin?
We have bad news for you. Your scalp changes with age. It is the fastest ageing skin compared to any part of your body. It is known that the scalp ages 12 times faster than body skin and 6 times faster than facial skin.
Can you use skincare on your scalp?
Unfortunately, traditional skincare can't be used on the scalp. The reason is it requires a different level of attention.
What are the most common scalp problems?
Scalp skin faces several challenges from product build up, heat from dryer or hair straightener to external factors like sunlight, wind, cold, hot weather.
Some of the most common scalp skin issues are:
- Dandruff is a condition marked by white flakes that form on the scalp. Skin that is too dry or too oily is more likely to develop dandruff.
- Scalp eczema is an itchy, red rash. The condition develops due to hypersensitivity.
- Scalp psoriasis occurs when there are issues with a natural skin cells turnover, causing a build-up of cells that forms red patches.
- Impetigo is a skin infection marked by red sores that burst and then form an orange or yellow crust. The condition is typically very itchy and often highly contagious. You will require antibiotics.
- Folliculitis occurs in the hair follicles and causes bumps resembling a whitehead to a large, red blister. An antibacterial shampoo that contains tea tree oil will help.
What should I avoid keeping the scalp skin healthy?
As always top tips include things you should not do.
Here is what we think you should avoid:
- Wet hair is more prone to breakage so do not brush your hair when they are wet just wait until they are 70% dry or sleep with wet hair
- Don’t wash your hair too often as it can strip it of its natural healthy oils, leaving your hair dry, dull, and prone to breakage
- Don’t use hot air to dry your hair and don’t use a hair straightener
- Don’t wear tight hairstyles on the regular basis.
- Don’t use a towel to dry your hair. The textures of your standard terry cloths are often too rough.
- Limit chemical treatments. From hair colouring treatment to hair spray, the chemicals used in these treatments can dry out and irritate your scalp.
What are the ways to get a healthy scalp?
Skin on your scalp is considered as skin and taking care of it is necessary for your overall scalp health.
- Exfoliate the skin on your scalp. To help boost the skin cell turnover process, exfoliate your scalp on a regular basis. If you suffer from dry skin or very oily skin, you may need to exfoliate two or three times per week; otherwise, exfoliate once a week.
- Keep scalp moisture. If you wash your hair, use lukewarm water for rinsing instead of a hot stream of water. This allows more of the natural sebum necessary for moisturizing the tissue to remain on your scalp.
- Massage. 5 to 10 minutes spent on massaging your scalp will improve blood circulation.
- Shampoo regularly. Yes, cleansing is one of the most important parts of scalp care.
- Protect your scalp from the sun. Skin cancer is one of the most diagnosed forms of cancer and often develops on the scalp. The skin on the scalp is exposed to the sun during your day-to-day activities. Wear a hat on those sunny days to protect your scalp.
- Consider your diet. A well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables will bring necessary vitamins and minerals.
The best products for a healthy scalp
Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. Scalp treatment’s main goal is to detoxify your scalp, bring in moisture, or treat issues such as eczema and psoriasis and dandruff. As always Korean beauty industry do not disappoint. Here is our top Korean scalp skincare.
What products are good for the scalp?
It is very important to cleanse your scalp regularly to remove excess oils and dead skin cells.
Weekly use of an exfoliating scalp product will remove dead skin and product build-up. This is even more crucial if you wash your hair less often than every three days. Add to it amazing shampoo and your scalp skin will be balanced and happy.
What is a good scalp exfoliator?
A good scalp treatment will always involve a scalp scrub. Aromatica Rosemary Scalp Scrub is filled with Israel dead Sea salt. It is a vegan-friendly scalp exfoliator that gently removes dead skin cells and purifies the scalp.
The active ingredients of rosemary, basil, and oregano strengthen scalp skin and hair roots, with Para-probiotics*, Probiotics, and Caffeine regulating the unstable balance of the scalp.
*Para-probiotics (Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate): Probiotics in dead or decomposed state provide effects.
The amazing scalp scrub includes delicate ingredients nourishing scalp and hair roots. Among these, you will find Caffeine, Biotin, Panthenol, and Amino acids. They will work hard on making each strand healthy and strong.
How do I exfoliate my scalp?
Scalp exfoliation should be performed on wet hair. You can use it in place of shampoo or before shampoo. After you comb through and separate sections of your hair, you can apply the scrub with your fingertips. If you're using a physical exfoliant aka scalp scrub, massage your scalp in a circular motion. Massage until the sea salt melts away, then rinse thoroughly.
What shampoo can I use?
Aromatica Rosemary Scalp Scaling Shampoo uses ingredients to care for pores on the scalp that are larger than those on the face. They contain vegan formulas free of sulphate surfactant, silicone oil, and animal-based ingredients to ensure safe cleaning daily.
With this shampoo, you will experience gentle cleansing of stubborn dead skin cells from the scalp with Rosemary and oil-soluble dead skin cell remover BHA (salicylic acid). An oil-soluble dead skin cell remover BHA (salicylic acid) makes the scalp clean by effectively removing impurities that clog the scalp’s pores. In addition, rosemary, and ginger as well as basil and oregano effectively deliver active substances to scalp and hair roots.
But there is more to this shampoo. You will be able to experience holistic aromatherapy by dispensing shampoo onto your palm and breathing in the scent. α-Pinene and verbernone ingredients from rosemary promote blood circulation on the scalp, and sesquiterpene-based β- hamazulene substance from cedarwood helps cleanse the scalp and awaken its dormant vitality.
Happy Scalp Skin is easy to achieve.