Last week I had the pleasure of talking to a new essential oil user, who told me she was floored by how easily her lifelong battle with dandruff was won by this simple, simple, SIMPLE step. Can I tell you how that made my day? Well it did because sweet as she was, I knew she was skeptical about this "crazy" EO movement. Sometimes I forget that the simplest of protocols have yet to be shared on the blog until I have an experience that reminds me I need to share it! This protocol is quick, clean and easy and, it involves only one key essential oil although others can be added as I'll share with you later in the post. If you have an unbeliever in your midst that struggles with unsightly flakes, please by all means remember to share this tip with them, it's a hair and scalp changer!
It's my experience that anti-microbial essential oils like pure Melaleuca have an astounding success rate for treating fungal and or bacterial infections. Dandruff is thought to be a yeast (Malassezia strain) which is considered a fungal infection and this is where it gets easy believe it or not! "Essentially, antifungal therapy reduces the number of yeasts on the skin, leading to an improvement in seborrheic dermatitis. With a wide availability of preparations, including creams, shampoos, and oral formulations, antifungal agents are safe and effective in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15663338
If you have a dry, flaking scalp it could be a combination of old hair product sloughing off or, harmful chemicals in hair products you use on a regular basis reacting with your scalp. Be sure to switch to sulfate free products, they're safer and much improved over what they used to be. Ok, you've switched up your hair products but you're still finding the white stuff on your shoulders? Well, grab your bottle of pure Melaleuca and head for the shower!
Easy huh? Now, if I were you, I'd take things one step further and make a batch of Rosemary Lavender & Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse. Rosemary to help promote hair follicle health, Lavender to nourish the scalp and ACV to clarify and cut through product build up! I now add this to an 8 oz spray bottle and spray my hair after rinsing out my conditioner. Yes, I color my hair and NO, the rinse with ACV doesn't strip my color. What I love about this rinse besides what I just mentioned is how it encourages faster growth! I really, REALLY love this rinse. Keep your products pure and conscious clean ~ use nature as nature intended!
