When we discussed scalp dandruff issue last week, I promised to talk about the several home remedies for dandruff or do it yourself ways of tackling the problem.
By the way, I advice you take look at last week’s piece to know the important stuff related to dandruff. I am talking causes, types and cures for dandruff.
By now, if you have dandruff and you read last week’s piece, you must have tried the conventional shampoo method of treating the problem. I hope you found the right shampoo? Tell us about your experiences of buying and using shampoo in the comments section if you don’t mind.
But for those who for one reason or the other shampoo did not work satisfactorily for them, the next best thing is to try the several home remedies for dandruff that are available.
As a matter of fact, some people swear by everything they hold sacred that these home remedies for dandruff treatment work even better than the use shampoo.
Most times, it is all about skin type and sensitivity to the chemicals in shampoo. But hey, different strokes for different folks right?
Okay, let’s get into the various home remedies for dandruff problem.
Aspirin is one of the best home remedies for dandruff
Surprised? Well, this very common pain reliever contains one of the most active ingredient in most shampoos. That is salicylic acid.
To use aspirin to control scalp dandruff, just crush some tablets into a powder and use it with soap to wash your hair. You can also add it to normal shampoos.
Leave it on the hair for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Then wash the hair again with your normal soap or shampoo without the aspirin.
Use Baking soda
That baking soda sitting idly in your kitchen could be the solution to a flake-free scalp and hair.
With baking soda, you don’t even need to use shampoo to rinse the hair.
Baking soda has ingredients that are very deadly to the fungi that cause dandruff.
Just wet your hair, then scoop and handful of the soda into your hair and rub vigorously.
At first, your scalp might feel even drier, but after a few weeks, with the fungi completely eliminated, the scalp would start producing natural oils to making your hair both dandruff-free and softer.
Use Apple cider vinegar
Studies have shown that the acidity of Apple cider vinegar is capable of changing the pH of your scalp making it unconducive for the production of dandruff.
If you have it at home, just mix any amount with an equal amount of water, put it in a spray bottle and spray your hair liberally with it.
Then cover your hair with a thick cloth for 15 minutes. A towel is recommended for best results. After about a quarter of an hour, just wash the hair the normal way. Do this at least two times a week.
Use of Mouthwash
Because of the anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties of mouthwash, they are one of the best home remedies for dandruff known to modern man.
Used in combination with soap or regular shampoo, an alcohol based mouthwash would work effectively.
After washing your hair with your regular shampoo or soap, rinse your hair with the mouthwash. Make sure the mouthwash contains alcohol.
Coconut oil treatment for dandruff
Though coconut oil is not something that you might have just lying at home, having a dandruff problem is a good time to buy and keep it in the home.
Rub it on the hair and massage the scalp with it. Leave it on the hair for about an hour before washing it off with your normal shampoo.
Since most coconut oils smell nice, you don’t have to be afraid of leaving it on your hair that long.
Good old lemon juice
So this is another use for that lemon that is sitting pretty in your fridge.
There are two stages to using lemon juice for managing your dandruff problem
Firstly, massage 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls of the juice into your hair and scalp, then rinse it with water after a few minutes.
The next stage is to add about 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice into a cup of water and use the mixture to rinse your hair.
Obviously, the acidity of lemon juice is what works to alter the pH of the scalp and eliminate the dandruff.
Continue using the lemon juice treatment until the problem disappears.
Using Aloe Vera
Apart from it many uses in skin care and health, Aloe vera can be used to control dandruff.
Applying Aloe vera to the dry, itchy scalp would help cool the scalp and mitigate the need to scratch the dry scalp thereby producing less dandruff.
Olive oil remedy for dandruff
If you can’t get a shampoo that contains olive oil, using the raw natural olive oil is one of the best home remedies for dandruff problem.
Massage your scalp with some drops of the olive oil. It’s best to do it overnight before going to sleep. In which case you’d need to cover your hair with a shower cap before sleeping off.
In the morning, just wash your hair with your regular soap or shampoo.
Salt
Salt is also one of the most effective home remedies for dandruff.
Though salt is getting some bad raps recently, its abrasiveness can be a good scrub for scalps with dandruff.
Before a good shampoo or all the other home remedies for dandruff above, you can apply a handful of salt to your hair and massage the scalp with it.
The salt massage would eliminate most of the dry flaky stuff on the scalp. Then you can proceed to wash the hair with shampoo or soap.
Use Garlic
Some would stay away from garlic because of the smell. I would too.
Garlic has numerous antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties that eliminate all dandruff-causing organisms.
To use it is rather simple. Just crush the garlic and rub it into your scalp. To avoid that garlic smell, it is recommended that you mix the crushed garlic with honey before rubbing it on your scalp.
Wash the hair with shampoo after some time.
Generally, a combination of all these natural home remedies for dandruff problem would work for everybody.
However, if one works for you very well, you best bet is to stick to that remedy.
Please, share this article with you friends on Facebook or Twitter so they too can get the benefits of how to treat dandruff at home without having to buy expensive shampoos.
Remember, what worked for you might not work for your friends though.
Cheers.
