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Seborrheic dermatitis causes the scalp and other skin areas to be dry, red, itchy, and flaky. A scalp detox is not a medical treatment, and there is limited research on its benefits. If you wash your hair often, you might only need to exfoliate once every few weeks. These conditions can make your scalp more sensitive to exfoliation, resulting in more irritation and inflammation. If your hair is colored, be careful to not use anything acidic, such as lemon juice, that could alter your dye.
What’s the Difference Between a Clarifying Shampoo and an At-Home Scalp Scrub?
“Its blend of sugar and coconut oil helps to remove excess build-up from the scalp while calming and soothing the scalp. What’s great is that it works well for both oily scalps and those that are dry, and you can use the scrub on your body too.” It’s also cruelty-free, color-safe, and suitable for any hair type. Despite the heavy-duty exfoliation, the formula is surprisingly gentle.
Your key ingredient(s) often determine the type
Finding an effective one all comes down to the ingredients — both what’s included and what’s not — according to the board-certified founder of a med spa. “Oribe has cornered the market on using actual natural ingredients that can aid in addressing the dryness as opposed to just covering it up,” Aguirre says. We love it so much, it was named “best scalp treatment” in our 2020 Healthy Beauty Awards. Coco & Eve's scrub contains coconut shell and Balinese volcanic ash to manually exfoliate, as well as alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids to slough away dead skin cells. Oribe’s Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub packs a serious punch thanks to its dual-exfoliant formula.
Chemical exfoliant

All scalp exfoliants that include these ingredients also feature some physical abrasives. If you want to exfoliate your scalp without any scrubbing, you can use a salicylic- or glycolic acid-based toner as a scalp rinse instead. This powerful scrub from Kérastase exfoliates, clarifies, and cleanses all in one go.
Best for Sensitive skin

Fable & Mane's use of ingredients is steeped in the knowledge of effective Ayurvedic practices – and this vegan formula is no different. It contains ginger, neem leaf and amla to not only exfoliate dead skin, but also provide antiseptic and antifungal properties, sooth itchiness and stimulate the scalp. Plus, it has a gorgeous, uplighting scent, thanks to notes of ginger, bergamot, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood and vanilla – yep, as dreamy as it sounds. Those with particularly curly, coily, or thick hair might have a harder time fully rinsing out those itty bitty beads, but it’s nothing a few extra minutes of scrubbing and a great scalp massager can’t fix. The Kristin Ess Instant Exfoliating Scalp Scrub strikes the perfect balance — it effectively sloughs away dead skin and buildup without being too abrasive, thanks to a blend of exfoliating sugars and soothing oils. If we're putting in the time and effort into making an at-home concoction, we want to make sure it's going to get the job done.
Designed specifically for the delicate skin of the scalp, scalp scrubs help to remove flakiness, dead skin, and product build-up, to prevent itchiness and keep the scalp healthy. The unique texture, which reminds us of a soft paste, simultaneously exfoliates and hydrates the skin. The slight lather makes it easy to massage through your roots, while the sugar crystals and coconut oil-infused formula provides just enough grit, sans irritation. We noticed that some users say the formula leaves behind a tacky residue, but we’ve never encountered the issue. Instead, it leaves our scalp and body feeling luxuriously smooth and soft. People who color their hair may think they need to write off scalp scrubs completely — after all, many formulas contain sulfates or harsh chemical exfoliants that can dull color.
Many salons offer treatments to detox your scalp, using salicylic acid or bentonite clay. They usually start by steaming the scalp to loosen buildup and thoroughly massage the product into the entire scalp. Pre-shampoo cleansers are applied to the hair and scalp before shampooing. These products are believed to hydrate and nourish hair, repair hair shafts, and promote scalp health. An oily or itchy scalp, dandruff, or scalp odor may require medical intervention.
L'Oréal EverPure Scalp Care and Detox Scrub
14 of the very best scalp scrubs to deep cleanse your hair - Cosmopolitan UK
14 of the very best scalp scrubs to deep cleanse your hair.
Posted: Wed, 30 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
For those who don’t mind essential oils but still want minimalist formulas, this is a lovely scalp scrub to try! It doubles as a sulfate-free shampoo, with a cleansing formula that doesn’t lather too much. The exfoliation comes from sea salt, which also helps to eliminate oils. There are no added oils in the blend, which is nice if botanical oils cause dandruff for you.
Designed by the clean, luxury haircare brand Briogeo, it’s pricey but effective. It’s designed specifically for those with an oily scalp, with a formula that removes dead skin quite thoroughly while also combating excess oil. Chemical exfoliants are typically formulated with alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs like glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acids) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs like salicylic acid), says Dr. Lee. “Chemical exfoliants are no joke—they will break through all the product buildup, sebum, and dead skin,” Materek says. Chemical exfoliants might also be better for folks with sensitive skin, as a physical scrub tends to feel harsh and drying on a finicky scalp. From a styling standpoint, you might notice your hair feels weighed down and oily if your scalp needs a (very gentle) scrub.
The formula features binchotan charcoal, which draws out impurities that clog the hair follicle, as well as a combination of coconut, peppermint, spearmint, and tea tree oils to soothe and moisturize the scalp. The latter three oils also have a cooling effect when applied, which further helps to reduce inflammation and itchiness. Thanks to alpha hydroxy acids and fruit extracts in this Oribe scalp scrub, you can kiss that itchy scalp goodbye. Since there's both physical and chemical exfoliants in this formula, you're getting double the power when removing excess sebum, product buildup and dead skin. If you want a multitasking scrub that you can use on both your scalp and your body, “OUAI Haircare Deep Cleansing Scalp and Body Scrub is another favorite,” Dr. DeRosa wrote.
Bentonite clay is loaded with purifying materials, and it has been found to be helpful for clarifying the scalp. It is believed to bind to sebum and buildup in a way that allows for easy rinsing. Other causes of an itchy scalp, like scalp psoriasis (an autoimmune skin condition), are less common.
Developed by a celebrity hairstylist, this formula is both luxurious and effective. Peppermint gently invigorates the scalp while avocado nourishes and moisturizes. The amount of water you add to a dollop determines how lather-foamy it gets. Sea salt expertly tackles oiliness, while salicylic acid keeps keeps follicles clear. Reviewers said that, while this was a splurge, it was one that really changed the health of their hair for the better.
There’s also a small amount of glycolic acid for added scalp renewal. The main exfoliants are cellulose and silica, so they’re gentle and safe for the environment. There is also charcoal, which has skin-purifying and oil-absorbing properties. It’s not recommended specifically for dandruff, but these ingredients could still help if you suffer from that kind of flakiness.
Many reviewers hail this as the one product that got rid of their itchy, flakey scalp for good. The texture is very thick, so it might take some time to work into the scalp. If you have sensitive skin, consider using a mild product with natural ingredients or one designed for sensitive skin. For those with dry scalps, finding a good scalp scrub is a little tougher. Most formulas are made with oily scalps in mind, so they can be very stripping.