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With winters comes dandruff as an uninvited guest. The most annoying part is when this never-ending supply of flakes keeps showering down on your shoulders and brings itching along with it for the sake of having company. These simple home remedies for dandruff and itchy scalp helped me remove dandruff in one wash naturally. I totally recommend them! Want to know what these remedies are? KEEP READING…
Why does dandruff occur?
Dandruff occurs when the cells of the outer layer of skin on the scalp shed faster, causing the flakes of dead skin.
It is caused because of a disorder of the sebaceous glands.
If too little sebum is secreted, the hair is dry and, dandruff appears as white flakes. If too much sebum is produced, the hair is greasy. Certain types of seborrheic dermatitis are also responsible for dandruff, which causes inflammation and itchiness in addition to flaking.
Ways to remove dandruff in one wash naturally-
Oil massage
For this you need-
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Take a clean bowl and mix both oil and lemon juice together. Mix the two as much as you can. Apply this oil all over your scalp. Massage it as if you are shaking off dandruff from your scalp.
Ensure that you do not leave it overnight and wash your hair 2-3 hours after applying this oil. It is truly a miracle for your hair and will help you remove dandruff in one wash naturally.
Mustard oil is an excellent source of antioxidants and iron, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. It encourages hair growth and prevents premature greying of hair. Mustard oil has high uric acid content. It also contains ALA that helps clean your scalp and eliminate bacteria and fungi that block hair follicles on the scalp.
Mustard oil prevents dandruff as it is rich in antioxidants and has anti-bacterial properties. Lemon contains citric acid that helps fight dandruff. It has antimicrobial properties, which curb the growth of the fungus on your scalp.
Scalp scrub
Like our skin, we need to exfoliate our scalp also. It removes oil and residue from the scalp, makes our hair healthier and is the best dandruff treatment at home.
All you need-
- 2 tbsp Fenugreek seeds
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 5 tbsp aloe vera gel
- 2-3 drops of tea tree oil
Firstly, grind fenugreek seeds in a mixer. Make sure they are a bit coarse and not very fine.
Mix the seeds, aloe vera gel, olive oil and tea tree oil in a bowl till you get a paste-like consistency.
Section your hair and apply the scrub to your scalp. Massage for a few minutes.
Scrub your scalp gently in a way that your hair does not get tangled.
Leave it on for 30 minutes, and then shampoo your hair.
Fenugreek enhances hair growth and rebuilds hair follicles. Massaging the scalp with fenugreek seeds improves blood circulation and also regenerates hair follicles. The alkalising properties maintain the pH level of the scalp and prevent dandruff. Olive oil hydrates the dry scalp. Tea tree oil has natural antiseptic and antibiotic properties, which remove the dandruff-causing fungus on the scalp. Aloe vera provides relief from itching and, its anti-inflammatory properties speed up the healing process. It restores the ideal pH balance of the scalp, which prevents dandruff.
Shampoo
I have seen that I get more dandruff when I use Anti-dandruff shampoo than when I use a gentle shampoo.
I naturally have a dry scalp and, using anti-dandruff shampoo makes my scalp drier and increases the dandruff problem.
How do you shampoo?
When you wash your hair, make sure that your hair gets clean thoroughly and, no residue of hair mask or oil is left behind.
Thoroughly wash the shampoo off your hair. Most of the time, we do not rinse off the shampoo properly from our hair which could be one of the reasons for dandruff.
Do not shampoo your hair regularly and, refrain from washing your hair with hot water.
They strip the natural oils from your scalp, which causes more harm than good. Always wash your hair with cool or lukewarm water.
When I shampoo my hair, I pour some shampoo into a container and then add some water.
Mix the shampoo with water and then apply it to your hair.
After applying the shampoo, massage your hair for 2-3 minutes and then wash it off.
After washing your hair, let your hair air dry. Do not use a blow dryer or any heat onto your hair as it will aggravate the problem.
Hair rinse
For preparing anti-dandruff hair rinse, you need-
- 2 cups of water
- 5 hibiscus flowers
Boil water in a medium-sized pot. Add the hibiscus flower petals and continue to boil for 20 minutes.
Turn off the burner, cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid and let the liquid steep for 1 hour or until completely cool.
Strain out the petals before using the rinse.
Pour into a bottle for use.
Shampoo and condition hair as you do.
As a final rinse, pour the hibiscus water over your hair and massage gently into the scalp.
After massaging your hair for a minute, give your hair a final rinse.
Hibiscus has the ability to reduce dandruff, prevent hair fall, strengthen hair, clean the scalp, thicken hair follicles, delay signs of ageing and promote hair growth.
Apple cider vinegar for dandruff
If you are short of time, this is the best natural remedy to get rid of dandruff.
For this you need-
- 5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 5 tbsp water
Mix apple cider vinegar and water in a glass bowl and massage it on your scalp.
Leave it undisturbed for 20 minutes. Then, wash your hair as you usually do.
It has excellent cleansing properties for our scalp and helps remove dandruff in one wash naturally. The natural enzymes in it clean the scalp and remove the dandruff flakes. Apple cider vinegar restores the ideal pH balance of the scalp.
It has astringent properties and balances the oil production of the scalp.
Nutrients to include in your diet for dandruff
Selenium: wheat germ, bran, tuna fish, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, kidneys, wholewheat bread. Selenium is an essential trace element we need to include in our diet. It is an antioxidant and is vitally important for human metabolism.
Selenium is necessary for the body to manufacture proteins. It also helps the liver function efficiently.
Selenium deficiency includes reduced immune activity, hair loss, and chest pains.
Vitamin E: Soybeans, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, peanuts, eggs. Vitamin E is one of the main antioxidant vitamins. It functions as an anticoagulant, boosts the immune system and protects against cardiovascular diseases. It reduces the symptoms of PMS and treats skin problems and baldness.
Vitamin B2: Milk, eggs, cheese, fortified bread, cereals, green leafy vegetables, fish. Riboflavin is necessary for healthy skin, hair, and nails. Sunlight destroys it. So, you should keep the foods containing this vitamin in a cool, dark place. In particular, milk loses its riboflavin content after only two hours of exposure to the sun.
Zinc: Meat, mushrooms, oysters, eggs, whole grain products. Zinc is an antioxidant and helps detoxify the body. A zinc deficiency can cause growth failure, infertility, hair loss, impotence, and, in some cases, an impaired sense of taste.
I have literally tried everything from flaky scalp home remedies to treatment from a dermatologist but, these are by far the best severe dandruff remedies that helped me remove dandruff in one wash naturally.
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