You’re just out of the shower and suddenly your scalp is itchy all over - leaving you scratching your head in more ways than one.
What’s going on?
One possible explanation is that you’re suffering from seborrheic dermatitis, a common condition which causes inflammation and redness, with patches of scaly or flaky skin on the scalp and face. It’s a lifelong condition, like eczema or psoriasis, which means it comes and goes, sometimes getting worse and sometimes disappearing for years at a time.
How hot showers can make things worse
- Hot water strips skin of natural oils and lead to dehydration
- Shampoos or soaps damage skin barrier leading to inflammation
- Hard water aggravates skin issues
Make sure your scalp treatment is adding nutrients in, not stripping them out.
That combination of heat, water and irritants can be really hard on the scalp. And unfortunately, if you’re blessed with hair, it’s harder to lock the necessary moisture into your scalp than it is to your body, so even just a simple shower can leave the scalp dry, itchy and flaky.
What Can I Do About It?
- Take warm, not hot, showers and make them quick! The shorter the exposure and the lower the temperature, the better.
- Ditch the soap and find a natural, non-irritating shampoo and/or body wash. Look for SLS-free, fragrance-free shampoos, with nourishing ingredients and the gentlest ingredients possible!
- Investigate shower head water-softeners: hard water damages the skin’s natural barrier by increasing its surface pH and so increasing its susceptibility to irritation.
- Essential oils such as rosemary, tea tree and borage can help keep the skin of the scalp in healthy, well-nourished, well-hydrated condition, reducing microbial infection.
A treatment like our Scalp Oil is perfect for feeding the skin of the scalp with the nutrients it needs to keep the skin barrier functioning well. It can soften the scale, lock vital oils and water in the epidermis, and reduce the urge to itch, which only causes further damage.
If possible, shower last thing at night, apply Scalp Oil and leave it on while you sleep, washing it off in the morning with a natural shampoo.
Recommended products:
Balmonds Scalp Oil
with tea tree, nettle, borage & rosemary
