Do you ever find yourself in the aisle of a supermarket frantically browsing through the myriad of confusing labels and wondering "which one do I choose?". Or perhaps you've used a particular shampoo for many years but never chose it intentionally - you kind of just decided "this is my shampoo" without understanding what the ingredients would actually do for your hair.
Don't worry girl, I've been there myself! For many years I would just choose the packaging that appealed to me the most and I never even thought about a hair care routine at all. "Anything to get the job done!" was my mindset.
And even if you do know what to look for, it can feel overwhelming when choosing a shampoo with all the products on the market. Keep reading because I will guide you through the process of choosing a shampoo that will be right for your scalp type and therefore aid in helping you achieve healthy and growing hair.
Firstly, it's important to discard the hugely-held-onto myth that you need to buy the matching shampoo and conditioner set! You must learn to see your scalp and your hair as two separate components and that what you put onto your scalp may not be beneficial for the lengths of your hair and vice versa.
Now - this is the part where you take my FREE quiz to determine your scalp type. See you back here after you've completed the quiz.
Great, you now have a better idea of your scalp type and can therefore use the information below to find a suitable shampoo.
OILY SCALP + DRY ENDS
Ah! The classic hair conundrum: oily roots and dry ends. They sound like two things that should not go together, but if your hair isn't excessively an oily/ greasy type and you struggle with dryness, this is often the second or third-day-hair you end up with.
It can be extremely irritating when having to deal with two very different problems on your head at the same time. How are you supposed to manage it when a deeply cleansing shampoo for greasy hair might make your ends drier, and a thick mask will add to the greasiness on top?
The key to getting the balance right is to treat your roots and ends differently and being careful not to exacerbate one problem while treating the other.
What causes dry ends? Some hair types are naturally drier than others for various reasons, whether it's genetics or hormones. It's particularly common for our curly-haired friends, as the bends and spirals mean it takes longer for natural oils produced by the scalp to make their way down the hair shaft. This results in your ends being seriously dry and oil building up on your scalp.
Dryness can also come as a result of hair damage too. If you are someone who loves to heat style, colour and even chemically treat your hair, it can wreak havoc on the health of your hair if done in excess.
Care tips for oily roots and dry ends:
- Shampoo only your roots and choose a shampoo formulated for oiliness (aka avoid anything with the word moisture on the label)
- Invest in a good clarifying shampoo and use once a week only
- Exfoliate your scalp with a scalp brush while shampooing.
- Put conditioner on your ends BEFORE and after shampooing to protect them from the stripping properties of your shampoo
- Use a light-weight leave-in-conditioner spray on your ends after washing.
- Use a microfibre hair towel to avoid damage due to harsh cotton fibres when drying
- Use a hair oil on your ends every night before bed and put your hair into a loose braid or invest in a silk sleep cap to protect your hair from damage while you sleep.
- Use a hair mask on your ends once a week for hydration and to moisturise your locks
SEE OILY SCALP TYPE BELOW FOR MORE TIPS ON CARING FOR EXCESS OILINESS ON THE SCALP AND CHOOSING A SHAMPOO
DRY SCALP (Can experience itchiness and dry flakes)
Dry scalp has skin that is irritated and flakes off. The skin can be slightly red, and concerns with this scalp type are itchiness, tightness and even burning sensations. Eczema can occur on the scalp as well, and people with dry scalp are more prone to it.
Care tips for dry scalp: Wash your hair once to twice a week and apply a good scalp oil to help soothe, hydrate and decrease inflammation. Moisture is your friend! Choose gentle formulations which promote hydration and moisturising and help to soothe the scalp.
Avoid labels that read "strengthening", "fortifying", "clarifying", "cleanse" and "volumising" as these types of products can strip your scalp of necessary moisture.
Sulphate-free shampoos are a good option for dry scalp types as they will gently cleanse the hair without drying it out further. You can also try shampoos with tea tree oil as a key ingredient to help soothe your irritated scalp.
If you are someone with dry scalp + dry flakes, we recommend using a medicated over-the-counter shampoo with ingredients zinc, salicylic acid or magnesium in its formula. Use it at least four times a week for two months and if there is no improvement, please contact us for a consult.
DRY SCALP + OILY HAIR
This is often experienced by people with straight hair as the natural oils (sebum) travel further down the hair shaft and leave the scalp extremely dry. Those "dandruff flakes" you've been worrying over might not be dandruff at all but a common condition known as dry scalp. Sometimes, it can also be accompanied by oily hair which is an indicator that the natural balance of the scalp needs stabilising.
It can be hard to determine if you have oily scalp with dandruff or dry scalp and oily hair. So, before you run to the pharmacy to get something for treating dandruff, consider this: your itching scalp may not be dandruff.
Dandruff, in its more serious form — aka seborrheic dermatitis — and dry scalp can both cause flakes to fall from the scalp. While both skin conditions have similar symptoms, differences do exist. See the information below to tell the difference.
When dry scalp occurs, you'll notice small white flakes that feel dry — not large or oily dandruff flakes. While both dandruff and dry scalp cause itching, people with dry scalp may also feel tightness in the dry skin on the head.
Possible causes of dry scalp include:
- Dry weather conditions
- Contact dermatitis from hair products
- An unbalanced diet
Unlike dandruff, which shows no change based on climate, dry scalp often results from harsh, dry weather.
Just like with dandruff, using a harsh shampoo can worsen dry scalp. Use a gentle cleansing shampoo that will cleanse the oiliness you are experiencing, without exacerbating your dry scalp symptoms. Avoid harsh ingredients in your shampoo. Showering with slightly cooler water (warm, not hot) may also offer relief for dry skin.
It is important to balance your scalp through your hair care practices.
The best treatment for a dry scalp is to moisturise it with deep conditioners, oils, and hair masks.
- Keep your scalp moisturised by oiling it regularly, around twice a week. You can also warm up the hair oil a bit for better results.
- Use deep conditioning treatments specifically made for the scalp. These treatments will contain concentrated ingredients that nourish and hydrate the scalp.
- You can also try hydrating hair packs and masks that contain ingredients like aloe vera, glycerin, avocado to help in moisturising the scalp.
- Use hair masks that contain rosemary and other sebum-balancing ingredients.
- Instead of washing your hair too often, you can shampoo your hair once or twice a week and co-wash products the other days. Co-washes and conditioning cleansers don’t completely dry out the scalp like regular shampoos might. But they don’t completely cleanse the scalp, which is why you need to use shampoo at least once a week.
An oily scalp is caused by the overproduction of sebum (oil) from the sebaceous (oil) glands. Signs of an oily scalp are the hair getting oily quickly after washing it, dead skin cell buildup, acne, and dandruff. Your scalp feels oily or greasy despite washing it daily.
Care tips for oily scalp: Try washing your hair every other day or every two days to prevent oil from clogging the hair follicles. Washing it daily (over-washing) can lead to dryness which stimulates even more oil production so, even though it's tempting, don't wash every day!
If you suffer from dandruff, we recommend using an anti-dandruff shampoo to fight dandruff, disinfect the scalp and moisturise the hair.
Avoid shampoos that are hydrating or moisturising. These tend to add too much moisture to your already oily scalp. Steer clear of any leave-in conditioners or thick formulas that may weight the hair down and contribute to a greasy, oily scalp. Instead opt for lightweight conditioners. If you experience dandruff, opt for a zinc-based shampoo and wash at the same frequency as you would with an oily scalp.
Look for labels that mention keywords - purifying, cleansing, clarifying, clean or balancing.
Oily scalps may not be able to cut out sulphates from their shampoo completely, as sulphates are the most effective surfactant. However, we recommend alternating between sulphate and sulphate-free shampoos to cut down on the amount of sulphates your hair is being exposed to.
PRO TIPS:
- Add some used coffee grinds to your palm of shampoo and gently massage it into your scalp to remove excess build up.
- Use an apple cider vinegar rinse once a week (Mix 2 to 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 450ml of water. After shampooing and conditioning, pour the mixture over your hair evenly, working into your scalp. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Rinse it out.)
- Never put conditioner on your scalp
- Wash TWICE and rinse thoroughly
- Use a good clarifying shampoo every second wash to remove build-up
- Stop touching your hair! The oil on your hands is just going to make your oily situation worse.
The key is to keep the scalp in a very healthy, clean environment.
BALANCED/ NORMAL SCALP
A normal scalp has a balanced amount of oil production. You typically won't experience any concerns with this type.
You don't generally experience any itchiness, dryness, excessive oiliness or flaking. On occasion, you may experience more oiliness in summer and dry skin flaking in winter, but it usually resolves itself and does not cause you too much concern.
Read the oily scalp type and dry scalp type care tips if you experience mild symptoms such as flaking on occasion.
Care tips for a normal scalp: Wash the hair every three to four days and use shampoos formulated for your hair type. If you are not sure what your hair type is, please reach out to us.
If you have this scalp type, you should do your best to maintain the health and cleanliness of your scalp in order to keep it balanced.
BONUS INFO: DANDRUFF VS DRY SCALP
Despite the common belief that dandruff is due to a dry scalp, dandruff is caused by a type of fungus that feeds on the oils secreted by our skin and actually occurs when too much oil is on the scalp, causing skin cells to build up and shed. A good way to relieve itchy and oily scalps is to use a scalp brush, which can remove buildup and stimulate blood flow.
Dandruff cases can range from mild to severe (seborrheic dermatitis).
You can tell the difference between flakes from dryness and dandruff flakes by size and feel. Dandruff flakes are larger and will feel oily, while flakes from dryness may feel itchy and appear smaller.
Dry scalp is usually just a sign of dehydration. Dry scalp AKA dry skin occurs by exposure to dry air, environmental pollutants or even certain chemical-based hair products. You can still experience a flaky scalp but the root causes are very different.
| Dandruff | Dry Scalp |
| Large yellow/ white oily flakes | Small white dry flakes |
| Causes itchiness all the time | Causes itchiness only sometimes |
| You can note oily, red, scaly skin elsewhere on the body (in extreme cases) | You will see dry skin on the body |
| Oily scalp and greasy hair | Hair feels dry |
NOTE: When dandruff is persistent, it is usually a sign of yeast-overgrowth elsewhere in the body, particularly the gastrointestinal tract. We recommend PLUMP to combat gut issues.
Treatment for Dandruff:
- Use a medicated shampoo: use a shampoo specifically formulated for dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis at least two times a week. Look for ingredients such as salicyclic acid, ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione or selenium sulfide.
- Up your Omega-3 intake: these help to regulate oil production. You can find Omega-3 in PLUMP if you're wanting a supplement and it can be found richly in chia seeds, flax, salmon, brussel sprouts, eggs, anchovies, fish, avocado, tuna, beef and green leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin D supplements: one of the best ways to prevent dandruff is to take Vitamin D supplements as Vitamin D helps slow the rate of rapid skin cell growth - which can be a factor in more extreme cases of dandruff and psoriasis.
- Look for tea tree oil as an ingredient in your hair care products: Tea Tree Oil is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, making it a great option for scalp rebalancing. *Never apply concentrated Tea Tree Oil directly to your skin
- Look for ways to de-stress: Stress can trigger dandruff and excessive flaking.
Treatment for Dry Scalp:
- Try a pre-shampoo scalp treatment: When you scalp is dry it needs all the help it can get to feel comfortable again. One of the best ways to do this is to start your haircare routine with a scalp oil / gentle scrub. Simply apply it to dry hair 2-3 times a week before shampooing.
- Use a moisturising, gentle shampoo and conditioner: Since a dry scalp can be in part due to irritation, swapping out any harsh shampoos and conditioners for ultra-gentle ones can seriously pay off. Steer clear of fragrances and sulphates and veer more toward hydrating, soothing ingredients like aloe vera.
- Eliminate products with alcohol as the main ingredients. *How do you know what the main ingredients are? - simply look at the first 5 ingredients listed. These make up 85% of the formula. Many hair products are made with alcohol. Make sure none of the ones you use have alcohol in the first 5-10 ingredients.
- Wash less often: You can wash your scalp's natural oils away if you shampoo too frequently. Try to wash no more than every other day and use luke-warm not scalding hot water when doing so.
- Try probiotics: You can help balance the flora of your scalp with probiotics. Taking a complex that contains additional ingredients useful for hair, skin and nails can provide beneficial nutrients for your scalp.
CONCLUSION
We hope this information has been useful. Please remember that this just a general guide and everyone is different. If you would like a more personalised consult, please don't hesitate to contact us for more information and we'd be happy to help you with a shampoo recommendation and an ingredient check for your current shampoo.