Dandruff is embarrassing, unsightly and damaging for your hair. It can ruin your appearance, whether you are in a party or in front of the interview board. You are all dressed up and suddenly you feel the urge to scratch your head. Once you scratch, a cascade of white flakes follows and damages your appearance. To eradicate the menace you need a continuous fight with dandruff so that it does not at all get the chance to develop.
Dandruff Remedies
The good news is that you hardly need to go for expensive therapies. You can do this at home and with simple remedies available in your kitchen counter. Let us go through some home remedies for dandruff.
1. Tea Tree Oil
One reason for dandruff is the presence of fungus. An yeast like fungus on your scalp may be responsible for excessive skin cell production. Once these excessive cells die they are shed as dandruff. You need to fight this fungus to control the menace of dandruff. Tea tree oil is an excellent antifungal agent. It has been used for a long time to treat fungal infections of the skin. You can go for a tree oil rinse to control dandruff.
Procedure-
- To use this wonder herb add 10 drops of tea tree oil to a cup of water. First, shampoo your hair thoroughly with a gentle acting shampoo and dry the hair with a towel.
- Pour the tea tree oil solution all over the damp scalp and massage the scalp thoroughly with your fingers. Leave it there for at least half an hour and rinse your hair with running water after that.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda may be a remedy for dandruff is that is caused by fungus, dermatitis or eczema. It is also a mild exfoliant which helps in removing dead skin cells. It is alkaline in nature and that is why it may help in neutralising the acidic condition of on your scalp which is helping the different microorganisms responsible for dandruff thrive on your scalp. You can get a baking soda mask to control dandruff.
Procedure-
- To make a baking soda mask, take 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda into a cup half filled with lukewarm water.
- Mix the soda well and it will turn into a solution.
- Apply the solution on your scalp and massage the scalp gently, but thoroughly. Leave it there for 2 to 3 minutes, but not more since it is very alkaline in nature.
- Wash off the soda with a gentle shampoo. You can also add a good moisturiser to it like aloe vera.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which can destroy the fungus responsible for dandruff as well as dandruff and the accompanied itching.
Procedure-
- To use it, you can prepare a solution by mixing equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water. Apply the solution to your scalp and massage your head with it thoroughly.
- You can also mix it with shampoo and massage your head. Whichever way you adopt you should rinse off your hair within a maximum of 5 minutes since apple cider vinegar is very acidic in nature.
4. Coconut Oil And Lemon Juice
Coconut oil is a wonder cure for hair problems in many folklores. It is not only a good moisturiser, but also a good antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial agent. It has been found that it also supports body’s own immune system and supports body’s natural hormone production. Lemon juice is a good detoxification agent for your hair, skin and body.
Procedure-
- If you mix some lemon juice in a bottle of coconut oil and apply the mixture on your hair and scalp every dayor at least thrice a week you can defend your hair from dandruff to a large extent.
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is not only a good moisturizer, but also a remedy against dermatitis and promotes hair growth. It is also antibacterial and antiviral in nature. In fact, aloe vera is a time-tested remedy for dandruff and other hair and skin problems. It is also an essential component of many hair and skin products. Wet your hair and apply generous amounts of aloe vera gel on your scalp. Rub it for a while so that it gets spread well over your scalp. Rinse your hair after some time. You can also make a mask with aloe vera and lemon juice.
Procedure-
- To make a aloe vera and lemon juice mask, scrap out the gel from two aloe vera leaves into a cup, squeeze half a lemon into it and blend it in a blender.
- Pour the mixture into a cup and apply it as a mask on your hair.
- Keep it for at least 15 minutes and then wash out in running water.
6. Neem
The antibacterial and antifungal qualities of neem are known from ancient times. It is due to these and some other qualities that neem can offer a very good remedy for dandruff. Since fungal colonisation is often seen as a reason behind dandruff, neem can often act as a deterrent for the growth of dandruff in hair. It can also treat itchy scalp and scalp acne. However, you should not use concentrated neem solution since it can irritate your scalp further.
7. Garlic
No, don’t recoil at the idea of using garlic on the scalp. It may just be the thing that your scalp needs. The strong antibacterial and antifungal properties of garlic are known for centuries. It is for these reasons that the spice has been extensively used in ancient medical practices like Ayurveda. Though the strong pungent smell puts off many people and desist them from using it, it can be a miracle cure for your dandruff if fugal colonisation is responsible for it.
Procedure-
- Just crush two cloves of garlic, mix it well in water and rinse your scalp thoroughly with it. You can see difference in about two weeks.
8. Olive Oil
Olive oil has a host of qualities that make it an ideal solution for hair problems like dandruff. It is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and exfoliatory in nature. So you can get some respite from dandruff if you apply olive oil on your scalp and hair regularly.
Procedure-
- You have to massage the scalp thoroughly with olive oil, leave it for about 20 minutes and rinse your hair with a gentle-acting shampoo.
- It is also rich in vitamins and so it can protect the keratin of hair and also make the hair shiny.
9. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek is a common spice, but it has many properties that make it a good home remedy for dandruff. It is rich in minerals like magnesium, copper, selenium, zinc and potassium as well as vitamins and phytonutrients. This makes fenugreek seeds a good solution for your dandruff and other hair and scalp problems like itchy scalp, damaged hair etc. To use it effectively you need to make a mask out of it.
Procedure-
- To prepare a fenugreek mask, soak some fenugreek seeds overnight.
- In the morning grind the seeds to make a paste, mix the paste in coconut or olive oil and apply the mix on your scalp thoroughly as a mask
- . Keep it there for at least half an hour and rinse with a gentle-acting shampoo.
10. Use Some Curd
Curd is good not only for your gastrointestinal system, but also for your hair. Curd has a list of nutritional values that make it a good product to be used for fighting dandruff. It is high in protein content, phosphorous and some other minerals and nutrients. It can be used on your hair to fight dandruff with appreciable degree of success. The phosphorous in curd may also help in the repair of scalp and hair shaft cells. Using card is also easy.
Procedure-
- Just take ample amounts of it on your palm and apply it thoroughly on the scalp.
- Let it remain there for at least 20 minutes and rinse the hair with a gentle-acting shampoo. You may notice some difference in about two weeks.
11. Henna
Henna has long been used in the treatment of various hair conditions including dandruff. Henna has the quality to restore pH balance of the scalp and thereby prevent the formation of fungus. You can make a Henna mask with other ingredients like lemon juice, egg etcand prevent formation of dandruff.
Procedure-
- To make a henna mask, take a pack of henna powder, add two teaspoon of lemon juice and one raw egg to it and mix it into a paste.
- Apply the past on your hair and wash after half an hour.
12. Hot Oil Therapy
Be it coconut oil, olive oil or even mustard oil, massaging the scalp some hot oil can be a useful dandruff remedies. Just warm some coconut, mustard or olive oil and apply it thoroughly on the scalp. See that the scalp has been thoroughly massaged. Leave it for at least 15 minutes and wash your hair with shampoo.
13. Orange Peel Mask For Your Scalp
Orange peel has long been used as a remedy for dry skin and dry scalp. As dandruff is sometimes caused by dry scalp you can use orange peel to cure dry scalp and reduce dandruff. To use it you need to make anorange peel mask with other items like yogurt.
Procedure-
- You can prepare an orange peel mask by taking half a cup of orange peel, cuttingit into small pieces and adding one cup of yogurt to it.
- Mix it in a blender and cover your scalp with it. Now cover your head with a plastic for at least half an hour and rinse with a gentle-acting shampoo.
14. Vinegar
Vinegar helps in treatment of dry or itchy skin, whereby removing the fungus or bacteria causing dandruff. To reduce flaking, the acidic content of vinegar works wonders. Before your head wash one of the popular dandruff remedies is to apply a portion of white vinegar along with water on the skin scalp.
15. Do Not Oil The Hair And Keep It For A Lot Of Time
It is a misconception that oiling of hair is a remedy for dandruff. In fact oiling is going to form more dandruff. Application of oil on a dry skin is virtually like heaven and aggravates the problem of dandruff. This is all the more when you let it sit on the head for a long period of time.
16. Green Tea
Green tea is not just good for your body, but for your hair too. Green tea is also known to be an excellent remedy to treat dandruff and get rid of it permanently.
Procedure-
- You would need to boil the leaves of green tea in a pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
- The mixture is to be strained and then allow it to cool. Apply it on to your scalp and let it be there for 30 minutes.
- Then rinse it will or if you feel so you can use green tea bags as well. The reasons on why green tea is being used as popular dandruff remedies are because it is a rich source of antioxidants and embedded with anti-fungal properties.
17. Aspirin
This works out to be a medical remedy. You would need to crush a couple of aspirins and then mix it with your shampoo. This is whenever you are planning to wash your hair. Do opt for a plain shampoo as all the dirt needs to emerge out from the hair. Aspirin is incorporated with Salicylic acid that is an important ingredient of most anti-dandruff shampoos available in the market.
18. Mouth Wash
You would need to wash your hair with a regular shampoo which is to be followed with a mouth wash rinse (needs to be alcohol based) Round it off with a conditioner. The reasons for using a mouth wash is that because of the anti-fungal properties it removes the yeast that causes dandruff
Till what point of time you are going to cover the white flakes covering your shoulders! Till what point are you going to stay silent when these flakes fall over to your laptop. If you have a liking for white flakes it should fall from the blue sky, but not as a source of embarrassment. It is a major confidence hamper and it is high time you do something. There are ample home remedies which helps you to get rid of dandruffs in an easy manner. The ingredients of these remedies are simple and it could be found in your very own kitchen. So why this wait! Choose any of the above mentioned remedies at the earliest!