Skin care for your scalp
If you are dealing with a dry and itchy scalp it doesn’t necessarily mean your shampoo is stripping your hair + scalp and you should stop washing your hair.
Think about it like this: If your skin is dry, do you stop washing your face? No. You cleanse it—then follow with moisturizer and serums to support your skin.
Your scalp needs the same approach.
What’s Actually Causing the Itch:
• Buildup of product, oil, and dead skin cells : aka, not cleansing enough
• Disruption to your scalp’s microbiome : often from skipping wash days or overusing dry shampoo
• Using harsh, stripping shampoos or not following up with hydration : no scalp care post-wash
The Mistake: Washing Less
A lot of people assume they’re overwashing, so they go longer between wash days.
But that just creates an endless cycle of buildup, dryness, and irritation.
Spoiler: your scalp isn’t dirty because you’re washing—it’s itchy because you’re not treating it.
The Fix: Cleanse + Treat
Use a gentle shampoo that cleanses without stripping your scalp (unless it’s a clarifying day). Then, start incorporating a basic scalp care routine. I know it can feel overwhelming—like suddenly you need a 12-step scalp routine. You don’t. You just need two key products:
A scalp tonic : Helps rebalance your scalp’s pH after washing. Think of it like a toner for your face.
A scalp serum: Hydrates and soothes the scalp. This is your moisturizer
You can add a scrub or exfoliator to your routine occasionally, but that’s more of a treatment step, not an everyday one. I’ll cover scalp exfoliation in another post soon.
This one is for those of you dealing with everyday dryness, flakes, and itchiness , wondering why your scalp feels worse the longer you go without washing.
Final Thought:
Your scalp is skin. Stop ignoring it. Treat it the way you treat your face.
Here’s my go-to scalp care duo I recommend to clients and use myself.
A restorative, non-oily, skincare tonic for your scalp. Cake is formulated with clinically-proven ingredients like stem cells, peptides and rose hydrosol to protect follicles, restore skin barrier, hydrate and soothe dry, itchy skin. Shop here
Tonucia
This lightweight leave-in scalp serum with antioxidant, collagen-boosting ingredients combats the effects of aging hair to provide instant density and hydration while helping to provide protection from free radicals to preserve the scalp's youth.