Every once in a while my sensitive scalp has a minor freak out. It can be the result of product buildup, testing far too many new hair products, or simply changes in weather. No matter the reason, the result is the same: an itch that drives me out of my skull. Bad but accurate pun. The solution has always been borrowing the husband's Head'n'Shoulders. Not very glamorous but effective, and I even switched him to the green apple scent to make it more palatable for me. But Head'n'Shoulders, as effective as it is can be a bit too harsh on my actual hair, especially during the winter. I was ready for an alternative.
Enter Jason Natural Cosmetics Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing shampoo and conditioner. The good news is that the shampoo works wonderfully. It calms the scalp almost upon contact while removing every last drop of goop and debris from my hair. The result is a squeaky clean hair and scalp that barely feel stripped and dry. This Jason shampoo is surprisingly mild (for what it is, I mean. Jason NC has several products that are very gentle on hair and body). As long as you can deal with the smell this is a great option for emergency itches. I know that some people enjoy the smell of tea tree oil but I'm not one of them. However, I'm willing to deal with it in a product that delivers results (and then washes down the drain).
Jason Natural Cosmetics Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing Conditioner is not quite as successful. A conditioner needs to condition and make hair feel softer and look shiny and healthy. The normalizing conditioner is thin and doesn't moisturize or give my hair any boost in nourishment. As a matter of fact I find it quite drying. Leaving the conditioner on my hair for a couple of minutes is quite unpleasant given the scent and has proven to be futile as far as shiny and healthy hair is considered. I highly suggest skipping the conditioner and using a good hair mask after treating the hair and scalp with the tea tree shampoo.
Speaking of good nourishing masks, here's one that I adore: Alba Botanica Deep Conditioning Minute Mask in So Smooth Gardenia. I already told you about another Alba Botanica mask that I love, the cocoa butter one.So Smooth Gardenia is just as wonderful (and effective), and its rich tropical gardenia scent with its fruit undertones has all the sunshine and beaches one craves as the weather turns miserable. Alba Botanica's hair mask does wonders to my mood just as it pampers the hair and restores healthy look and feel to it. A word of warning: it's utterly addictive (and now I want to slather myself from head to toe in this golden scent).
Jason Natural Cosmetics Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing shampoo and conditioner ($10.59 each on drugstore.com) and Alba Botanica Deep Conditioning Minute Mask in So Smooth Gardenia ($8.99 on albabotanica.com) were sent by PR.
Photo of Audrey Hepburn by Mark shaw, 1953.
I used to have the same problem. Big time--every winter. (Or if I overused certain styling products that irritated my scalp.) Head & Shoulders didn't help, so perhaps our situations are somewhat different. What made all the difference to me was switching to all-natural (i.e., no SLS at the least; ideally 100% natural) shampoo and conditioner. Actually, the best thing was to "wash" my scalp/hair with conditioner instead of shampoo, but that only works--for me at least--if I want to wear my hair curly. If I want to blow it out somewhat straighter I have to use shampoo. The best for me is Acure morrocan argan oil shampoo (no affiliation). The accompanying conditioner is fabulous, too--not drying in the slightest. Some people find the shampoo and conditioner too moisturizing, but it works quite well for my dry hair and scalp. Have you tried their shampoo/conditioner? If not, you might find it helps. And it's not terribly expensive, which is always a plus. :)
ReplyDeleteI too suffer from itchy scalp though it has calmed down substantially by changing 2 things -
ReplyDelete1) I stopped using dry shampoo (or at least with much less frequency than I did in the past)
2) Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil Shampoo - this stuff is the bomb. I love to leave it on my scalp for a few minutes while I wash the rest of myself, I can really feel the tingling (in a good way.) It has seriously saved my scalp! Plus its got almost entirely botanical ingredients. At $3.99, its not a huge risk to try it out.