Dandruff, while not painful, can be quite annoying or embarrassing. And sadly, medicinal treatments can often be too expensive and inaccessible, or cause unwanted side effects.
Thankfully, our team did some research and found 5 ways on how to naturally treat dandruff, while taking care of your overall health and wellbeing at the same time!
1. Minimize stress (source)
While stress itself doesn’t cause dandruff, it can aggravate dryness and itching. Your immune system can also suffer if you are stressed for a long period, which can reduce your body’s ability to protect yourself against skin conditions that contribute to dandruff.
Here are some easy, straightforward ways to reduce stress that don’t include yoga, meditation, or exercise:
- Set boundaries for work. Create a work schedule and stick to it - no excuses! Don’t tell yourself “just one more email…” or “super quick thing promise”. Commit, leave your desk, and do this for yourself!
- Create a daily routine that you actually enjoy. Not everyone can find joy in waking up at 5am to go for a run. Life is short! Start your day with a podcast and a peanut butter sandwich if that’s what you really love to do.
- Allow yourself to actually rest. It’s easy to take weekends for granted and end up dreading Monday.. on Saturday! Intentionally leaving deadlines and to-do lists behind can spell the difference between real rest and anxiety-ridden breaks.
2. Add apple cider vinegar to your routine (source / source)
Photo by Tawni Bannister for Byrdie
Apple cider is one of nature’s remedies to get rid of dandruff. Its acidity is believed to balance the pH of your scalp to reduce the growth of dandruff-causing fungus.
To use ACV for dandruff, the University of California, Berkeley suggests the following:
- Shampoo and rinse your hair normally.
- Pour a diluted apple cider vinegar mix (recommended: ½ cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ cups of cool water) through your hair and massage through, especially on your roots.
- Don’t rinse your hair. (Don’t worry! The vinegar scent won’t linger.)
- Condition your hair if necessary
You can adjust the diluted ACV mix to your preference, depending on frequency and desired cleansing/clarifying effect.
3. Use tea tree in your hair (source)
An actual tea tree plant!
Tea tree is arguably the most popular natural remedy for dandruff because tea tree oil has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the severity of dandruff. According to Healthline.com, one review found tea tree oil to be effective at fighting the specific fungus strain that causes dermatitis and dandruff!
The bottom line is that tea tree acts like a natural conditioner for your scalp that eliminates agents that cause skin to flake.
One of our favorite ways to integrate tea tree into our hair care routine is by using Zenutrients Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner regularly. Read the reviews from customers on its effects!
At last! After how many years, dandruff no more! As in wala na talaga. Maniniwala na sana ko sa forever kasi akala ko may forever kami ng Dandruff ko! hahahaa! So maniwala kayo, nakakatanggal talaga siya ng dandruff!
-Anne D.
Zenutrients Tea Tree Shampoo 250ml and Conditioner 200ml are on sale for ₱199 only vs ₱249 and ₱260 this May.
4. Increase intake of Omega-3 (source)
Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in keeping your skin healthy, managing oil production and hydration, promoting wound healing, and preventing premature aging. Not consuming enough omega-3 can cause dry hair, dry skin, and unsurprisingly - dandruff!
Outside of taking Omega-3 supplements in tablet form, you can eat fatty fish like salmon, trout, and mackerel or other foods like flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts. Yum!
5. Increase intake of probiotics (source)
Yes, this means Yakult and Chamyto! (Remember Chamyto??) Probiotics are our beloved bacteria buddies that protect us against allergies, high cholesterol, and weight gain. They also support our immune system, which helps us fight fungal infections that lead to dandruff. Aside from dandruff, probiotics are a great natural remedy for skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.
You can consume probiotics daily in supplement form, through drinks like Yakult or Chamyto, or by eating fermented foods like kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut!
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Let’s be real, dandruff is a harsh reality for a lot of us. While some are lucky to not experience dandruff at all, the tiniest change in weather, humidity, or routine can set off the flakes for some! And most of the time, medicinal remedies can be too harsh on our skin, cause unwanted side effects, or are just simply too expensive to afford on a regular basis.
Hopefully these natural remedies for dandruff get you on your way to a healthier scalp!
What do you think? Have you tried these methods before? Or did we miss any of your favorite natural remedies for dandruff?
Comment down below and tell us! We’d love to hear from you.