Natural dandruff fix?? (TMI?)

[tanya222]

Ok, so the last couple of weeks I've been noticing some flakies after washing. They're mostly at the sides of my head, after I've taken my turban (towel) off and my hair is wet. At first I thought they were fuzz from the towel, but my towel is blue and these are white, and not on the surface, close to the scalp. I rinse as well as I can, sometimes I'm in there rinsing so long the hot water starts running out (which isn't fair to the neighbours below me).

I've never had a dandruff problem before. I have not changed my diet, I eat lots of salads, chicken, etc, use healthy oils for cooking, I try to eat healthy (ok I admit I have the odd chocolate bar here & there but who doesn't :D)

I have recently started experimenting with CO washes. But since I've noticed this I've gone back to shampoo hoping it would help. (I have an assortment of shampoos I rotate with ~ Down Under Naturals, LUSH's Irresistible Bliss & Washday Greens, couple others I can't think of ATM.) I would have thought CO washes would help with a dandruff problem, not cause one. I wash my hair about 2-3 times a week, depending on how much I sweat (it is hot and humid here right now). I do ACV rinses once in a while (when I think of it). And I brush my hair very well before a shower, especially the scalp.

So being the type of person who prefers trying more natural methods first, I am curious if there are natural ways to fix this? Has anyone tried LUSH's Antiphilitron? If I recall that's the one they tout as being helpful for the flakies? Does it work? Should I increase my ACV rinses? Any essential oils which could help? I really don't want to resort to Head & Shoulders cuz I really can't stand the smell of it, and doesn't it irritate your scalp worse?

[Cleopatra18]

If you use henna then it's defenitely the first thing to try,it helped with my dandruff which i had for over 4 months.Also I heard tea tree oil helps with dandruff but its VERY strong for me so be careful with it.Sorry no more infro but I wish you best of luck!

[tanya222]

Some time ago (when I was working full time and could afford it) I did try one block of LUSH's Caca Marron and found it did make my hair super soft! I didn't have dandruff back then though..

Now I do have one small box of black henna that I got at an East Indian store but I haven't used it yet because I don't think that one little box will be enough for me. I'm going to buy more black henna when I have some extra money.

[RitaPG]

Do NOT use Head & Shoulders if you're not sure about your dandruff. I used that **** and it made my scalp worse, it was always sore and itchy at the same time, I used to scratch it so bad that ended up finding blood under my fingernails.
I'm not saying it is a bad shampoo, my brother uses it and he's fine. But you never know if what you have is really dandruff or just dry skin.
A natural way does seem best. I fixed my not-dandruff problem with peppermint essential oil.
Haven't had issues in years :)

Oh and ACV rinses do help with itchy and scratchy. Just make sure you didn't shave your legs before, it burrrns!

[cuddledumplin]

I'll be following this thread closely. I've recently had to take two courses of antibiotics, and I've noticed flakes for the first time in my life. It's slightly better after using Wilko's own brand dandruff shampoo, but I still see flakes after a couple of days, and I think other people might notice them too (despite being quite small). I occasionally add a bit of tea tree oil, and that seems to work better, but I sometimes add too much and end up with a chapped scalp. I'll likely start using a dropper to mix it accurately.

[Cleopatra18]

Some time ago (when I was working full time and could afford it) I did try one block of LUSH's Caca Marron and found it did make my hair super soft! I didn't have dandruff back then though..

Now I do have one small box of black henna that I got at an East Indian store but I haven't used it yet because I don't think that one little box will be enough for me. I'm going to buy more black henna when I have some extra money.
you mean black henna as in indigo? I dont think indigo is any good for the hair,what you need is the pure red henna,then you could follow it with an indigo application for the colour.BTW i recently started using henna again ONLY for dandruff purposes and it's working great.I have only done it once 2 weeks ago on my scalp only ( as a scalp treatment),and my dandruff dissappeared completely in the first week and now i have very slight amount because i didnt wash my hair since then *cough*.I only needed 50grams of henna to do my scalp.I just parted my hair (one inch sections) and applied it to the parts i could see.granted i have missed some spots but it didnt seem to matter.I completely recommend it.HTH

[tanya222]

RitaPG, so you just dropped in peppermint EO into your shampoo? How many drops to how much shampoo? Would a rinse of strong peppermint tea work? I want to get peppermint EO but around here (Ontario) it is pricey, I think around $16... and I'm poor. :o Thanks for the warning about H & S! I was trying to remember what a friend told me ages ago, that she had used it and it made her scalp worse, irritated it and made sores, like what you experienced! Just the smell is enough to turn me off. I don't *think* I have dry skin though, as my face's T-zone is oily.

Cleopatra, I don't know if it's 'indigo' or what kind it is... it is the only kind of henna I can find around here, without shopping online. I really wish I could afford some more Lush Caca's.. I'm dying to try their Noir... it may help the dandruff like you say, I just can't afford $18.95 plus shipping.

Cuddledumplin, you being in England you have stores I don't have in Canada, like Wilko's! My flakies are small too, I don't *think* people can see them but I don't know! I do have tea tree oil! How many drops did you put in to how much shampoo? Do you let it sit in your hair for a bit while you shower?

[cuddledumplin]

Yeah, I know you don't have Wilko. I was just saying that I was using cheapie stuff and not Head and Shoulders or prescription shampoo, but since you don't have Wilko, you probably didn't realise it's a cheap store, sorry. I don't think about things like that sometimes.

I just squeeze out a palmful (or as much as it usually takes to wash your hair), and I add a couple of drops because tea tree oil is strong stuff. Like I said pouring it from the bottle gave me a really sore, chapped scalp. I add a bit of water to the mix and blend it with my finger. I let it sit for maybe five minutes or so before rinsing.

[tanya222]

I just squeeze out a palmful (or as much as it usually takes to wash your hair), and I add a couple of drops because tea tree oil is strong stuff. Like I said pouring it from the bottle gave me a really sore, chapped scalp. I add a bit of water to the mix and blend it with my finger. I let it sit for maybe five minutes or so before rinsing.

OK, great! I will try this, and thank you for the tips!

[FrizzFighter]

I found neem oil to work when I got dandruff during the winter a few years ago. I applied it to my scalp at night (massaged in very well) and washed out in the morning. I did it each night before a wash was planned, and my dandruff was gone in a just over a week. It doesn't smell great IMO, reminds me of garlic. Worth it though since it's a natural and easy fix, and as a side effect my hair was extra shiny. You could add some rosemary or lavender essential oil, or tea tree if you aren't sensitive to it, to make it smell better. I got my neem oil online, it's wildcrafted neem oil from neemtreefarms.com. I buy some other items they sell, too.

[Arianwen]

Maybe try Nizoral...

[AstrayStar]

For me acv rinses are what keeps my scalp happy. I use a somewhat stronger solution 2 tbsp in a cup of water for each rinse and try and let it sit for a while while in the shower.
I have also on occasion, when it has flared up used a brown sugar/honey scrub on my scalp and also I keep a spray bottle filled with acv, distilled water and a couple drops each of rosemary, tea trea oil, and clary sage and will spray that on my scalp at night and leave over night. I have also in a pinch used an eye dropper to put straight acv on my scalp and let it sit for 20-30 min before rinsing out. I have also used a calendula rinse as a leave in, and that has made my scalp feel less itchy and flaky.
I also read on here that yarrow tea is supposed to be good for icthy flaky scalp, but I haven't tried it yet.
good luck!

[Anje]

Stepping up the ACV rinses would be an easy, painless treatment that might fix the dandruff.


Cleopatra, I don't know if it's 'indigo' or what kind it is... it is the only kind of henna I can find around here, without shopping online. I really wish I could afford some more Lush Caca's.. I'm dying to try their Noir... it may help the dandruff like you say, I just can't afford $18.95 plus shipping.
Does it have an ingredients list? If it has PPD ( Para-phenylenediamine, aka p-phenylenediamine, or anything that looks like that) or lacks an ingredients list entirely, I think you'd do better not using it.

You might order some henna from hennasooq.com or mehandi.com. Then you'll know for sure what you're getting and won't have to worry about having serious reactions in addition to dandruff. Considerably cheaper than Lush, too.

[RitaPG]

RitaPG, so you just dropped in peppermint EO into your shampoo? How many drops to how much shampoo? Would a rinse of strong peppermint tea work? I want to get peppermint EO but around here (Ontario) it is pricey, I think around $16... and I'm poor. :o Thanks for the warning about H & S! I was trying to remember what a friend told me ages ago, that she had used it and it made her scalp worse, irritated it and made sores, like what you experienced! Just the smell is enough to turn me off. I don't *think* I have dry skin though, as my face's T-zone is oily.

You can have dry skin on your scalp and oily face at the same time. I have it like that, don't think one is necessarily connected to the other.
Unless we are talking about shampoo allergies, what irritates my scalp also irritates my face lol. Go figure

I used 3 or 4 drops of EO, I'm not sure about the amount of shampoo though, a tablespoon, I think?
Peppermint tea might actually be a good idea! Just make sure you masage your scalp a bit and leave it on for a while before washing it off. You could also make a final rinse after shampooing and let that stay. You'd be surprised at how refreshing it is. Both my sister and I love it :)

[bumblebums]

OP, you might be one of those people whose scalp does not agree with CO. If that's the main thing you've changed, I would guess that's the culprit.

As for natural fixes--a few have already been mentioned, but I want to say that ACV sometimes makes things worse rather than better. Some people are sensitive to it. You might try a 50/50% water-white vinegar rinse. Other things that work include Indian herbs such as shikakai, neem, aritha. Cassia obovata is an alternative to henna, in case you want to avoid any color changes.

I had a bit of a flake problem during the winter, but it went away since I started washing my hair with Indian herbs. I use shikakai and amla most of the time, and my scalp is quite happy now.

Good luck.

[etihwtibbar]

Ok, so the last couple of weeks I've been noticing some flakies after washing. They're mostly at the sides of my head, after I've taken my turban (towel) off and my hair is wet. At first I thought they were fuzz from the towel, but my towel is blue and these are white, and not on the surface, close to the scalp. I rinse as well as I can, sometimes I'm in there rinsing so long the hot water starts running out (which isn't fair to the neighbours below me).

I've never had a dandruff problem before. I have not changed my diet, I eat lots of salads, chicken, etc, use healthy oils for cooking, I try to eat healthy (ok I admit I have the odd chocolate bar here & there but who doesn't :D)

I have recently started experimenting with CO washes. But since I've noticed this I've gone back to shampoo hoping it would help. (I have an assortment of shampoos I rotate with ~ Down Under Naturals, LUSH's Irresistible Bliss & Washday Greens, couple others I can't think of ATM.) I would have thought CO washes would help with a dandruff problem, not cause one. I wash my hair about 2-3 times a week, depending on how much I sweat (it is hot and humid here right now). I do ACV rinses once in a while (when I think of it). And I brush my hair very well before a shower, especially the scalp.

So being the type of person who prefers trying more natural methods first, I am curious if there are natural ways to fix this? Has anyone tried LUSH's Antiphilitron? If I recall that's the one they tout as being helpful for the flakies? Does it work? Should I increase my ACV rinses? Any essential oils which could help? I really don't want to resort to Head & Shoulders cuz I really can't stand the smell of it, and doesn't it irritate your scalp worse?
So after I decided to go organic because of years of itchy scalp I developed a dandruff problem. No more itchy scalp, but over a period of six months, my dandruff got worse and worse and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get rid of it. I had horrible dandruff (mine was not caused from dry scalp, mine was caused from the yeast like fungus known as Malassezia furfur) and shedding and began to develop the worst and somewhat embarrassing hair thinning problems on some parts of my head.

So in ONE day I fixed my dandruff with this recipe:

about 1/2 cup of organic Sunflower seed oil (carrier oil, light oil, good for mixing)

Neem oil 2 to 3 tablespoons (yes, it smells!)

30-40 drops of tea tree oil (the magic ingredient)

10 drops of organic Sage EO for moisturizing and fragrance (can use rosemary and lavendar as well which are also excellent for hair)

a tablespoon of castor oil

1 to 2 capsules of vitamin E that I poked and drained the oil out of


I rubbed this extensively for about 10 minutes into my scalp. I worked it really well into my scalp and made sure it was saturated with the oil mixture, then I put my hair into a flat bun then wrapped it about ten times in plastic wrap.

I left this on for about 14 hours! I had it on for about five hours, after which I slept with it for about eight, and left it on for a few more hours in the morning for good measure.

I then washed it out with my soapnut solution (here's a great link from mellie:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=95

Soapnuts are amazing and have natural saponins (stuff in soap that makes you clean) they are naturally acidic (and close to ph of skin and hair) and don't strip your oils from your hair or skin. I like to add about four drops of tea tree oil and and a few drops of EO to the mix, I noticed it works better for maintaining foam and and better at cleaning. After six months of constant experimenting, these are the only things that I can afford and maintain for my organic hair and body wash care (and clean my clothes). They are pretty much can be used on anything.


I looked at my scalp after my hair dried. No flakes at all. I even extensively scratched my scalp--still no flakes. 5 days later and still no flakes!! I'm going to keep up this oil soak about once a week for preventative measures but use it on my entire mane of hair since it made it so incredibly soft. Some online sources of mine recommend using a tea tree oil/neem mixture about 2-3 times a week for two to three weeks. The great thing about this mixture is that it moisturizes your hair and scalp as well. Good luck!! =)

[ScarlettAdelle]

Might want to try massaging your scalp with tea tree oil right before you wash (however often that is) I've recommended that to my clients for years and it almost always completely heals up what they've got going on in their 'do. It supposedly kills the fungus that causes dandruff (I cannot provide scientific proof of this, it's only what I heard from the better instructors during school) and in my experience, it can work wonders.

It has also helped me greatly decrease the amount of scarring I have whenever I get a cut (I work in an environment currently where I'm constantly acquiring bumps & nicks)