Best Herbal Cures for Excessive Dry Scalp

Dry scalp may be caused by a wide variety of causes such as hair products and environmental conditions; however, the drying of your scalp may also be caused by medical conditions such as eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. The characterizations of dry scalp include itchy skin accompanied by skin flakes and red scaling. While treating dry scalp may be done with prescription and over-the-counter medications, you may also use herbal remedies.

If you choose to treat your dry scalp through the use of herbal remedies, it is important that you discuss the use of any remedy with your physician to determine its safety. This is especially important if you are taking oral or topical medications.

Tea Tree Oil:

Tea tree oil is a common herbal remedy used to treat dry scalp as well as dryness in any other area of your body. According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic, tea tree oil contains effective antifungal and antiseptic properties.

The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology outlines a study where researchers found patients who applied a five percent tea tree oil shampoo directly to the scalp experienced a 41 percent decrease in dandruff.

Rosemary:

Rosemary is used commonly as an herb in Mediterranean dishes; however, this tasty herb also contains medicinal qualities. Natural health proponents claim that rosemary works by enhancing your body's antioxidant count, and according to several initial studies rosemary has been discovered to kill certain types of fungi and bacteria within test tubes.

Preliminary studies found that rosemary increases blood flow to any area where it is applied. Thus, by increasing blood flow to the scalp you may experience a reduction in dry scalp symptoms.

Olive Oil:

Another commonly used food ingredient, olive oil has a long standing tradition of being consumed or applied topically to treat ailments ranging from constipation to dandruff.

Natural health proponents claim that olive oil is effective at treating dry scalp as it can penetrate your scalp to deliver a high-concentration of moisturizing compounds directly to skin cells. However, modern scientific studies have neither confirmed nor denied this benefit.

If you are interested in applying olive oil to your scalp, massage one to two tablespoons of raw olive oil directly to the affected areas immediately after washing your hair. Allow the olive oil to soak into your scalp overnight; thus, place a towel on your pillow to prevent staining the pillow. Rinse clean in the morning with a mild shampoo.

References Used:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tea-tree-oil/NS_patient-teatreeoil

Mayo Clinic: Tea Tree Oil

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12451368?dopt=Citation

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: Treatment of Dandruff…

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/rosemary-000271.htm

University of Maryland Medical Center: Rosemary

http://www.explorecrete.com/nature/olive-oil-health-benefits.html

Explore Crete: Health Benefits of Olive Oil