Home Remedies for Dandruff

Dandruff is something most of us suffer from every once in a while and it can be a little embarrassing too. I mostly get it in the winter and I use Head and Shoulders shampoo, which helps it pretty well. However, there are other ways to treat dandruff and to keep it away.

Listerine and Baby Oil

This remedy is something I never heard of until reading the book, Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy. A few other readers of this book wrote to the authors with an interesting suggestion to mix Listerine and baby oil together and washing your hair with it. They said their dandruff went away within two to three days of using this remedy.

You can also use Listerine without the baby oil. Simply wet your scalp with it and leave it in for 5 minutes before shampooing. The downside to this, however, is that the Listerine can sting your scalp a little so be careful if you decide to try this.

Vick's VapoRub

Using Vick's VapoRub to get rid of dandruff might not sound like a good way but people have used it and have had success with it. If you try this remedy, you will have to rub it all over your scalp. The downside to this is that you might have to wash your hair a few times before you can get it all out. I know it sounds gross but if nothing else works, give it a try.

Herbal Rinse

Some people have tried sage and rosemary as an herbal rinse and they say it works great! To use this remedy you will need to make it into a tea. First, wash your hair and then take a teaspoon of dried herb to make a generous cup of hot water. For sage tea, you will need to steep it for 5 minutes before straining and for rosemary tea you will need to let it steep for 15 minutes. If you have fresh herbs from the garden you can use a tablespoon of fresh leaves for the tea. Let the hot sage or rosemary tea cool and then pour it over your scalp. People have had success with this home remedy for their dandruff.

Washing your hair with Yogurt

I know it sounds strange but if you have a dandruff problem and you already have yogurt in your fridge, why not try it? Don't use just any yogurt, though. You need a yogurt that has active cultures in it. Those who use this remedy recommend smearing yogurt all over the scalp, after shampooing and allowing it to sit for 15 minutes. Then you just wash it out. Since yogurt is fairly cheap it is worth a try.

Vinegar

Ah, vinegar. The miracle product that works for just about everything. To use vinegar against dandruff you should use apple cider vinegar, although some people have used white vinegar and say it works well too. It can take a bit of experimenting to find the right dilution but it has been recommended to start with one part vinegar to five parts water. Although it might not be strong enough to get rid of the dandruff, you don't want to use too much vinegar and burn your scalp. You can also try one part vinegar and one part water but be careful because it could sting your scalp. Whatever dilution you find to help, apply the rinse after shampooing, let it stay on the scalp for 5 minutes and then rinse it with clear water to get rid of the vinegar odor. The downside to this remedy is a possible skin irritation and without rinsing it out you will smell like vinegar all day. So don't forget to rinse it out.

Honey

Might not be as messy as yogurt but more expensive than vinegar, honey can also be used to treat dandruff. If you are desperate enough or willing enough to use this remedy for dandruff, you will need to mix it with water, apply it to the scalp and leave it on for 10 or 15 minutes before rinsing it out. If all else fails, try it out and see if it works for you.

Of course, there are also over-the-counter remedies but they will most likely be more costly than the home remedies I have written about here. You never know, these home remedies might work a whole lot better than over-the-counter treatments.