Essential Oil Treatments for Dandruff

Dandruff is one of the common conditions affecting the scalp. It’s characterized by the flaking of dead cells from the scalp and mostly brought about by excessive washing or scrubbing of the scalp, eczema or psoriasis. Irritated or oil skin, apart from dry skin, also cause dandruff in what’s known as seborrheic dermatitis.

Essential oils are critical in dealing with the condition by attacking excessive secretion of oil, dryness, inflammation and fungi. Essential oils to go for known for their anti dandruff effect include: Atlas Cedarwood, Virginia Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus Lemon, Lavender-High Altitude, Patchouli, Rosemary (Morocco) and Tea Tree oil.

Shampoo Remedy

First select the right shampoo that works best for your hair. Pour some of the essential oil into the palm of your hand, rub your palms together, and then apply it to your hair as you would with any shampoo. Massage your scalp gently with your fingertips, not your nails.

The combination of lavender and tea tree oils is one of the best essential oil combination to attack the fungus and address the inflammation. Take 5-6 drops of each essential oil (10-12 drops total) and mix together well for every 1 ounce (30 ml) of your shampoo. Apply the shampoo onto your scalp and let rest for approximately 5 minutes, after which rinse out the shampoo with water. This process should be done once per day.

Hair Rinse

For the hair rinse method, choose a bucket of an appropriate size so that it is easy to pour the water over your head, or large enough so your head fits in it for a good soak. Mix the essential oils with the water and rinse on scalp and hair.

For oily hair: take a few drops of lemon and tea tree oils for each one liter of water. The tea tree will combat the inflammation and fungi while the lemon will regulate the oil.

For dry/normal hair: take a few drops of chamomile and lavender essential oil for one liter of water if you think your dandruff may be caused by an allergy..

Topical Application

For topical applications, apply essential oil mixture on your scalp for at least an hour. You may apply an overnight treatment in which the essential oils are applied in the evening and removed in the morning. If this method is of interest, please ensure to carefully examine your condition to ensure that the oil does not worsen your condition. It is recommended to start in a more gradual shorter time frame initially.

Cover your pillow with a towel to protect it before you rest at night.

For oily hair/scalp: take one tablespoon of carrier oil and a few drops of tea tree and lemon essential oils and apply to the scalp.

For dry/normal hair/scalp: take one tablespoon of carrier oil and a few drops of patchouli and/or lavender essential oil and apply to scalp.