Healthy Hair Starts at the Scalp

There’s been a lot of talk about hair recently, especially with the launch of our new Signature Hair Care line. We’re very proud of our new lavender-mint and copaiba-vanilla blends, and love sharing their benefits with you! But when you really get down to it, if your scalp isn’t healthy, no shampoo or conditioner can get your hair where you want it to be. So here are a few natural recipes we’ve found for tackling the most common hair-care complaints where they start: at your scalp. If your scalp is in great condition, your hair can be too!

The Issue—Dry Scalp

• Description: Dry, moisture-sapped skin surrounding hair follicles
• Symptoms: Tight-feeling or itchy scalp; small flakes of dry skin that land on the shoulders
• Healthy recommendation: Mix 10 drops of moisturizing, pure essential oil such as lavender or sandalwood with 1 ounce of sweet almond or jojoba oil. For sensitive scalps, use straight jojoba oil. Massage in for five minutes before showering.

Nutrition tip: To help nourish a dry scalp, take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement like Young Living’s Omega Blue™.

Other blends to try:

For fine hair:

1. Heat a half cup of apple-cider vinegar.
2. While vinegar is warm, gently massage it into your scalp. The acid in the apple-cider vinegar helps restore the scalp’s pH balance.
3. Cover your head with a towel or shower cap.
4. Rinse with water after 30–40 minutes.

For normal to coarse hair:

1. After shampooing, massage 1 tablespoon of olive oil into your scalp and onto your hair from roots to ends.
2. Wrap head with plastic wrap or a damp towel heated in the microwave. This will trap the oil and let it soak in. Wait at least five minutes.
3. Rinse out thoroughly and follow with conditioner.
4. Repeat once a week if hair is coarse; once a month for normal hair.

The Issue—Dandruff

• Description: An overgrowth of bacteria that causes dead skin cells to accumulate; dandruff can flair up on both oily and dry scalps
• Symptoms: Flakes on your shoulders
• Healthy recommendation: Blend 10 drops of tea tree, eucalyptus, or bergamot essential oil with 1 ounce of jojoba or sweet-almond oil. Massage for 5–10 minutes before showering. For a leave-in anti-flaking treatment, mix a small amount of witch hazel with a little mouthwash and rub your scalp after shampooing, conditioning, and towel drying. Then dry and style as usual.

Nutrition tip: To combat dandruff, it’s also recommended to consume 8 milligrams of zinc (found in clams, crab meat, lean meats, lobster, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, and salmon) per day.

Extra exfoliating recipes to try:
For oily scalp:

1. Dip a clean, natural-bristle brush into a bowl filled with cornstarch, a natural oil absorber. Brush through dry hair from roots to ends.
2. Part hair into sections. With clean fingertips, rub cornstarch into your scalp and use a brush to work through your hair for 10 minutes.
3. Remove coating of cornstarch with a clean brush or comb and rinse.

For dry scalp:

1. Add 4–5 tablespoons of dried thyme to 2 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes.
2. Allow mixture to cool and strain thyme leaves.
3. Massage the liquid into your scalp for 10 minutes, wait 30 minutes, rinse, and apply conditioner.

By Rebecca
Product Manager, Essential Care

SOURCE: Young Living Blog
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