I have a flakey scalp. I’ve had it for ages. It sucks, but hey, whatchya gonna do? “Hey Emily, get yourself some Head & Shoulders and move on with your life!” Sure, there's the Head & Shoulders route—tried, tested, true, and kind of unattractive all at the same time. Does anyone feel good about using that stuff? Or T-Gel for that matter? Both are soulless enough to make me not want to get rid of what is a pretty pervasive problem, especially for someone who wears as much black as I do.
And so brings us to a list of products eagerly awaiting to restore your vanity in several regards—rid yourself of white flakes hanging in your hair or on your shoulders and make your shower ledge look a little fancier with products you actually want to use. It’s a win-win.
The Shampoos : Two things of note in this category: Brands I already use and trust on my hair tended to work better on my scalp than the more medical options, and skip the coordinating conditioners—let the shampoo take care of your scalp and use whatever conditioner actually keeps your hair manageable. Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo deserves an expediency award of some sort. In less then a day, there were results. Honorable mentions go to Kiehl’s Scalp Purifying Pyrithione Zinc Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Aesop Calming Shampoo—both are easy to work into a really satisfying lather (a feature that’s oft overlooked in the world of medicated shampoos). Also they’ll leave you with really satisfied head skin.
The Spot Treatment : Specifically formulated for people with psoriasis or stubborn scalp spots that refuse to get better, Lush Superbalm Scalp Treatment is not messing around. It’s a light green paste chock full of goodness: coconut oil, salicylic acid, rose wax, lavender… Use sparingly, trust.
The Oil : Drop some Phyto Paris Phytopolléine Botanical Treatment on 20 minutes before you shower not so much for your scalp, but for your hair. All this itching and sudsing can wreak havoc on your hair follicle, so best to not forget about it in this journey we call “Getting Rid Of Dandruff.”
The Spray : Potentially a very good desk accessory for someone who works in a free-wheeling office that wouldn’t bat an eyelash if you started spraying your head and neck from a bottle with an atomizer, the Restørsea Revitalizing Scalp Treatment alleviates tightness and discomfort associated with scalp grime, rashes, or other maladies on contact.
The Exfoliator : Stick with predominantly chemical exfoliants for this job—anything with beads or too much sandy stuff is bound to get stuck in your hair or fall into your eyes. Leave Philip Kingsley Exfoliating Scalp Mask on for 20 minutes and it turns into Pac-Man for your head (which is probably the least gross metaphor I can think of for something that eats away scalp buildup).
—Emily Ferber
Photos by Tom Newton.
