Give your hair a head start
Fast track your way to healthier hair with new skincare/ haircare hybrids targeting the scalp
what does your everyday haircare routine look like? For most, it’s a quick shampoo and rinse before applying a dollop of conditioner through mid-lengths to ends. Yet now, according to sales figures, lots of us are adding in serums, toners, oils, masks and even scrubs to our hair-washing regime. Why? In the past couple of years, haircare experts have been focusing on the scalp. Now, a new generation of sophisticated products specifically formulated to treat the skin on our heads have hit the market. Cult Beauty has noticed significant growth in the haircare category, with sales of scalp treatments up a whopping 421% year on year. ‘Consumers understand that the skin on their forehead doesn’t stop at the hairline,’ says Alexia Inge, co-founder of Cult Beauty, ‘we are all skintellectuals now, but we’re looking to become expert tricologistas!’ Jumping on the ‘skinification’ of haircare, skincare brands like The Inkey List, Drunk Elephant and Dr Barbara Sturm have all recently expanded their remit to formulate scalp-savvy staples. ‘My haircare line is really all about the scalp, and that’s a direct extension of the same skin-first philosophy that has resonated so well with my customer,’ says Tiffany Masterson, founder of Drunk Elephant. ‘The focus of the haircare industry seemed to be all about making hair smoother, shinier and nicely scented. But the thing is – hair is dead. You can make it appear healthy, but you can’t actually make it healthy, except for down at the root.’ HEADS UP
‘Your scalp is the bedrock of your hair follicles,’ says Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley. ‘If you think of each hair as a flower, and your scalp as the soil supporting it, it makes complete sense to nourish and care for your scalp.’ And this applies to every scalp – whether it’s dry, irritated, or generally happy. The scalp is just an extension of our skin. ‘It sweats, secretes sebum and sheds dead skin cells,’ says Anabel. ‘It also faces daily attacks from our environment and lifestyle so can easily become unbalanced.’ Here’s how to up your scalp-care ante... STEP 1: EXFOLIATE
Regular and gentle exfoliation is beneficial from top to toe. ‘For the scalp – flaking, redness and excess oil can be alleviated with regular exfoliation,’ says Tiffany. ‘It removes the top layer of dry, dead skin as well as product build-up for a smooth, fresh surface and barrier to the elements,’ says Ricardo Vila Nova, hair expert and trichologist. ‘It’s also a good way to empower the absorption of treatments and tonics that follow.’ Use a scrub once or twice weekly, before shampoo.
Best for oily scalps… The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment, £11.99, swiftly unclogs congested pores and eliminates grime with 2% salicylic acid.
Best for dry scalps… Kérastase Soothing Scrub, £43, boasts a lightweight gel texture that should be massaged into a damp scalp to remove product build-up while hydrating the skin with jojoba and sweet orange peel.
Best for flaking/itchy scalps… Drunk Elephant T.L.C Happi Scalp Scrub, £30, is supercharged with AHA and BHAS to dissolve dead skin cells, and marula and passionfruit oils to soothe. STEP 2: CLEANSE AND CONDITION
Anabel recommends daily shampooing if you have a scalp condition, such as dandruff or seborrheic eczema. ‘It’s also important if you have fine hair, as this hair texture has more sebaceous glands and quickly becomes oily at the roots.’ For those of us with coarse, long or thick hair – you can leave it a little longer but no more than three days between shampoos. ‘Doing so is likely to cause itching and flaking – and a flaky scalp can cause hair loss.’ Post-shampoo, apply your go-to conditioner before rinsing out.
Best for oily scalps… L’oréal Professionel Pure Resource Shampoo, £13.40, lifts away residue and stubborn styling products with purifying citramine and nourishing vitamin E. Best for dry scalps… Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo with Aloe Vera, £25, gently cleanses the scalp to remove daily dirt without stripping the follicles of essential oils.
Best for flaking/itchy scalps… Oribe
Serene Scalp Balancing Shampoo, £45.50, is formulated with salicylic acid to prevent dandruff and soothe itchiness while orange and lemon extract maintain moisture.
STEP 3: TONER
A toner (otherwise known as a leave-in treatment) might sound like a scalp care step too far, but according to the pros it’s an essential product to clean and clear the skin in between washes. ‘It’s a really good step in your routine to get an active product on to your scalp that you can leave on,’ says tricologist Lisa Caddy. ‘A toner will close the pores, reduce oil production and won’t leave your hair feeling sticky or tacky as they’re mainly water-based.’ What’s more, depending on the active ingredients in your chosen toner, you can soothe, exfoliate or stimulate the scalp. Best for oily scalps… Dr Hauschka Revitalising Hair & Scalp Tonic, £20, balances an excessively oily scalp with arnica and birch bark extract. Best for dry scalps… Living Proof Restore Dry Scalp Treatment, £25, delivers an intense shot of hydration with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B3. Simply run the nozzle through damp hair and massage in before drying.
Best for flaking/itchy scalp… Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner For Flaky & Itchy Scalps, £22, targets dandruff with an antimicrobial formula to reduce yeast and prevent itching.
STEP 4: TREATMENT
‘Treatments are a huge support for the hair – making it stronger and healthier,’ says Ricardo. Anabel recommends extending that self-care Sunday skincare ritual to your hair and applying a weekly intensive scalp mask as well as a conditioning hair mask.
Best for oily scalps… The Body Shop Ginger Scalp Serum, £15, regulates excess oil production with ginger essential oil, white willow and birch bark.
Best for dry scalps… Dr Barbara Sturm Scalp Serum, £80, is a pre-bed scalp treatment that moisturises skin with hyaluronic acid while very gently resurfacing with papaya extracts.
Best for flaking/itchy scalps… Omorovicza Revitalising Scalp Mask, £57, works wonders on an irritated scalp.
STEP 5: SPF
And finally, the skincare step we would never forgo – sunscreen. ‘Your scalp can burn, peel and become really sore and sensitive from prolonged sun exposure,’ states Lisa, ‘particularly around the hair line and parting.’ Apply a sun-protective spray, like Clarins Sun Care Oil Mist SPF30, £22, that doubles up for hair and body, liberally, to lightly coat each strand. ‘On holiday, by the beach or pool, you get the best protection from using a water-resistant moisturising cream that contains UV filters,’ says Anabel. Try Philip Kingsley Swimcap Water Resistant Mask, £19, to protect from sun, sea, water and chlorine.
THE ROOT CAUSE
Suffering from a sore scalp, flaking or oily roots? There are myriad reasons why scalp concerns arise and sometimes a quick 30-second shampoo just doesn’t cut it. ‘The most common scalp concerns I see are itchiness, dryness, flaking and excess oil,’ notes Anabel. ‘Itching often occurs alongside flaking and most commonly results from dandruff and seborrhoeic eczema.’ Not to be confused with dryness, dandruff and seborrheic eczema can occur when a type of yeast overgrows, causing the skin cells to divide too rapidly. ‘These yeasts thrive in an oily environment so are likely to overgrow if you shampoo infrequently or have a naturally oily scalp.’ Ingredient sensitivities, dryness, sunburn and stress can also contribute to an itchy scalp.
A dry scalp is different. ‘This happens when the top layer of skin lacks moisture.’ Hot weather is a cause but, as Anabel points out, as we age, our scalp does not produce enough, or adequately replace, sebum, leading to dryness. Oily scalps are more common. ‘Your scalp is a highly sebaceous environment, containing more oil glands and thus producing more oils, than most other parts of your body,’ she adds.
‘If you have a very oily face you can be prone to pimples and acne,’ says Lisa, ‘and the same goes for your scalp. The follicles become clogged, bacteria can enter, and you get these yellow headed spots.’ The reason for excessive oil production can be due to hormones. ‘At different hormonal times in our life, our scalp can produce less/or more oil due to the changing level of testosterone,’ continues Lisa. ‘For instance, pregnant women can experience dry hair due to a rise in oestrogen and drop in testosterone.’ Research has also found that a high intake of fatty foods can exacerbate the problem further. ‘To combat excess oil, you need to shampoo frequently and use an astringent like a toner,’ advises Lisa.