15 Natural Methods To Get Rid Of Dandruff

If you’ve ever wondered what all that white stuff coming off your head is, we’ll give you a hint: It’s not a major weather system, it’s just dandruff! Get the help on this scalp condition that is totally treatable!

What follows is a list of home remedies to get rid of dandruff. Your dandruff can be alleviated by these treatments of over-the-counter dandruff shampoo. Click on the slides for 15 natural methods to get rid of dandruff!

1. Use Yogurt To Get Rid Of Dandruff

Just wash and rinse your hair, then rub plain yogurt into the scalp, and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Rinse, then wash again, using as little shampoo as necessary. An infusion of thyme, nettle or sage with 2 tablespoons of vinegar can be used as a final rinse. To make an infusion, fresh or dried herbs can be used in loose or tea-bag form.

Warm a teapot and put in 1 dessertspoon of herb for each cup required.

Pour in a cup of boiling water for each cup of tea. Allow to steep for 10-15 minutes, then wash out the yogurt into a dish. Add the remainders for a healthier scalp.

2. Use Aspirin

Break up two tablets between a thin cloth or napkin. Use a hammer or lightly pound on the aspirin with a cast-iron pan.

Instead of ingesting the aspirin, add the crushed aspirin-powder to your regular shampoo.

When shampooing, leave the shampoo in your hair for two minutes before rinsing.

3. Cedarwood

Mix essential oils of cedarwood (seven drops) cypress and juniper (each ten drops) in 50ml of carrier oil.

Rub well into the scalp and leave for one hour. To remove, rub neat, mild shampoo into the hair, then wash out with warm water.

To keep dandruff at bay, use the same quantities of the oils in 600ml of warm water. Stir well and use as a final rinse.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Take one part apple cider vinegar and mix it with one part water. Wash your hair normally, then pour vinegar-water mixture carefully onto hair and scrub into your scalp. Take care not to let any get into your eyes. If you have psoriasis or any unhealed scratch or scab, it will burn. (If it burns, just rinse the affected area with water.)

Leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with water. The vinegar smell will disappear once you dry your hair.

Repeat daily for about a week and you’ll get rid of dandruff.

5. Baking Soda

Replace your shampoo with a handful of baking soda. Baking soda is used in a wide variety of ways, and is reputed to work as a natural dandruff remover.

Instead of shampooing, rub a heaping tablespoon of baking soda into your wet hair and scalp. Wash thoroughly after one minute.

Wait for the baking soda to work its magic. After two weeks of your baking soda shampoo, your scalp should begin producing natural oils, leaving the skin on your head moisturized and dandruff-free.

6. Baby Oil

Apply baby oil onto scalp. A little bit will go a long way. Massage the scalp but not too roughly.

Cover your hair with a towel and leave the baby oil in overnight.

Wash with a good anti-dandruff shampoo in the morning. The oil should condition your scalp while you’re sleeping.

7. Coconut Oil

Wash your hair, but do not use any conditioners. Dry your hair after showering. Make sure your hair does not feel silky, it has to feel dry.

Put coconut oil on your scalp, try to avoid getting it in the rest of your hair.

Wash coconut oil out. Make sure you get it all out. You may have to wash your hair twice to get it out, but once should be fine.

Repeat this once weekly until you definitely get rid of dandruff.

8. Tea Tree Oil

Get shampoo with tea tree oil and use frequently. Tea tree oil smells fantastic and is a natural antiseptic. Shampoos with at least 5% tea tree oil have been shown to effectively treat dandruff.

Rub the tea tree oil shampoo into your scalp and let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse with water, repeating once per day.

9. Fenugreek Seeds

Grind one tablespoon of methi seeds roughly. Do this by hand; do not use a mixer.

Soak the seeds in two cups of water.

Leave this mixture overnight.

Strain. Use the water as a rinse.

10. Olive Oil

Apply olive oil before washing your hair. Let it do its stuff for a about 5-10 minutes before washing your hair.

Before going to bed, apply olive oil once more. You may wish to wrap your head in a towel or cotton cap, or use an old pillowcase to absorb the oil. You should wake up to a dandruff free head.

11. Mouthwash

Mix 1 part mouthwash with 9 parts water. Pour onto hair after the usual hair wash.

Simply dump the mixture over your head. Then style as normal. Do not rinse out.

This is a healthy thing you can do once a month to get rid of dandruff.

12. Banana And Vinegar

Peel a whole banana. Mix with two cups vinegar.

Stir until completely combined. You may want to use a fork or whisk to make a paste.

Apply the mixture into hair. Take extra care to massage the mixture into your scalp. Continue for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture covers your hair completely.

Leave in for twenty minutes to one hour. Then, rinse the mixture out completely.

Repeat every day for one week. Then, you can do this once a week as a preventative treatment.

13. Lemon Juice

Apply some lemon juice to your hair and scalp. Distribute it evenly.

Give some time to the lemon juice to react, approximately 20-25 minutes. The scalp would itch, but don’t worry, this is normal.

Wash your hair thoroughly. If required, use shampoo too.

14. Egg Yolks

Mix the yolks of 1 to 2 eggs.

Apply to a dry head. As much as possible, place it onto just the scalp area.

Put a plastic bag over the scalp/hair. Be warned – the egg has a bad smell and it leaks.

Leave it on your scalp for 1 hour.

Wash thoroughly with a good shampoo. You might have to wash your head twice to take it out. But the good thing is you’ll get rid of dandruff.

15. Coconut/Honey Scalp Rub

Mix coconut oil, olive oil, yoghurt and honey together. You’ll want your four ingredients to be in a roughly 2:2:3:2 ratio so that they form a paste of medium consistency – smooth, but not so liquid that it will run off of your head. Add more yogurt and honey to thicken as needed.

Massage the mixture into your scalp. Spend time spreading the mixture evenly from your roots to the end of your hair. Do this for about 10 minutes. This opens up the pores on your head and promotes blood circulation. Plus, it just plain feels great.

Let the rub set for 20 minutes In a high-humidity environment. Try sitting under a steamer as you allow your rub to set. Or, if you don’t have have a steamer, let the rub set while you take a hot bath. If you don’t have a bathtub, no worries – just allow the rub to set for a little longer (30-45 minutes).

Rinse using shampoo until your scalp feels clean. Hop in the shower and wash your hair. Usually, you’ll need to shampoo and rinse twice to get all of the rub out of your hair. Don’t overdo it – this can strip the scalp of the moisture provided by the rub. Next., use your daily conditioner for the ends of your hair only.

If using a quiet hair dryer, use a low setting. Dry heat, such as that from a hair dryer, can contribute to a flaky, dandruff-y scalp. If you typically style your hair using a blow dryer, blow dry your hair delicately, making sure not to apply too much heat directly to your scalp. Optionally, use a hair straightener to style as you normally would.

Finish your hair with a coconut oil sheen. Take four to five drops of coconut oil in the palm of your hand and rub both hands together – this will warm the oil. Run both palms through your hair, transferring the oil onto your hair and scalp. Repeat as needed to cover all of your scalp.

Extra Tips

1. Don’t scratch your head or pick at the scalp. Such actions irritate the scalp and create soreness. This can cause the dandruff to increase. Instead, massage your scalp with tea tree oil after having a shower to give your hair some extra oils.

2. When you use shampoo, try adding a squirt of lemon juice. This can help reduce the effects of dandruff.

3. Comb your hair with a small toothed comb so that the flaky bits will be combed away. You can even put a little bit of baby powder on the scalp (where the flaky bits are) and use a small toothed comb to comb the dandruff out.

4. Clean your hairbrush regularly in vinegar.

5. Use some anti-dandruff grease. This can produce good results.

Warnings

1. When you start using anti-dandruff shampoos and then stop, the dandruff may come back worse than before.

2. If your dandruff problem actually gets to the point where you can go snowboarding in your flakes, go see your doctor. Just remember, every one gets a little dandruff, so you shouldn’t stress too much.

3. If you keep getting flakes, you might have scalp psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. See a dermatologist for tips.

4. If you use straight vinegar, your hair will smell of vinegar each time it gets wet until a few days after you’re done with the treatment, but as said earlier, the smell goes away once the hair is dry. It’s a small price to pay to get rid of a nasty, embarrassing problem.

5. Use all natural remedies with a view to reviewing their effectiveness; while they have been suggested by members of the reading community who have experienced relief from dandruff, the results may vary according to your own hair texture, skin reactions and the suitability of the treatment.

6. Always test patch a small area of any homemade remedy before use, in case of a reaction. Do not use any treatment that uses an ingredient you know you are allergic to.

Sources: WebMD, MayoClinic, JAAD, WikiHow.