By Alison McGill
Chances are you have upped your haircare regime in the past year as we’ve had more time to focus on ourselves. For many of us, lockdown was a time to invest increased time and energy into our beauty regime, with skincare and haircare being a top priority. In the realm of hair, masking became a much-needed weekly ritual for many of us, and so too did treating our scalp to regular exfoliation sessions.
In the past year, scalp scrubs have become the new power shower essential. Just as facial exfoliants are integral to our beauty routine so too should products designed to deep clean your scalp. “The scalp is just as important as your skin,” says Melissa Tedeschi, national education manager for Kérastase and Shu Uemura Art of Hair. “Keep in mind the scalp is an extension of your face, therefore treating it the same way as you do your skin is a smart and healthy approach.”
Tedeschi says scalp scrubs are designed to gently yet thoroughly remove a naturally occurring buildup of hair product and dead skin cells. “Over time, this build-up of product, sebum and environmental aggressors like dust and pollution happens. It’s important to exfoliate regularly and remove these impurities to create a healthy scalp which will promote healthy and strong new hair growth.”
Before you scrub up, there’s a few things to keep top of mind. You don’t need to use a lot of exfoliant—a walnut size amount is plenty and should be applied to freshly cleansed wet hair. Massage scrub into your scalp only (the top of your head, on the temples, at the crown and on the nape of your neck) and remember to go easy! Your scalp is an extremely sensitive area. Add water as required to your scrub to create a lovely thick lather. Rinse hair thoroughly and always follow with a treatment on lengths and ends to condition and hydrate.
“Exfoliating once a week is optimum, anything more can be too aggressive,” Tedeschi reports. “Products are safe to use on coloured hair, but I would say to take extra caution if you have a delicate shade like pink or a heavily pigmented red. You might want to exfoliate every other week to help maintain colour vibrancy.”
Post-scrub you will notice your scalp feels energized due to a boost in circulation, your hair product efficacy will be amplified as will your hair volume and root lift. Make this invigorating beauty ritual a mainstay of your Sunday selfcare!
Scalp Scrubs We Love
Kérastase Fusio Scrub Apaisant Soothing Scalp Scrub, $70
This gel scrub is designed to treat extra-sensitive scalps and we love its zesty aroma which comes courtesy of its star ingredient, orange peel.
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub With Sea Salt, $67
This exfoliant combines sea salt with almond oil to create a sensory beauty holiday—let your scrub session transport you to a day at the beach!
Oribe Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub, $65
Perfect for all hair textures, this formula is paraben free and will perfectly polish you scalp without stripping it of nourishing natural oils.
