The Best Scalp Care Ingredients and Products to Use if You Want Your Healthiest Hair
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Here’s something you need to know right now (if you didn’t already) Scalp care is skin care.
Your scalp is after all, an extension of your skin and while it may often be forgotten about (like that weird cousin that always comes around at Christmas), it should always still be included in your beauty routine.
Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp and so should be as front and centre in our beauty regimens as our faces.
Why is scalp care important?
Because, if left neglected things like dandruff, itching, flaking or other unwanted concerns will start rearing their ugly heads.
These are often telltale signs that you probably need to take better care of your scalp.
In very severe cases, not looking after that sensitive skin on your head that’s exposed to the sun and other environmental aggressors can even cause things like hair loss.
One of the best ways to look after your scalp (besides good nutrition) is to incorporate scalp-targeted products and ingredients into your healthy hair routine.
With a bunch of excellent and advanced-formula scalp care products now on the haircare market, maintaining your scalp has never been so easy.
If your hair care doesn’t include scalp care, you need to rethink your healthy hair routine pronto!
It’s as simple as scrolling to the end of this article and adding one of our favourite scalp care products to your cart.
Your hair will be much better for it. Trust us.
But first, some expert advice and tips to give you the tools for creating the best environment for your scalp!
Why Is It Important to Have a Healthy Scalp?
Healthy hair and scalp care go hand in hand; it’s not just about levelling up your ‘hair game’.
In episode 52 of our award-winning Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast, Dermatologist Dr Leona Yip answers why looking after your scalp is of the utmost importance (and all your other scalp care questions) in detail.
She says, “Conditions that affect the facial skin, can also commonly affect the scalp, such as eczema, psoriasis, acne etc. So looking after the scalp is just as important as facial skin.”
Dr Yip attributes an unhealthy scalp to four main causes:
1. Scalp barrier dysfunction.
“What this means is if the oil seal on the scalp (made up of barrier proteins and lipids like ceramides), if that’s not working properly, the scalp tends to be prone to dryness, flaking and some irritation. And that can lead to conditions like scalp eczema.”
2. Immune mediated inflammation.
"This can lead to “conditions such as scalp psoriasis.”
3. An abnormality in the scalp microbiome balance.
“This could lead to conditions like scalp dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and folliculitis.”
4. Sun damage.
“This is something a lot of people don't tend to think about. Lots of people don’t think about wearing hats, and it’s really important because the sun can cause generalised redness on the scalp that can be stingy, burning or itchy. It can also cause sun spots and skin cancers in the longer term.”
Keen to learn more about scalp health? Listen to the whole podcast episode with Dr Yip below:
Best Scalp Treatment and Best Scalp Care Ingredients.
When looking for scalp care or how to care for dry scalp, Dr Yip recommends finding products with ingredients such as ceramides (natural skin lipids), salicylic acid as well niacinamide (vitamin B3) which also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Ok so we know what to look for when shopping with the best scalp care ingredients in mind, but what should we avoid?
If your scalp is already experiencing any sort of irritation, Dr Yip suggests avoiding products with essential oils and fragrances and looking for ones that are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.
She also advises on steering clear of thick and greasy formulas as they can “clog the skin pores and hair follicles on the scalp that can lead to acne and folliculitis.”
How to Care For Your Scalp.
Now that we’re armed with what ingredients to look for and what to avoid, it's time to address the other elephant in the room - dandruff.
When It comes to scalp concerns, dandruff is a pain point many might experience.
So what are some of the best ways to address scalp flakiness caused by dandruff?
First it’s important to ask, what causes dandruff?
"Dandruff is caused by an abnormal scalp microbiome.” says Dr Yip.
She tells us when there’s an overgrowth of yeast in the scalp microbiome, it can cause that dreaded flaking.
What is the best way to address dandruff?
“When we treat it, it’s two fold. The first is to try and control the proportions of this yeast using anti-dandruff shampoos with anti-yeast ingredients.
The second component of treatment is to try to control or remove the scaling problem and we do that by using chemical exfoliants such as tar-based shampoos and salicylic acid creams.”
(Dr Yip suggests seeing a dermatologist if your case is more severe or long-standing).
Now, what are the best products to use for your scalp and what are the best products to use for dandruff according to a dermatologist?
Dr Yip notes scalp-targeted ranges from brands like Kérastase and L’Oreal Professionnel as great places to start.
Best Scalp Care Products.
These are just some the many products and ranges devoted to making your scalp and your hair the healthiest it can be...
Philip Kingsley Flaky Itchy Scalp Shampoo.
On this episode of the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast, trichologist Anabel Kingsley (yes the daughter of the Philip Kinglsey who made this cult product) says this hero product “intensely hydrates hair.”
(Fun fact: This product was originally made for Audrey Hepburn’s dry hair!).
“Shampooing is very important for hair health, because it helps to keep your scalp healthy.
Your scalp is your hair support system, so regular cleansing, toning, exfoliating, these are all things that are going to be really good for hair growth.” says Anabel.
This popular shampoo also adds elasticity to the hair, increases manageability, reduces split ends and repairs damage from colour treatment as well as adding shine.
It also contains a blend of hydrating and nourishing ingredients such as olive oil and castor oil for added strength.
And for all our regular summer swimmers (summer is just around the corner), you’ll want to add the water-resistant Swimcap Mask to cart for UV protection! Because a burnt scalp is not fun.
Kérastase Nutritive Range.
We did a whole BIQ article and review on this much-loved range for dry and damaged hair; spoiler: our Social Media Manager Megan and her luscious tresses loved it.
Those scalp-loving ingredients we mentioned before including salicylic acid and niacinamide are just some of the star ingredients you’ll find in most of this range.
The hair experts at Kérastase also have a whole range dedicated to targeting dandruff, so we’ll leave the endless options up to you and what's best for your scalp!
STRAAND Haircare.
Australian-made brand STRAAND know scalps.
Sitting at one of the most affordable haircare and scalp care brands, from a serum to a shampoo and scalp scrub, their products have soared in popularity.
This review on their website alone is enough motivation to add these high-performing products to cart:
“So obsessed with their products! My dandruff and itchiness have subsided so much and my hair curls without using so much product on it.”
L'Oreal Professionnel Scalp Advanced Range.
Another affordable haircare range that puts scalp health at the forefront is the L'Oreal Professionnel Expert Scalp Advanced Range.
Offering three hero products designed to help comfort, purify and soothe irritated scalps and is powered by scalp health-boosting ingredients like niacinamide, piroctone olamine and AHAs.
At the budget-friendly price point these three sit at, you could probably give them all a go!
NAK Hair ORI Lab Refresh Scalp & Body Scrub.
It goes without saying that the iconic Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt 250ml should be on your radar, but if this is slightly out of your budget right now this new one from NAK is slightly cheaper.
I recently tried this new scalp scrub myself and I loved it!
Firstly it smells really good (not overpowering don't worry) and it left my hair feeling super clean and soft.
Some scalp scrubs can be really hard and gritty to work into the hair but this lathers up beautifully and distributes through the hair really nicely. Super easy to use!
Use this multi-tasking scrub as a first cleanse to gently remove dead skin cells and impurities, leaving you with a healthier scalp.
Star ingredients include:
- Aloe vera leaf juice powder - hydrates and enhances softness and shine of hair.
- Coconut oil - plumps and strengthens hair.
- Niacinamide - moisturises and protects the hair
- Marshmallow root extract - soothes and calms the scalp while also conditioning the hair.
- Juniper berry oil - Offers barrier protection and infuses your stranda with vitamins and minerals.
VIRTUE Topical Scalp Supplement.
A nightly treatment powered by peptides, ceramides, hyaluronic acid as well as Virtue’s signature Alpha keratin 60ku.
AB Customer Uzzy's says:
“I have been using this for 2 to 3 weeks now and I have seen a major change in my scalp health. It's less itchy and produces less sebum. I love its design- the dropper makes it easy to apply evenly through your hair.”
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