Dealing with a dry scalp can be a frustrating and sometimes embarrassing issue. It can lead to itchiness, flakiness, and even hair loss if not treated properly soon.
Even if you have oily skin and scalp, you can still suffer from dry scalp if you are using the wrong shampoo.
As a Korean who also ran a K-beauty brand for several years, I’ve always been passionate about finding and sharing the best products!
So in this blog post, I’m really excited to give you my 5 recommendations for the best shampoo for dry scalp.
Introduction to Best Shampoo for Dry Scalps
When choosing the best shampoo for a dry scalp, these are not just my personal favorites.
But these are also highly recommended by haircare professionals and were approved by Koreans.
We know how crazy Koreans are about their beauty routines and skincare regimes! (Like me.)
Then, of course, these products naturally became very popular worldwide.
Choosing the Right Shampoo
Choosing the right shampoo is the first step in your haircare journey.
It can feel quite daunting to look for the right shampoo out of so many options in the world now.
Or you might think that shampoo is not so important… But it is! Hear me out.
When you pick the right shampoo, it’s like giving your scalp a big, loving hug. It can help manage issues like dryness, oiliness, or sensitivity.
It doesn’t stop there. If you continue to ignore your scalp and use bad shampoos, it can create even worse problems like dandruff or hair loss.
Choosing the right shampoo can keep our hair healthy, strong, and shiny.
What is a Dry Scalp?
A dry scalp is a condition where the skin on your head lacks enough moisture, leading to itching, flaking, and sometimes irritation.
It’s dry skin on your body. But because it is covered with hair, it can be a bit trickier to treat.
What Causes a Dry Scalp?
Several factors can contribute to a dry scalp.
- Harsh Hair Care Products
Some shampoos and styling products like hair wax or spray can be very harsh on your scalp and strip away its natural oils and irritate the skin with harsh chemicals.
- Overwashing
Washing your hair too often or with shampoo that has too strong cleansing power can remove natural oils from your scalp, leading to dryness.
Also using hot water can excerbate the problem!
- Hydration
The moisturization level of your skin can also impact your skin’s health, including your scalp.
You can moisturize your skin with skincare and remember to drink enough water.
You can use scalp serum on your scalp.
- Environmental Factors
Stress, pollution, and changes in temperature or humidity can also affect your skin and scalp health!
Using lots of heater in the winter can also dry out your skin including scalp badly.
- Skin Conditions
Last but not least, you could suffer some skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis.
This is something that may require speicific treatments, so it’s important to check and seek professional medical help if you think your condition is unusual.
How to Take Care of Dry Scalp
One thing you need to remember is that the scalp is also part of your skin.
So a dry scalp means that the skin on top of your head is dry. You need to treat it as you would with your dry skin.
Here are three key points on how to take care of your dry scalp.
- Moisturizing the Scalp
Your scalp needs moisture to stay healthy just like the rest of your skin.
Moisturizing the scalp is crucial for maintaining the scalp’s natural protective barrier.
- Balancing pH Levels
Healthy skin has slightly acidic pH , which helps to protect itself from harmful bacteria and fungi.
Use products designed to balance the scalp’s natural light acidic pH.
- Removing Buildup without Stripping Natural Oils
Buildup from hair products, dead skin cells, and nautral oils can suffocate your scalp!
However, if you cleanse too harsh or too often, it can strip away the natural oils and even healthy skin cells from your scalp.
It is important to clean your hair and scalp with gentle and good shampoo.
What to Look for in Best Shampoo for Dry Scalps
Shampoo Highlights from Hwahae in 2023
I researched the best shampoos for dry scalps from the Hwahae app in Korea.
Hwahae app is Korea’s number 1 beauty app with 41.6k reviews and 5 million downloads.
Why should reviews from Korea matter?
Korea is a great place to read the skincare trends, as it is at the forefront of the beauty industry.
Korea is the birthplace of K-beauty and swept the world with K-beauty.
However, this app is only available in Korean at the moment…
So here I am to help you with the latest beauty information!
After my arduous research on the hunt for the best shampoos for dry scalps, I found these top 3 picks that got approvals from picky Korean consumers and worldwide.
Before I jump into the three picks, let’s look at the key points people consider when buying the best shampoo for dry scalps.
1. Moisturizing
First and foremost, moisturizing ingredients play a pivotal role in improving dry scalp.
Moisturizing shampoos contain moisturizing ingredients such as oil and hyaluronic acid to protect your scalp by replenishing and locking in essential moisture.
Your scalp will feel comfortable and your hair will get softer, shinier, thicker, and dense.
2. Natural Ingredients & No Harmful Chemicals
Ingredients to Look for: Plant extracts and oils.
Countless natural ingredients are good for our skin including the scalp, such as tea tree oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and aloe vera.
Plant oils such as argan oil, shea butter, and coconut oil provide intense moisture to both the scalp and hair roots. It also gives shine to hair!
Other plant ingredients or plant extracts offer many nutrients to the scalp.
Ingredients to Avoid: Harsh chemicals
Some harsh chemicals strip away natural barriers and oils from your scalp.
It is important to avoid these ingredients especially if you have a dry scalp.
Some common ingredients used in bad shampoos are harsh sulfates, alcohol, and fragrances that can exacerbate dryness.
3. Effective Ingredients
Not all natural ingredients are good for the skin, and not all chemical ingredients are bad.
Some chemical ingredients are effective and good for your scalp, such as salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid.
Beneficial ingredients include salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid. Salicylic acid melts buildup from the scalp effectively and hyaluronic acid holds up 1000 times its weight in water.
4. Sustainability
When looking for my beauty products, I look for vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable options.
I wouldn’t want my so-called “self-care products” at the cost of other lives or the planet… That feels selfish and wrong.
Thankfully, many people are with me!
Now, all the skincare made in Korea are not allowed to do animal testing. That’s certainly one step forward for humanity.
When there was a choice, people – myself included – preferred products that were vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable.
5. Other Personal Preferences and Hair Types
Lastly, you could have other personal preferences for shampoos due to hair types or any personal allergies.
Here are brief explanations of some hair types and factors that might influence haircare products.
Curly Hair:
Curly hair tends to be naturally drier and therefore more likely to be frizzy than straight hair. Oils from the scalp have a harder time reaching down the twists and turns of each strand.
Use shampoos and other haircare products that give intense moisture. You can also use oil on your hair to provide more hydration and oil.
Straight Hair:
On the other hand, it means that straight hair can get oily quicker! (I am one of them ✋)
Volumizing or balancing shampoos could help your hair from being flat and greasy.
Color-Treated hair:
Color-treated hair can be brittle and can be damaged more easily than natural hair.
Therefore, it requires shampoos that are designed to preserve color vibrancy and prevent damage.
Any Personal Allergies:
Be aware of any specific ingredient allergies you have!
Some common allergies are nut allergies or synthetic fragrance allergies that I have.
If you are allergic to nuts, avoid using shampoos containing nut oils like almond or argan oil.
I’m allergic to many synthetic fragrances! That limits me from using many other cosmetics or skincare. When I use products with synthetic fragrances, I cannot breathe and my skin gets very itchy.
Best Shampoo for Dry Scalps | Top 3 Bestsellers 2023
I hope the information on dry scalps, how to tackle the problem, and what to look for in the best shampoo for dry scalps.
Then with all this knowledge and research, here are the top 3 best shampoos for dry scalp in 2023!
1. LABO-H Probiotics Hair Loss Symptom Care Shampoo 400ml + Scalp Strengthening Shampoo 180ml + Treatment 50m
💜 Key Features
- #1 shampoo in Korea in 2023
- Patented probiotics found in green tea
- Scalp barrier strengthening microbiome technology
- Pack of 3
✅ Pros
- Free from silicone oil and artificial fragrance
- Large volume
👎 Cons
- Difficult to get outside of Korea, but some are sold on Amazon!
- Expensive
Other comments: This shampoo has been the #1 shampoo in South Korea for a while, and no wonder! It cleanses your scalp gently and effectively.
It is one of the best shampoos for dry scalps for its moisturizing, natural, and effective ingredients without any harsh chemicals.
I also love that this shampoo doesn’t smell strong, so I can share this shampoo with my husband. You can have this one shampoo for your whole family in the shower room.
2. AROMATICA Rosemary Scalp Scaling Shampoo 13.53 oz / 400 ml
💜 Key Features
- Made with vegan, food-grade, and botanical ingredients
- Rosemary extract & essential oil
- Salicylic Acid added
✅ Pros
- Effective ingredients like rosemary and salicylic acid for scalp health
- Great aroma therapeutic scent
- Feels very refreshing after use
👎 Cons
- Some might not like the deep woody rosemary scent
- Higher price point than average
Other comments: Shampoos and conditioners from Aromatica are my absolute favorite and are loved worldwide as you can see from the ratings on Amazon.
It smells so wonderful and refreshing after using it that I emptied so many bottles of it!
I love this shampoo so I also recommended it in my other blog posts here.
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3. Avalon Organics Therapy Thickening Shampoo, Biotin B-Complex, 32 Oz
💜 Key Features
- Certified organic, plant-based formula
- Contains natural botanicals and essential oils
✅ Pros
- Biotin for Scalp Health
- No GMOs, parabens, harsh preservatives, synthetic colors or fragrances, or phthalates
- Vegan & Cruelty-Free
- Inexpensive
👎 Cons
- 32 oz / 946 ml can be a big bottle (it’s both good and bad!)
- Some might need more moisture on the scalp after washing
Other comments: This is a great value product, as it is only less than 20 dollars for 32 oz or nearly 1 liter of shampoo! It has great organic plant-based ingredients with biotin that is good for the scalp.
However, some feel that this shampoo has fewer moisturizing agents than the other top two shampoos I mentioned above. It might feel voluminous on your hair if you prefer.
3 Tips to Take Care of Your Scalp
Now you know what shampoos to use for your scalp!
But there are many other tips for taking care of your scalp other than using the right shampoos and haircare products.
Here are some other tips for keeping your scalp and hair healthy.
1. Wear Hats
Protect your scalp by wearing hats.
In the summer when there is direct sunlight, wear a breathable light hat to protect your scalp from UV lights while keeping your scalp cool.
In the winter, wear warm hats to protect your scalp from cold harsh winds and sudden temperature changes.
2. Limit Heat Styling
For the same reason as why you should wear hats, limit heat styling.
High temperatures can exacerbate dryness.
Try to reduce the frequency of blow-drying, flat ironing, or curling your hair.
When you do use heat, apply a heat protectant and use heat styling away from your scalp.
If you feel heat on your scalp, you are using your styling too close to your scalp!
3. Dietary Adjustment
Hydrate and nurture your scalp from within!
First, start by drinking enough water. Hydration from the inside can significantly affect your skin’s health, including your scalp.
Also, because the scalp is part of your skin, eating healthy foods that are rich in omega-3, vitamin E, and minerals can keep your skin and scalp healthy.
Those foods include almonds, green tea, and flaxseed according to research. Read more in my article Natural Beauty Tips | Top 3 Food for Healthy Skin Based on Science.
Summary of Best Shampoo for Dry Scalp
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about dry scalp – how to identify it, what causes it, how to treat it, tips on taking care of it, and most importantly, the best shampoo for dry scalps!
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Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase the recommended product. The support allows me to research and continue working to provide the best information for you. Please rest assured that I only give my honest opinions and recommendations.
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