Itchy scalp, dry scalp, dandruff - ACV rinse to the Rescue!

Let's talk about Scalp Health!

I'm a huge fan of apple cider vinegar. The taste? Eh, definitely not my favorite, however it has huge benefits for your gut + immune system. ACV helps fight off bad bacteria, this is why it’s an essential natural remedy when warding off sickness. So, ever heard of malassezia? it’s a common scalp fungus that we all have on our scalp. When it builds up to 1.5-2 times the typical amount, we then have something we’ve all heard of, dandruff.

What will your doctor prescribe you? A harsh chemical-laden shampoo that has zinc-pyrithione in it. Can you guess where I’m going here? Guess what else kills this fungi - apple cider vinegar. It wipes out this yeast like fungus, it’s really simple to use, and affordable.

Here’s how: put your ACV in a spray bottle. Diluting is definitely an option (1 part ACV to 3 parts water). Spray your entire scalp, really get in there. You may not smell great and sometimes there is a bit of tingling (not to worry). Leave it on for 10 minutes or so, then jump in the shower. You can shampoo and condition per usual. Hopefully you’re using Warrior shampoo (because that does help). Another tip that sounds counterintuitive - don’t wait too long in-between showers. This stubborn fungus feeds off the oils of your scalp and the point is to kill it, not feed it. Even though your scalp seems dry, you actually want to shampoo more frequently until there’s no sign of this fungus attacking you.

My recommendation is to do an ACV rinse once a week and take the ACV internally everyday until it subsides. Then of course prevention and keeping a healthy scalp is always necessary.

Remember what’s showing up on your skin is happening on a much higher level internally so if you want to get serious about healing it, consume less to no sugar/alcohol/gluten. Malassezia will know you’re serious then!

Product Recommendations: 

Warrior Shampoo or Luna Clear Shampoo - both focus on rebalancing scalp oils and have a number of hair strengthening herbs in them, promoting hair growth.

Serenity conditioner or Revive Conditioner - again these are great for the hair AND scalp so try either as a hair mask. Doing a hair mask once a week is a great way to hydrate and nourish an irritated scalp. If you can do an overnight hair mask, even better.