Peeling is a procedure to restore healthy hair. In this article you will learn about the types of peeling, how to do it and what the benefits of the scrub are. To make your hair look silky, healthy and strong, you need to care not only for the strands themselves, using all kinds of cosmetics, but also for the scalp, exfoliating the skin.
Skin peeling is a series of cosmetic procedures aimed at cleaning the surface of the head. As a result, dead skin cells are eliminated, as well as fatty acids, which leads to improved and restored hair condition.
Why do you need to cleanse your scalp?
Everyone knows that the upper layer of skin (epidermis) is constantly renewed, its upper layers are exfoliated. The body is helped to get rid of dead cells with washcloths and scrubs. But the scalp also needs cleansing procedures.
Dust particles, hair styling products, dead epidermal cells - all this accumulates on the surface of the scalp every day. Partially they fall off, but the rest remains on the surface, mixing with sebum, contaminating the pores, promoting the formation of dandruff and sebaceous plugs, etc.
The process of skin renewal is irreversible, and new cells are formed in place of dead cells, but gradually the skin becomes more and more difficult to breathe. Therefore, scalp cleansing is necessary.
Benefits of cleansing the scalp:
Protection against dandruff.- Regulation of fat metabolism.
- Activation of hair growth.
- Cleansing of dead cells.
- Increased blood supply to hair follicles and scalp.
- Removal of sebum and dirt, styling, silicone.
- Protection against hair loss due to stimulation of hair follicles.
- Increasing the effect of medicinal shampoo, masks, balms.
Home peeling recipes
There is nothing easier than preparing scalp peeling at home. The easiest way to quickly cleanse the scalp of impurities and sebum is to use sea salt, which is rich in various microelements: iodine, calcium, iron, sodium, zinc, etc. But other abrasive components can also be used: table salt, sugar, coffee, soda . To prevent irritation and dryness from peeling, softening and moisturizing ingredients are added to the scrub, such as oil, kefir, egg yolks, etc. With such cleansing, the scalp will also receive nourishment.
Cleansing the skin with scrubs at home does not require large financial costs, does not take much time, and is technically very simple.
General recommendations:
- For salt peeling, choose finely ground salt, because large fractions can severely scratch the skin. Coarse salt can be ground in a blender or coffee grinder;
- apply peeling only to damp hair and exclusively in the root zone;
- wash your hair after peeling, not before;
- if the homemade scrub contains nutritional components, after the massage it can be left on the hair as a mask for 10-15 minutes with insulation with a cap and towel;
- for oily hair, the optimal frequency of the procedure is 2 times a month; for dry hair, it is enough to scrub once a month;
- Calculate the amount of ingredients for a homemade scrub depending on your hair length.
Be careful: dyed hair from the scrub may lose its color brightness; it is better to use store-bought peelings for it.
Recipe 1. With salt
- 1 tbsp. l. finely ground sea salt
- water
- 3 drops essential oil
Combine sea salt and room temperature water in a 1:1 ratio, stir until the consistency of liquid sour cream. Instead of water, you can use hair balm; give preference to natural balms. Add a couple of drops of essential oil suitable for your problem. For example, lavender, lemon, and tea tree oils are recommended for oily hair and dandruff; jasmine, chamomile or rose oils are suitable for dry hair. Apply the mixture gently along the partings and then massage the skin for a few minutes. After this, wash your hair as usual.
Recipe 2. With sugar
- 1 tsp. Sahara
- ½ tsp. olive oil
Mix the ingredients and massage your scalp with this mixture for a few minutes, then rinse.
Recipe 3. With clay
- 3 tbsp. l. finely ground table salt
- 2 tbsp. l. any clay, for example blue
- 1 tbsp. l. Water
Combine salt and clay and add water to the container. The resulting mixture is applied to the scalp with massage movements, then rinsed off.
Recipe 4. With coffee
- 2 tsp. coffee grounds
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. liquid honey
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
Apply a mixture of these ingredients to your scalp with massaging movements. Leave on for a few minutes, then rinse with warm water and organic shampoo. To prepare this scrub, you can use coffee grounds, coffee cake or ground coffee. The grounds and cake have a softer, more delicate effect.
Please note: coffee is a natural dye, so fair-haired girls are advised to choose a different scrub to avoid darkening of the roots.
There are many other homemade hair peeling recipes. Choose the one you like best, or come up with your own: the main thing is to dilute the abrasive with a liquid (water, herbal infusions, green tea, mineral water); you can add a few drops of essential oil suitable for your problem to any recipe.
What do you need to know when peeling at home?
- Peeling should be carried out no more than once a week for a course of 4 to 8 weeks. After this, you need to take a break for about 1.5-2 months. Otherwise, you may dry out your skin excessively.1
- The prepared peeling composition should be applied to slightly damp scalp. This will prevent your hair from becoming tangled.2
- The scrub time on the scalp ranges from 10 to 15 minutes. The composition is washed off with shampoo and warm, but not hot water.3
- The peeling agent should be applied to the hair before shampooing. This will help remove hair dirt better. Otherwise, you can harm the health of your hair.
The best homemade peeling recipes
The most popular component that allows you to exfoliate your scalp yourself is salt. Both sea and regular salt are used with the addition of various components depending on the skin type and its sensitivity. But there are other recipes for equally effective peeling compositions.
- Eggs and lemon juice. You will need the juice of half a lemon, an yolk and two tablespoons of sea salt. This composition helps get rid of dandruff and reduce the activity of the sebaceous glands.1
- Soda. It's simple. Mix baking soda and shampoo in equal parts and apply to your head. Then wash off.2
- Coffee. Mix ground coffee beans with shampoo and rub into scalp. It is better to wash off the composition with a decoction of chamomile or nettle. Another option: mix two tablespoons of ground coffee and one spoon of oil (olive, burdock, castor). Lightly massage, apply to skin and leave for 15 minutes.3
- Yolk and coffee. The yolk should be mixed with two tablespoons of coffee grounds. Add a spoonful of honey and lemon juice. Rub gently into the skin and leave for half an hour.4
- Sugar and yolk. Mix one yolk, two tablespoons of olive oil and sugar until a homogeneous thick mass is obtained. Lightly massage your head and leave for about half an hour. This composition is not only an excellent peeling, but also a mask that will give your hair shine and strengthen it.5
- Sugar based. You should take one spoon of blue or white clay and two spoons of sugar. Mix and dilute with herbal decoction or water. You can add a few drops of citrus essential oil to the mixture. This mixture copes with increased oily scalp. For sensitive and dry skin, it is recommended to use yogurt instead of clay.
In addition to preparing various peeling compositions yourself, you can purchase professional cosmetics and use them at home. One such remedy is Nioxin. Scalp peeling with this product will be performed at a high level without leaving home. This is a whole system for caring for thinning, thinning hair.
The product has a triple effect:
- Cleansing.
- Restoration and hydration.
- Nutrition.
Peeling for the scalp has a regenerating effect and exfoliating effect. As a result of using the product, mechanical, enzymatic cleansing and cleansing of the scalp with alpha hydroxy acids is achieved. Epidermal cells are renewed. It is recommended to use the product once every 30-45 days.
Of course, if you think about whether to choose a home or professional remedy for peeling, then Nioxin wins significantly in its properties and quality of cleansing. But everything again depends on the portability of the components and the problem itself that needs to be solved. In case of serious illnesses, it is better to consult a trichologist for a recommendation. He will help you choose the right drug or recommend using your own products.
Removal of dead skin
There is a phenomenon of thickening of the epidermis - hyperkeratosis . In this case, there is an increase in the synthesis of keratin protein, which accumulates in the upper stratum corneum of the skin. The cells stick together and normal exfoliation of keratinized cells does not occur.
In this case, you also need to use chemical peels with salicylic, malic, and citric acids. They:
- clean the surface of the head from “glued” horny scales;
- improve blood circulation and tissue nutrition;
- speed up regeneration processes.
Hyperkeratosis is a systemic disease, so treatment is only under the supervision of a doctor.
Preparing peeling for the scalp
- It is recommended for brunettes to choose coffee as the main component of the peeling composition, as it can slightly color the hair. In addition, it is difficult to wash, so those with full hair should give preference to another component.1
- Before using coarse salt, it is better to grind it in a coffee grinder. This way it will cause less discomfort and will not damage the epidermis.2
- When preparing peeling, do not forget about the vitamin complex. Vitamin D activates metabolic processes and has a healing effect. Therefore, it is recommended to add burdock, olive, and castor oils to the composition. Vitamin A in ampoules also has a positive effect on the health of hair and scalp.3
- It is not recommended to add more than three drops of essential oil.4
- The scrub is applied to the scalp gradually in small portions, while separating the hair with partings. Using light massage movements with your fingertips, distribute the product over the entire length of the hair and leave for 20 minutes. Then rinse your hair with shampoo.5
Another interesting fact is that a few drops of essential oil in the composition lifts your mood and enhances the peeling effect:
- ylang-ylang makes hair thicker;
- lavender improves skin health;
- neroli makes hair elastic;
- grapefruit and cedar regulate the functioning of the sebaceous glands;
- sandalwood improves blood circulation;
- juniper activates hair growth;
- rosemary reduces their loss;
- eucalyptus and tea tree fight dandruff;
- Citrus oils strengthen hair and prevent split ends.
So, what are sebaceous plugs?
To begin with, I will attach a picture with the structure of our hair, in case anyone hasn’t seen it. So in the picture there is a sebaceous gland , which is responsible for the production of sebum. It is needed to moisturize the scalp. It is logical that if very little sebum is produced, then the scalp is dry, and if sebum is produced in excess, then we are dealing with an oily type of scalp.
A sebaceous plug is the result of a disruption in the normal functioning of the sebaceous gland, in other words, a failure.
Thus, it secretes very thick and viscous sebum, part of which accumulates near the mouth of the hair and a plug is formed. The mechanism is very similar to how blackheads form on our face, only the scalp is very difficult to examine with ordinary eyes to see the plugs on it, the hair roots interfere with this.
The main misconception is that sebaceous plugs form only on oily scalps. This is not true; on dry skin types they are also quite common.
How to deal with sebaceous plugs?
It is important to understand that shampoos do not wash out sebaceous plugs! If you wash your hair more often and more diligently, there will be fewer of them.
What then? Scalp scrubs are a good, but controversial product in this regard. It is especially difficult for girls with long hair to convey the particles and massage every centimeter of the skin well and efficiently. Also, many people do not like scrubs because of the strong mechanical effect on the hair roots, which leads to more hair loss after washing. The ideal solution in this case is cream-based peelings. But not all peelings are effective(
The most important advice from me is to look carefully at the ingredients. The peeling should contain acids that will gradually dissolve sebaceous plugs with regular use (for example: salicylic acid, fruit acids, lactic, glycolic, etc.). And yes, for a good effect, such things need to be used on a regular basis. Get used to the fact that the scalp needs this just like scrubs and peels for our face.
Deep cleansing hair shampoo
Shampoo for deep cleaning of hair is designed to thoroughly cleanse the hair and scalp of residues of cosmetics, mousse, hairspray, foam, silicones, sebum and other contaminants.
Deep cleansing is necessary before coloring, chemistry, toning, lamination and other salon procedures, especially if you do these procedures at home. That is, by renewing the keratin layer as much as possible, it makes the hair more susceptible to the nutritional effects of subsequent products.
Using a deep cleansing shampoo is no different from using regular shampoo. But, since shampoo for deep cleaning of hair opens the scales, be sure to apply a good professional mask to your hair after shampoo, and its effect will be better than after regular shampoo.
Rating of shampoos for deep cleansing of hair
Now almost every manufacturer of hair cosmetics has a deep cleaning shampoo in their line, we decided to provide you with the most popular ones:
- CHI Clean Start (USA)
- Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hair & Scalp Deep Cleansing Shampoo (Germany)
- Goldwell DualSenses Scalp Specialist Deep Cleansing Shampoo (Germany)
- Estel ESSEX Deep Cleaning (Russia)
- Wella SP Expert Kit Deep Cleanser (Germany)
- Joico K-Pak Chelating (USA)
- Matrix Total Results Pro Solutionist Alternate Action Clarifying Shampoo (France)
The principle of operation of a deep cleaning shampoo is similar to that of a scrub.
Now I will show you a small selection of peels and scrubs that I liked in terms of composition:
Scalp peeling Ciel Parfum Cleansing Comfort Zone - based on acids: glycolic, lactic, citric, salicylic.
Nioxin Scalp Regenerating scalp peeling Renew Dermabrasion Treatment - also based on fruit acids, salts, herbal extracts, essential oils.
Scalp peeling Dsd de luxe 1.3 – also based on acids and beneficial extracts.
PEELING SHAMPOO DERCOS MICRO PEEL, VICHY – salicylic acid 1.3%, can be used as a shampoo, or can be left as a peeling for several minutes.
What have I tried?
Scrubs became a regular part of my care routine as soon as I became “sick” with my hair. At the beginning it was ordinary fine sea salt with a drop of essential oil. It was affordable and effective for me at that time. And at that time (and this was almost 8 years ago!) there were very few products of this kind on the market or none at all.
Now things are much better and many professional lines have begun to produce scrubs and peels for the scalp. For a long time, the scrub from Natura Siberika with sea buckthorn was my favorite. It gave me a very powerful cleansing of the hair roots, not so much due to the particles, but due to the working composition. It kept my head fresh longer and overall it is a very pleasant product that I can confidently recommend. In addition to a bunch of extracts that are aimed at improving the health of the scalp, it contains an important component - glycolic acid, which dissolves sebaceous plugs.
I didn’t like the peeling from the Korean company L’ador , although I know many are delighted. Firstly, it costs a pretty penny to do this regularly (one small tube costs 100-150 rubles), and secondly, I didn’t feel anything special after it.
At the moment I have a peeling mask from the System 4 brand. It contains a storehouse of useful substances, it fights dandruff and sebaceous plugs. But the problem is that I don’t feel any effect from it at all, unfortunately. And after a month of active regular use, my sebaceous plugs were with me. With such a high cost and high consumption, I expected more.
