If you are anything like me, my body doesn’t respond well to the cold. The visible signs of a change in season aren’t always that flattering, my skin gets a little dryer as the air cools and we dive for hot showers.
But the one thing that has left me a little embarrassed of late, is a dry scalp. Ewwww….I know, embarrassing huh!
And you know what? I realised that some of our beauties out there might be suffering the same, so we decided to put together 5 natural and easy ways to say goodbye to dryness.
1. Get your vitamins
Wholefoods and nutrition are always the starting point for anything we do at A Conscious Beauty. So before you run to the supermarket for the next wonder potion, take 5 and look at how your diet is tracking this time of year. As we move into the cooler months, our bodies may require a little boost in the vitamin and mineral department
- Omega 3 – from oily fish, Avocados or flaxseed
- Zinc – from oysters, sunflower seeds, eggs, pumpkin seeds and red meat
- Selenium – from organ meats, oily fish, eggs and Brazil Nuts
- Vitamin C – from dark leafy greens, kiwifruit, broccoli and berries
- Vitamin E – works together with Vitamin C, from spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocados and shellfish
- Probiotic supplement
2. Eat FAT
In addition to your vitamins, a diet higher in good fats is essential for the health of our skin and immune system. Great sources of good fats include oily fish like Salmon or Sardines, nuts such as Almonds and Brazil Nuts, green vegetables like Broccoli, Avocados, organ meats and bone broths.
3. Rinse with apple cider vinegar
In my go to bible ‘The Green Beauty Guide’ by Julie Gabriel, she suggests splashing a handful or two of Apple Cider Vinegar over your hair in the shower. Massage the vinegar into your scalp and then shampoo as normal. You can repeat this a few times per week until symptoms subside and its also a natural wonder for oily hair if that’s an issue too.
4. Make an oil mask
I recently stumbled upon Carla Oates’s aka The Beauty Chef’s book ‘Feeding your skin’ and what a little gem it is! Carla is a qualified Naturopath who has launched an amazing range of probiotic and superfood supplements, serum’s and lip balms all with skin health in mind. I found this amazing recipe for a hair treatment that can be applied once a week:
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons jojoba oil
- 8 drops lavender essential oil
- 6 drops rosemary essential oil
- 6 drops tea-tree essential oil
Method:
- Combine oils thoroughly
- Massage into clean, damp hair and scalp and cover with a plastic shower cap or cling file and a warm damp towel. Leave for 1-2 hours
- Rinse thoroughly, shampoo, then rinse in a ratio of 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar to 1 Cup warm water. Condition if required.
In addition to applying the oil to your hair once a week, we also suggest you brush your hair regularly to help minimise build up of products and stimulates the natural oils in the scalp.
5. Stay hydrated
This is probably the most simple, easy and cost-effective thing you can do to aid in beating dryness. Cool winds and days will naturally dry out the skin and scalp so you need add a few extra glasses of filtered H2O into your day and plenty of warm drinks such as herbal teas or soups.
Note: If you feel you might be deficient in some vitamins or minerals, we suggest chatting to your local health food store or Naturopath to decide on the correct dosage. We have chosen not to include dosage amounts as this can vary depending on the deficiency and other symptoms that may be present.
We would love to hear if you have had any other natural alternatives that we could add to our list.
Comment below and tell us you secret!
