Think you’ve Dandruff ?? - Think Again!
skincare September 10th, 2007Many people do not realize that the scalp can become drier in winter, sometimes accompanied by flakiness. It is common for dry and flaky scalp to be confused with dandruff. But in many cases, dry and itchy scalp can be caused by irritants commonly found in most shampoos.
Most shampoos contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a foaming agent used to cleanse the scalp and hair. With overwashing, scalp can become sensitised leaving it prone to skin flare-ups where the scalp becomes, flaky, itchy and dry.
Perfumes, colourings, harsh preservatives like Parabens can also result in flare-ups so try avoiding all of these irritants for a couple of weeks so that you can rule out dandruff.
Use elave shampoo which is designed to soothe sensitive scalps and is free from irritants like parabens, sodium laureth sulfate (SLS/SLES), perfumes and colourings. These ingredients can irritate and sensitise delicate scalp areas leaving it itchy and dry and can even leave hair duller and prone to frizziness.
If the problem, persists, consult your GP.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
OOOOOOhhhh, that makes such sense. I have been scrubbing my scalp to try to get rid of the flakes and I’ve probably been making them worse! I just looked at the ingredients in my shampoo and there are loads of Parabens ingredients, Sodium laureth sulfate and parfum! I put it straight in the bin. Thanks for the advice
September 11th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I’ve using head & shoulders for months. I never had itchy and flaky scalp until I used a body shop shampoo (which was heavily scented). Looking at your article, I would say that the body shop shampoo could have caused the reaction.
I will order elave and see whether it works for me, £4.99 is worth a try.