Your Scalp Needs TLC, Too: Here Are The Best Scrubs To Try

Right now, particularly given the cold weather, it's pretty easy to let your hair sit on top of your head in a greasy, messy bun for days on end (guilty!) but by avoiding your regular wash, you could be doing your hair more harm than good. Excess product, oil and dead skin cell build-up on the scalp can actually hinder your hair growth and result in dull, lacklustre locks.

Enter: Scalp scrubs. These gritty little formulas are specifically designed to cleanse your scalp and bring your hair back to life. Below we take you through how they work, physical vs chemical exfoliants and how best to apply your scrub. Warning: it can be a little tricky, but it's absolutely worth it.

Excess build-up of product, sebum and dead skin cells can cause blockages at the root, preventing the hair from growing. Regularly using a scalp scrub can help minimise dry, flaky skin, cleanse your roots of product, and boost circulation to your scalp, resulting in shinier locks and longer hair.

Just like facial exfoliants, scalp scrubs are formulated as either a physical or chemical exfoliant. Physical exfoliants come as thick, grainy pastes that usually contain microbeads or natural grains like salt or sugar and work to scrub away product build-up and dead skin cells. In comparison, chemical exfoliants are formulated with ingredients like AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) that help to dissolve excess oils, product and flakiness, sans physical scrubbing.

We'd recommend wetting your hair so that it's damp and draining the excess water from your ends. Then, grab a comb and section it into several sections, starting with where your hair naturally parts and working your way around the head. Once sectioned, apply a small amount of scrub directly to the hairline and massage it into your scalp in circular motions. Repeat this all around your head until you've covered the entire scalp and rinse thoroughly.

After any exfoliation you need to rehydrate and nourish the skin. Follow your scalp scrub with a nourishing shampoo, conditioner and, if you like, a hair treatment to replenish your locks. Like your face, it is possible to over-exfoliate, so be wary of scrubbing too hard as this can aggravate the scalp and cause irritation. We recommend using a scalp scrub weekly if you have a particularly oily scalp. However, if you suffer from a dry, flaky scalp, we'd opt for a fortnightly scrub instead.