Exfoliating Scalp Scrub

Guys. My head's going crazy right now.

Transitionary periods between seasons leave me with flaky skin all over. I use various exfoliators for my face and body, but lately I've been noticing that my scalp needs exfoliating too. Lately, no matter how often I wash my hair (and I try not to more than three times a week) I always have dandruff.

There are tons and tons of at-home recipes for scalp exfoliators. You can use everything from brown sugar, baking soda, even quinoa (though I'm not sure if it's going to clog up your drain?) with conditioner, oils, shampoos, etc.

I'm going to share a recipe I tried today, but I just want to give you a heads up: if you have thick, wavy hair like me, this scrub is going to make your hair really fluffy. (It might actually be a great volumizing scrub if you have thin hair... Let me know if you try it!)

1. 2-3 tbs of salt // 2. 2 tbs of coconut oil // 3. 2 tbs of Paul Mitchell's Smoothing conditioner

I mixed these ingredients together in a little bowl and worked them into my scalp for about 5 minutes. Do this in the shower (not over the sink, like I originally did) because it'll get messy really quickly. Let's just say I had to bust out my vacuum. I rinsed and washed my hair as normal, and now my hair feels a lot smoother.


I'm going to wait a couple of days before deciding if it helped my scalp, but I am happy with my hair. I pulled out a lot more hair than usual after my shower, and I'm hoping it's just because it's old, almost-dead hair that "loosened up" while I exfoliated.

After getting out of the shower, I also dabbed a bit of Lush's R&B over the ends of my hair to keep them moisturized and healthy!



If you have any tips on a healthy scalp/hair, I'd love to hear them!

Tea Tree Toner Tabs

I started writing this post about all the different Tea Tree Oil products I use and love (it's the smell I crave, more than anything) but realized I had enough to say about these little toner tabs that they deserve their own post!

Have you heard about tea tree oil? Quick run-down if you're unfamiliar:

Tea tree oil is an Australian plant extract that:

1. Is an antiseptic and antifungal treatment
2. Treats acne (works as well as benzoyl peroxide, and doesn't burn your skin!)
3. Disinfects skin to speed up healing

(Awesome, right?)

I would sooner pick a favorite child than a favorite Lush product (easier said since I'm not a mother, I guess) but these toner tabs are in my top 3.

Tea Tree Toner Tabs

(photo from Lush)

Here's how I use them:

• Steam Facial: Heat a cup of water until it boils. Toss in half a tab and let it dissolve. Hold your face over the mug for 3-5 minutes (throw a towel over your face if your skin isn't too uncomfortable from the heat!)The vapor smells amazing, and the heat will allow the oil to disinfect deep into your pores! 

• Epsom Salt Substitute: I soaked my foot in epsom salt while it healed from a staph infection a few years ago, and now I pop a couple of tea tree tablets in the bath every now and then--they work just as well as epsom salt, and make my skin feel a lot smoother afterwards!

• Acne Treatment: Thankfully, I don't break out nearly as much now as when I was 14, but my skin definitely isn't eternally zit-free. I got this idea when some of my friends talked about a baking-soda paste she makes to treat her acne. I do the same thing, but with one-fourth of a crushed up tab. I add enough water that it turns into a fizzy paste, dab it on, and wash it off after it dries. Works wonders!

Get them here!