My other half struggles with an irritated scalp. I had been applying coconut oil mixed with some herbs, but that was incredibly messy and it took awhile to apply. I’ve since come up with this soothing scalp spray for irritated skin and we’ve seen such a huge improvement.
The beauty of apple cider vinegar
Since apple cider vinegar is antibacterial and antifungal, this makes it the perfect candidate for an itchy, irritated scalp spray. Unlike man made toxic antibiotics, vinegar doesn’t kill off all the good bacteria in the body, just pathogenic ones. It not only eliminated the dandruff, but it also balanced the scalp’s ph for a healthier scalp and hair.
Its natural acidity discourages build-up on the scalp and adjusts skin pH when applied topically. The acidity of apple cider vinegar changes the pH of your scalp, so it’s not an ideal environment for yeast, fungus or bacteria to grow. (source)
Our skin naturally has an acidic ph of about 4.0-5.5, so we want to use something that has an acidic ph like vinegar on it. I’ve been using it in my 1 minute clear skin toner as a quick way to get better skin.
Essential oils
This past year I’ve discovered and really fallen in love with my essential oils. I concocted a moisturizing and skin clearing honey facewash that features essential oils, but I really wanted to add them to a scalp spray. I happened to find a recipe from this website, but I knew I wanted to change it up a bit.
These essential oils combine beautifully to create a blend that’s soothing, calming and really really works!
P.S. Want to know all the nitty gritty details of how to make your own natural skincare products? Check out the Herbal Academy’s botanical skin care course here.
Scalp Spray For Irritated Skin
Ingredients:
- 4 drops patchouli
- 10 drops frankincense
- 10 drops geranium
- 1 drop clary sage
- 11 drops lavender
- 1 drop ylang ylang
- 9 drops bergamot
- 3 drops melaleuca
- 6Tbsps apple cider vinegar (preferably raw)
- 3 Tbsps filtered or distilled water
- Spray bottle
Directions:
-
- Combine all of the ingredients together and shake well to combine. I like to shake the bottle a little before each time I spray.
- Use a comb to part a section of hair close to the ear and spray the scalp with the vinegar blend. Move 1/4 inch over, part another section and spray the scalp there. Continue working in sections until the entire scalp has been covered.
- This may sting a bit at first, but if it’s very uncomfortable, dilute with some water and try again.
P.S. Want to know all the nitty gritty details of how to make your own natural skincare products? Check out the Herbal Academy’s botanical skin care course here.
I need to make this! Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party.
Thanks for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays, Jamie. Definitely keeping it in mind for future reference…
Rosemary is also very effective at treating scalp irritation.
Thanks for the tip Lenora! I’ve used rosemary before for healthier and thicker hair, but I hadn’t heard it was also good for irritation. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This sounds amazing!! So I’ve been using only Castile soap, water & oils for
A month & a half to wash my hair & a tablespoon of baking soda when I wash & apple cider vinegar & water & peppermint to rinse. Is working great! Now that I’m through the awkward stage! Lol only thing is I use baking soda in between washes as a dry shampoo when needed. I find if I don’t wash every other day I try to wait til every 3rd day my scalp is itchy & irritated like it was before I made the switch to natural & not store bought shampoo. So my question is if I use this at night & let it stay on will it help it not itch at night & the. Do I need to wash in the morning? Also I have 3 of the oils but not patchouli, geranium, clargy sage, ylang ylang or bergamot
But I have frankincense, lavender & Tea tree. I have lemon & several others just not those others I need them
But can’t right now. But I’m so itchy!! Is there any other oil mixes you suggest to help? Or just using the ones on your list that I do have?
Itchy is no fun! I had a bad stint with the no-poo method and was also washing my hair with baking soda and rinsing with vinegar. The scalps natural ph is acidic, 4.5, while baking soda is highly alkaline at a ph of 9. Castile soap is also very drying and has a high ph which the scalp doesn’t like. Once I stopped using baking soda on my scalp the itch and dandruff went away. I wrote about my experience in this post here that you may find helpful! I think if you ditched the baking soda and used the oils that you mentioned that you have to make a spray it would help significantly. https://pronounceskincare.com/moisturizing-diy-ph-balanced-shampoo/
Hi! Lovely looking recipe. What about the fact that Bergamot is photo toxic? Do you apply this at night, then?
We only ever have applied it at night, and since the scalp is largely protected from the sun by hair I haven’t worried about it too much. Also, bergamot is only phototoxic if used above .4% , and this recipe uses bergamot at a .3% dilution, so you’re in the safe zone. I wrote more about how to use phototoxic essential oils safely in this post that you may find helpful. Thanks 🙂 https://www.theherbalspoon.com/2015/11/the-truth-about-phototoxic-essential-oil-safety.html
Hi, do you leave it on the scalp or do you rinse it off?
and how often do you use it?
Thank you in advance.
You leave it on the scalp, no rinsing required. And my husband used this several times a week. Ideally you would use it every night until the scalp cleared up, and then use it maybe a few times a week to maintain.
I’ve tried so many different products…but want to be more naturally minded. Can’t wait to try this!!