Should You Put Conditioner On Your Scalp?

Knowing how to properly take care of your hair and keep it moisturized is more important than ever with winter coming up. But should you put conditioner on your scalp, too? The answer isn't exactly black and white.

Whether or not you decide to condition your scalp really depends on how much natural oil you're already producing and what your individualized scalp needs. On one side of the fence is New York pro stylist Nunzio Saviano. He told Daily Makeover, "Don’t put conditioner at the roots of your hair; the natural oil from your scalp is more concentrated there." Instead, he recommended applying conditioner from the mid-length to tips.

While this is great advice for scalps that successfully moisturize themselves, it shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all rule. TotalBeauty writer Dawn Davis followed the above advice religiously, but noticed her hair getting finer and thinner. At a recent salon visit, her stylist said her "scalp felt incredibly tight and dry" and suggested she start using a moisturizing conditioning mask for her scalp. She's never looked back.

I personally suffer from dandruff on occasion (especially in the winter!), and conditioning masks have been my saving grace since I read about them on StyleCraze. If you're scalp oil balance is sufficient on its own, then that's awesome and you can skip scalp moisturizing. But if you're more like me, check out some of my favorite deep conditioning mask reccos below!

1. Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner

(Mint Cleansing Conditioner, $32, Chaz Dean)

This conditioner is rich and nourishing for both hair and scalp without heavily weighing roots down.

2. Renewal Hair & Scalp Deeply Nourish & Renew Conditioning Mask

(Renew Conditioning Mask, $5.49, TRESemme)

This is a solid budget option if your scalp is feeling really tight!

3. Exfoliating Scalp Mask

(Scalp Mask, $10, Philip Kingsley)

Specifically combatting dandruff, I reach for this mask in January when the weather is freezing and my scalp is soooooo itchyyyyyyy.

Image: Pexels; Courtesy of Brands