Unless you're a skincare expert, people who follow a natural beauty routine might come a little unstuck when it comes to treating various skin conditions and ailments. Folks who prefer to go au naturel will likely be interested in how to treat dandruff naturally, because nobody should have to compromise their lifestyle choices, especially when it comes to ones regarding their own body.
If you suffer with sensitive skin, natural products will be your best bet to ensure you don't create another skin issue, while trying to solve the original one. Alternatively, you may have adopted a natural beauty routine for ethical reasons — there are tons of products that are still tested on animals to this day. Once you begin to look into it, you might be shocked at the big beauty brands that are still using archaic (not to mention cruel) methods of testing their products. If a product is made of entirely natural ingredients, it's more likely that it hasn't been tested on animals, due to the fact it probably won't contain nasty chemicals, but it's always best to double check that a natural product is cruelty-free too. On the other hand, you may be interested in discovering natural dandruff solutions because you simply don't want to cover your body in chemicals, or use products that might harm the environment.
There are so many reasons why you might want to treat dandruff naturally, so I spoke to an expert to discover exactly how to go about it.
"Tea tree oil can be a good natural substitute for people who do not like traditional dandruff treatments," says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Janet Prystowsky, in an email to Bustle. "There’s a variety of shampoos with tea tree oil in them that you can choose from," she adds.
"The only study I know of that tested tea tree oil’s effectiveness on dandruff used a concentration of 5% tea tree oil. So, if possible, aim for that amount of tea tree oil," Dr. Prystowsky recommends.
"However," she elaborates, "the 5% tea tree oil shampoo didn’t completely get rid of the participants' dandruff, so maintenance treatment is probably necessary to keep dandruff under control this way."
Although tea tree oil is a natural ingredient, there are a couple of downsides to bear in mind. Dr. Prystowsky says, "Avoid getting the shampoo in your eyes." She also warns, "It may sting a little on your scalp." While these aren't too bad, they could be a little frustrating, so remember Dr. Prystowsky's advice if you give tea tree oil shampoos a trial run.
Sure, tea tree oil shampoo might not get rid of ultra stubborn flakes or a serious case of dandruff, but it's definitely a good place for natural beauty babes to start!
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