November 16, 2020

Scalp Care, How to Detox Your Scalp & Curlsmith One Brand Wash Day

*This post is sponsored by Curlsmith. I am not an affiliate partner with Curlsmith.*

What are the common causes of dry scalp, itching, flakes, oily scalp, dandruff, and build-up, and how do you get rid of it? I’m sharing how to detox your scalp using the Curlsmith Scalp Detox Kit, as well as a Curlsmith one-brand wash day routine.

Scalp care is just as important as taking care of your curls, because healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. Our scalp is just like the skin on our face or body, so taking care of it is essential.

Common Scalp Issues

Itching
Flaking
Dry/tight feeling
Overly oily
Dandruff
Buildup of product
Buildup of sebum

*This post is not intended not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition*

Dryness, itchiness, flaky skin, or oiliness

Below are possible causes of dryness or excess oil production.

Washing daily with harsh sulfates. Examples of sulfates that could cause dryness if used too frequently:
- Ammonium lauryl sulfate
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Alpha-olefin sulfonate
- Ammonium laureth sulfate

Not using a pre-poo oil or pre-treatment. Apply a small amount of oil to your hair and scalp before shampooing to prevent the shampoo from drying out your scalp and hair. Be sure to let it soak in so it is not hard to shampoo out. I recommend doing this the night before your wash day.
Allergies to fragrance and other ingredients. Below are some common ingredients found in shampoo that could cause irritation for sensitive skin.
- Parabens
- Fragrance
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Formaldehyde releasers
- Propylene glycol
- Vitamin E

Weather changes and dry heat. Colder winter months often lead to dry skin and scalp due to the lack of humidity in the air.
Changes in hormones can cause changes to the skin, including dryness or an increase in oil production.

Dandruff vs. Dry Scalp

Dry scalp is when the skin is irritated, lacking moisture, and flakes off (smaller flakes). This is caused by the factors listed above for dryness.

Dandruff is when there is too much oil and the dead skin cells build-up and flake off (larger flakes).

Our scalp contains a naturally occurring fungus called malassezia, but it can over-produce when there is an excess amount of oil.
Plopping overnight or for long periods of time can also increase the growth of fungus. Sleeping with wet hair without airflow creates a warm, damp environment for bacteria and fungus to multiply. Plopping can also cause styling products to coat your roots and scalp.
Dandruff can also be from psoriasis and eczema, which require treatment from a dermatologist.

Build-up

Build-up on the scalp and the hair can be from products and/or sebum. Common causes of product build-up include:

Not cleansing properly
Only co-washing and not clarifying regularly
Applying heavy butter and creams to your scalp, layering products when refreshing
Using products with heavy ingredients each wash day without clarifying

Sebum is an oily, waxy substance that prevents moisture loss from the scalp. Sebum is not bad, but can build-up over time with dirt, dead skin cells, oils, and styling products. Sebum build-up can also clog hair follicles leading to scalp conditions or hair loss in extreme cases.

Bottom line

Find a good balance for your hair when it comes to how often you shampoo, clarify, and co-wash. Also depends on the products that you use. Heaver products require clarifying more often. See my downloadable Wash Day Schedule for a visual guide of when to clarify, shampoo, and co-wash.

How to Detox Your Scalp

For this wash day, I’m going to be using the Curlsmith Detox Kit. Curlsmith is a natural hair care line that is CG-friendly. Detox kit contains everything for a “reset”, which helps protect and regulate the “microbiome”, which is the skin’s natural shield that protects it.

Start by gently loosening up any flakes or buildup using a comb or scalp massager
Wet hair, apply the Super Slip Pre-Biotic Primer to the scalp and lengths. Detangle while it sits.
- Helps protect the scalp’s barrier and prep it for clarifying
- Contains pre-biotics for the microbiome
- Fermented rice water for strength
- Guarana & ginger for stimulating hair growth
Apply Wash & Scrub Detox Pro-Biotic clarifying shampoo
- Has a very fine, gentle grit to it for exfoliation
- Contains pro-biotics that strengthen the scalp’s protective barrier
- Apple cider vinegar to remove buildup, and add sine
- Nettle to reduce breakage and improve thickness
Apply Post-Biotic Calming Conditioner to soothe the scalp, moisturize, and balance pH
- Contains hyaluronic acid that hydrates
- Biotinoyl strengthens hair follicles and helps hair grow stronger and longer.
- Peppermint and tea tree that are stimulating and give a cooling effect
- Lavender is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal
Hold Me Softly Style Balm for moisture & definition
- Contains coconut oil, aloe, olive oil, avocado for mega moisture
In-Shower Style Fixer Gel for hold
- Contains aloe, rose of Jericho, avocado oil, apricot kernel for moisture
- POLYQUATERNIUM-69 for humidity protection
Diffuse & fluff once dry

Products Used

Curlsmith Detox Kit
Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm
Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer
Shampoo scalp massager brush
Spray bottle
HairRepear towel,
Behairful brush, 10% off with code GENAMARIE
Hair pick

After using the Scalp Detox Kit, my scalp had a slight tingly feeling while it was wet. This went away once my hair dried. My scalp felt very clean and I didn’t hav any build-up or flakes.

Have you tried anything from Curlsmith? If so, let me know what your favorites are. Stay tuned for more reviews of their products coming up soon!