A few dried neem leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Crush the neem leaves to a powder.
Mix the powder and olive oil in a bowl.
Apply the paste to your scalp.
Leave it on for about an hour. Then, wash your hair with shampoo and apply conditioner.
This method requires only neem leaves.
Boil neem leaves for about half an hour. Make a paste and apply it to your scalp.
Leave it on for 30 minutes and then wash off with water.
You can apply the paste on your scalp in the morning, before having a bath. Or, you could even use it at night, and shampoo your hair in the morning.
Neem leaves (especially their extracts) have excellent antifungal properties that can be used in the treatment of dandruff. They also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties .
Your scalp might itch when you apply the paste. This sensation is normal, and there is no need to worry about it.
2. Coconut And Honey Scalp Scrub
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons yogurt
Mix the ingredients in a bowl to get a paste of medium consistency. In case the paste is still runny, you can add a little more of yogurt or honey to thicken it.
Apply the paste to your scalp and gently massage it. Rub it from the roots to the tips of your hair.
Continue massaging for about 10 minutes.
Leave it on for about 30-45 minutes, and then rinse it out using shampoo.
Once done, pat your hair dry with a soft towel and apply a few drops of coconut oil to your hair and scalp.
In the morning, before bath.
Coconut helps in preserving the hair’s natural proteins and is also known to eliminate dandruff (4). According to an Italian study, honey is a suitable ingredient for treating dandruff, owing to its antimicrobial properties.
Remember not to rinse your hair with shampoo more than twice. Doing it more than twice can strip your scalp of the moisture provided by the mask.
3. Aspirin
2 aspirin tablets
Crush the aspirin tablets and add the powder to a bowl.
Mix a little amount of your regular shampoo with the powder.
Shampoo as usual using this mixture. Leave the shampoo on your hair for two minutes, after which you can rinse with water.
In the morning, while having a bath.
Aspirin contains salicylates that exfoliate the scalp and help treat dandruff
4. Baking Soda And Lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons baking soda
A bowl of apple cider vinegar
Mix the ingredients in a bowl and apply the paste to your scalp.
Leave it as it is for about 10 minutes, or until the scalp starts to itch.
Wash your hair with water.
You can use apple cider vinegar as a conditioner.
In the morning, before taking a bath.
Baking soda works by reducing the overactive fungi that are responsible for dandruff
5. Listerine Mouthwash
1 tablespoon Listerine mouthwash
9 tablespoons water
Mix the mouthwash with water in a bowl.
Wash your hair with regular shampoo. Then, rinse your hair with the mouthwash mixture.
You can leave the mixture as it is and style your hair as you normally do.
In the morning, before taking a bath.
Listerine mouthwash possesses antifungal properties that fight the dandruff-causing yeast and prevent its growth.
6. Banana And Apple Cider Vinegar
1 whole banana
2 cups apple cider vinegar
Peel the banana and put it in a tumbler. To this, add the apple cider vinegar.
Stir thoroughly till you get a smooth paste.
Apply the mixture to your hair. Massage the mixture into your scalp and ensure it completely covers your hair.
Leave it on for about 20 minutes, after which you can rinse your hair completely with water.
In the morning, every day for a week. Post that, you can follow this remedy once every week.
Bananas are excellent sources of B vitamins – the nutrients that improve circulation and keep your skin healthy. Apple cider vinegar is a known fungicide and germ killer, and it helps treat dandruff.
7. Yogurt
1 cup plain yogurt
Shampoo your hair and rinse.
Apply the yogurt to your scalp and leave it on for about 15 minutes.
Rinse your hair, and wash again using a small amount of shampoo.
In the morning, while taking a bath.
The yeast within our bodies triggers inflammation. This results in the build-up of yeast on the skin. Boosting the friendly bacteria inside our digestive systems can reduce the yeast within our bodies. Yogurt is one of the best sources of friendly bacteria, and it prevents scaling of the scalp. Since it is a good source of probiotics, it could be one of the ideal remedies for dandruff (10).
You can add two spoons of freshly ground black pepper to the yogurt. Pepper has antifungal properties (11).
Ensure that you use fresh yogurt and pepper. Otherwise, you might not get the desired results.
8. Fuller’s Earth
1 cup Fuller’s earth
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Water
Mix the Fuller’s earth with enough water till you get a smooth paste. Add the lemon juice.
Apply the mixture to your scalp.
Leave it on for about 20 minutes, after which you can wash it off with water.
In the morning, before you take a bath.
Fuller’s earth absorbs the oil, grease, and dirt – all of which cause dandruff. It also improves blood circulation to the scalp, thereby keeping it clean and dandruff-free.
9. Orange Peel Pack
A few dry orange peels
5-6 tablespoons lemon juice
Put the orange peels and lemon juice into a food processor. Blend the ingredients till you get a smooth paste.
Gently apply the paste to your scalp and leave it on for about 30 minutes.
Post that, rinse it off with your usual shampoo.
In the morning, while you have a bath. You can follow this remedy twice to thrice every week.
The orange peel has acidic properties that help reduce excess oil and condition the scalp. This eventually helps treat dandruff.
10. Lemon Juice And Yogurt
A bowl of curd
A half-cut lemon
Squeeze the lemon into the curd and mix well.
Apply the mixture to your hair. You can use the lemon peel for this purpose.
You can also massage your scalp with the inside of the lemon peel.
Leave the mixture on for about 10 minutes. Wash your hair as usual with shampoo.
In the morning, while taking a bath. You can repeat this remedy three to four times a week.
As we know, lemon juice is rich in citric acid, which plays a major role in eliminating dandruff from the roots of the hair. It is also antimicrobial in nature .
Don’t forget to shampoo your hair after this remedy as curd has a tendency to leave a very undesirable odor.
11. Baking Soda
1 tablespoon baking soda
Wet your hair, and rub the baking soda into your hair and scalp.
Leave it on for a minute, and then wash your hair thoroughly with water.
You could also mix it with your shampoo and use it to wash your hair.
In the morning, while taking a bath. Do this twice a week.
The baking soda scrub is a mild exfoliant that helps remove dead skin. It reduces excess oil on the scalp (another reason for dandruff). Though your hair might get dried initially, within two weeks, your scalp will start producing natural oils to combat the dryness. Baking soda is also known to reduce the overactive fungi that can cause dandruff.
Remember not to leave baking soda on your hair for a long time. Doing so might dry out your hair.
12. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil
1. Simply wash your hair with shampoo and let your hair dry completely. Do not use a conditioner.
2. Apply the coconut oil directly to your scalp and leave it on for a few minutes.
3. Wash your hair thoroughly with water.
In the morning, after taking a bath. Try this remedy once a week till your dandruff is gone.
Coconut oil penetrates deep into the epidermis and works from within. It contains medium-chain fatty acids, which have regenerative properties that can help treat dandruff.
13. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Water
Mix equal quantities of apple cider vinegar and water in a bowl.
Wash your hair as usual, and then pour the vinegar-water mixture onto your hair and scrub it into your scalp.
Leave it on for about 15 minutes, and then wash it off with water.
In the morning, while taking a bath. You can repeat the remedy daily for about a week.
The acidity of apple cider vinegar changes the pH levels of your scalp, thereby hampering the growth of yeast .
Ensure the mixture doesn’t get into your eyes. Also, any unhealed scratch or scab might burn when you use this remedy. In that case, rinse the affected area thoroughly with water.
14. Tea Tree Oil
A few drops of tea tree oil
Take a little amount of shampoo in a cup, and add a few drops of tea tree oil to it.
Mix well and rub the shampoo-oil mixture into your scalp.
Rinse it out after five minutes.
In the morning, while bathing. You can repeat this remedy once a day every day for about a week.
Different studies have supported the efficacy of tea tree oil shampoo in treating dandruff. Tea tree oil has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and a higher rate of dermal penetration, which makes it one of the best remedies for dandruff . Tea tree oil originates from an Australian tree and is known for its antifungal properties. In one study, participants who used five percent tea tree oil shampoo for four weeks saw a 41 percent reduction in dandruff, whereas those who used shampoo alone showed an 11 percent reduction. Tea tree oil has also been found to work as an antiseptic.
15. Cedarwood Oil
7 drops cedarwood essential oil
10 drops cypress essential oil
10 drops juniper essential oil
50ml carrier oil
Mix the ingredients in a bowl, and rub the mixture into your scalp.
Leave it on for about an hour.
Wash your hair with a mild shampoo and rinse with warm water.
Mix the same quantities of the oils in two cups of water, and use this solution as a final rinse.
In the morning, while taking a bath.
Cedarwood oil has anti-seborrheic properties that treat dandruff and other inflammatory scalp conditions