Healthy Scalp Care Tips for 2022

A new year means a new routine. If your old hair and skincare regimen left a lot to be desired, we've got great news for you. There's no need to carry bad habits into 2022! A fresh start means getting rid of last year's baggage and decluttering your morning routine. 2022 is the perfect time to prioritize your health and wellness. At RevAir, we know amazing hair health starts at the root of the problem. Scalp care is essential in maintaining radiant locks. This often neglected part of a new year's skincare routine is one of the most important ways we can prioritize ourselves in 2022. When our hair is at its best, it's easy to feel at our best too. We've put together a simple healthy scalp care guide to get you started.

Whether you have a current scalp care routine or you've never even considered one, these tips can get you started on your 2022 healthy scalp goals right away. Relax those roots and enjoy this helpful checklist.

Go Minimalist

Less is more when it comes to supporting a healthy scalp. It's time to review your beauty products and take a closer look at the ingredients panel to determine if these formulas are really beneficial. A good rule of thumb is that if you can't pronounce it, it shouldn't go on your head. Harsh chemicals and artificial additives cause inflammation, which in turn leads to flaking and itchy scalp.

1. Sulfates

Sulfates are foaming agents derived from chemical detergents. These nasties are found in more than 90% of hair care products and strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils, moisturizers, and color, leaving dryness, flaking, and irritation behind.  Sulfates commonly appear as Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) on ingredient labels.

2. Parabens

Parabens are another harmful additive designed to prolong the shelf life of shampoos and conditioners. Unfortunately, parabens can also disrupt your natural hormone balance and cause skin irritation, making them a "no" for healthy scalp care.

Look out for butylparaben, ethylparaben, and methylparaben.

3. Polyethylene Glycols

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a thickening agent derived from petroleum and a list of byproducts known for stripping the hair of moisture and causing breakage. It has also been classified as a known carcinogen and not an additive you want in your morning routine! 

4. Triclosan

You may spot triclosan in clarifying shampoo. This antibacterial agent may seem like a welcome addition to your scalp care routine, but triclosan is in fact far too harsh for your sensitive skin. This ingredient has also been linked to hormone disruption and other issues. 

5. Formaldehyde

Yes, formaldehyde, the very same common in funeral homes and laboratories. It's easy to see why we wouldn't want this harmful preservative anywhere near our hair or scalp. Because formaldehyde is absorbed directly via the scalp, it can cause hair loss, thinning, and flaking and disrupt an otherwise healthy scalp.

Ingredients can be tricky and won't often list preservatives as they are. When scanning your beauty products for formaldehyde, look for quaternium-15.

6. Synthetic Fragrances and Colors

Colors and fragrances may seem nice but beware of anything synthetic. These ingredients are often derived from scalp irritants like petroleum that will aggravate your skin's natural ecosystem.

7. Retinyl Palmitate

Retinyl palmitate is known to cause a list of skin issues, including peeling, scaling, itching, burning, and redness. Add this to the no-no list for a healthy scalp routine.

Hydrate for a Healthy Scalp

The key to unlocking your hair's full potential is a healthy scalp. We've covered the wrong ingredients, so what are the right ingredients to incorporate into a healthy scalp routine?

Focus on sustainable beauty by replenishing your scalp's natural oils. Just as you'd nourish your skin with a revitalizing moisturizer, your scalp deserves extra hydration to produce necessary sebum for optimal hair health. Look for moisture dense formulas designed to support a healthy scalp. Check out these key ingredients for your 2022 new year, new product list:

1.) Butter

Enriching hair butters not only moisturize, but create a protective seal around the cuticle to lock in hydration. Look for cocoa butter, shea butter, mango butter, muru muru butter, and even maruka honey for the perfect scalp mask.

2.) Oil

Oil restores your scalp's natural sebum, which in turn supports healthy hair. Opt for natural oils over synthetics. A few of our favorites include argan oil, coconut oil, moringa oil, and sesame oil.

3.) Vitamins

Get your daily dose of goodness! Vitamins E, C, and D3 are excellent supplements for a healthy scalp. One lesser recognized healthy scalp supplement is provitamin B5. B5 helps restore the scalp's natural balance and serves as the perfect restorative for hair that's been overly processed, heat-treated, or chemically treated.

4.) Natural Supplements

Get your greens and whole foods with kale, spirulina, and peppermint. These scalp healthy ingredients can be found in many natural hair product lines designed for cleansing your scalp. Kale, spirulina, and peppermint are naturally clarifying and act as sebum stabilizers to help your scalp retain moisture.

Rotate Your Seasonal Routine

Just as we swap out our sundresses for sweaters, your beauty routine changes with the seasons too. Scalp care is seasonally dependent on outside environmental factors. In the winter months, cold air and low humidity combined with indoor heating can increase dryness and flaking. It's especially important to avoid heat styling during the winter and provide extra hydration to restore your hair's hydro-lipid layer.

In the summer, sunburn tends to be an often neglected problem for a healthy scalp. Don't forget to spritz a little sunblock along your hairline when you're planning to spend the day outside. This will help reduce redness, inflammation, and hair loss at the root. You can also supplement with after sun care products that contain a spritz of vitamin C and natural antioxidants to restore any damage caused by harsh UV rays.

Dandruff or Dry Scalp?

Do you know the difference between dry scalp and dandruff? It may be surprising to learn that most natural hair beauties use both terms interchangeably when these are two very different problems. A dry, itchy scalp can be caused by a number of factors that require unique treatment to manage and restore.

Dry scalp is due to lack of moisture and results in tiny, white flakes, while dandruff tends to present as greasy scales and an oily scalp texture. Both conditions cause itching and irritation. 

For dry scalp, you'll want to decrease hair washing days, opt for co-washing, and supplement with moisture masks and hydrating shampoos. Dandruff requires active treatment with clarifying shampoos followed by a regular moisturizing routine. Understanding your scalp's needs can make the home hair routine a little easier and less irritating.

Choose Pampering Over Heat Treating for a Healthy Scalp

Of course, one of the best ways to support a healthy scalp is by leaving heat styling and blowdrying in 2021. Frying your hair after a shower is so last year. RevAir's reverse air technology supports a gentle scalp routine with heatless styling for stretching, straightening, and achieving a fresh-out-of-the-shower voluminous blowout effect. The versatility of one, seamless step in the style process is one of the many reasons why our glam goddesses love their reverse air dryers. Best of all, the Reverse Air technology is 3x faster than traditional hair drying and styling methods and uses lower heat than any other dryer out there.

So what are you going to do with all that extra time? We suggest a scalp massage!

Working in time for an indulgent hot oil massage at least once or twice a week is a great way to keep your scalp looking and feeling its best. You can invest in a scalp massager tool or simply use your fingertips to gently work your favorite oil or butter into your root line. Apply light to medium pressure, move fingertips in a small, circular pattern, and work your way through all areas of the scalp for at least five minutes. This is an excellent way to stimulate new hair growth while supporting a healthy scalp. In fact, over 60% of glam goddesses report improved hair growth and fuller tresses after implementing a scalp massage to their weekly hair ritual.

Get your 2022 hair care resolutions started with a healthy scalp revival. Reach out to our team for more tips on textured hair care, ultra-fine hair love, and how the RevAir can help you in your hair journey!