It’s safe to say years of dunking my hair in a pool’s worth of chlorine did not do it any favors. Washing my hair so often during my swimming years forced my scalp to produce more oils to keep it from drying out, which caused quite a bit of buildup. Even though I stopped swimming competitively almost four years ago, my scalp is still very prone to oiliness, and simply washing my hair with shampoo and conditioner has not been doing the trick.
I first heard about scalp exfoliation through YouTube and TikTok videos about head spas and the importance of scalp health. As relaxing as they looked, I knew I needed something that I could do at home for a realistic and continual fix. That’s when I found the Inkey List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Scrub. I have always been a fan of brands like The Inkey List and The Ordinary just because of how clean and simple (and not to mention affordable!) their products are, so I honestly was not surprised by how much I loved this product.
According to Glamour.com, glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) with the smallest molecules, allowing it to penetrate deeper and more effectively into your skin. It is an exfoliant and can also make your skin feel firmer. On your scalp, glycolic acid can aid in the removal of dead skin cells and product buildup, which is great for dry shampoo users like me. Along with a chemical exfoliant of glycolic acid, the scrub contains a physical exfoliant of tiny castor oil beads, which are biodegradable and won’t cause irritation to the scalp.
The other two ingredients in the scrub are a microalgae that serves as an oil regulator and Bioecolia, which can help balance the scalp’s microbiome. The scrub serves as a pre-wash, meaning it comes before the shampoo process. All you have to do is put enough of the exfoliant to cover your entire scalp and use your fingers to gently massage it in at first and activate that physical exfoliant. After that, just wait 10 minutes while the serum works its magic and then rinse it out.
Because of both the slight physical exfoliant and the chemical exfoliant in the scrub, it’s important to not leave it in for longer than the recommended time to avoid irritation and over-exfoliation. What I find the most incredible about this treatment is that I can actually see an immediate difference. My scalp just feels so much cleaner, and my hair feels lighter and less dense. Also, because the oiliness and buildup is reduced, I feel like my hair has more volume, and it’s just so satisfying to run my hands through my hair after.
You can get the product on the Inkey List website for $12.74 due to an ongoing sale, Sephora for $14.99 and Amazon for $16.85. Even though I may have a very different hair type than a lot of other people, this exfoliating scrub can definitely be beneficial for any hair type. Use it once to twice a week, and your scalp will thank you, I promise!