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Dandruff can affect any hair type and has many possible causes. Here are some suggested essential oils for dandruff, along with blends for shampoo and hair treatments.
Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art suggests geranium, juniper, lavender, patchouli, rosemary, sage, tea tree, and ylang ylang essential oils.
The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness suggests bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), West Indian bay (Pimental racemosa), bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, lavender, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, and tea tree.
Here's a dandruff shampoo blend from the book:
Note: This shampoo is runny and doesn't produce much lather.
The best essential oils for dandruff may depend on the underlying cause of your dandruff. Here's the suggestion of one source:
An easy way to use aromatherapy for dandruff is to add a few drops of your chosen essential oil to an unscented, nondetergent shampoo. Adding 8 to 12 drops to an 8-ounce bottle is a good place to start, though you can use more, if you don't find it too strong.
For an anti-dandruff, conditioning blend, add 8 drops lavender and 4 drops tea tree to your 8-ounce bottle of shampoo.
Aromatherapy, A Holistic Guide to Natural Healing With Essential Oils states it's OK to use up to 80 drops of essential oil in an 8-ounce bottle of shampoo. Here's the book's suggested essential oil blend:
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy suggests the following two essential oil blends for dandruff. Add the blend to 3.5 ounces (100 ml) of natural, unscented shampoo. (For an 8-ounce bottle of shampoo, double the blend.)
or
Here are before- and after-shampoo hair treatments for dandruff:
Pre-Shampoo Treatment
Source: Essential Oils Desk Reference
Post-Shampoo Dandruff Hair Rinse
Mix ingredients and shake well. Use it to rinse your hair after shampooing.
Note: The vinegar smell quickly goes away.
Source: Aromatherapy for Dummies
Also, according to the EPA, witch hazel helps fight dandruff. Add a few drops of essential oil to half a cup of witch hazel. Use the mixture as a rinse.
Use this blend once a week.
Source: Feeding Your Skin
Photo Credit: 123RF Stock Photo