It all starts with your scalp

Good hair starts with a healthy scalp.

 Just like there are different skin types, there are different scalp types:

Dry: Lacks sufficient moisture and sebum, causing it to become flaky, itchy, and irritated. The scalp may feel particularly tight and uncomfortable after washing. 

Oily: Often feels greasy and shiny — even after washing — due to overactive sebaceous glands. Common issues with an oily scalp include dandruff, limp hair, and blocked hair follicles (manifesting as pimple-like bumps under the skin).

Sensitive: Prone to irritation and inflammation; often reacts adversely to various hair products and environmental factors.

Balanced: Neither oily nor dry; doesn’t experience significant issues like dandruff or irritation. Only gets oily 2 to 3 days after shampooing.

Your scalp type determines what you should look for in a shampoo.

How to choose a shampoo that’s right for …

Here’s how to choose a shampoo that’s right for your scalp type so your strands always feel soft, silky, and sleek.

Oily scalp

If your scalp tends to be oily or greasy, here’s what to look for and what to avoid in a shampoo:

Avoid: Shampoos that are hydrating, moisturising, smoothing, or targeted at curly hair. These tend to add too much moisture to your already oily scalp.

Look for: Labels that mention “clarifying” or “balancing.” These formulas may help cleanse the scalp and control excess sebum production without overdrying your hair. Helpful ingredients include salicylic acid (which exfoliates the scalp, removing excess oil), tea tree oil (which has antimicrobial properties that could control sebum production), and lemon extract (which acts as an astringent and may help balance oil production).

Additional tips: Make sure to work the shampoo into your scalp to “break up” oil, and rinse your scalp very well.

Dry scalp

Here’s what to look for and what to avoid in a shampoo when your scalp is dry, flaky, or itchy:

Avoid: “Strengthening”, “fortifying”, and “volumising” shampoos. These products tend to strip your scalp of necessary moisture.

Look for: Labels that promote moisture, hydration, smoothing, or are specifically targeted for curly hair. Helpful ingredients include aloe vera (which provides hydration and soothes irritation), glycerin (a humectant that attracts moisture to the scalp), and coconut oil (which moisturises and nourishes the scalp, preventing dryness and flakiness).

Additional tips: Refrain from using dry shampoo too often, as it absorbs sebum without cleaning the scalp, which could lead to buildup and irritation.

Sensitive scalp

If your scalp is easily irritated, here’s what to look for and avoid in a shampoo:

Avoid: Parabens, phthalates, alcohol, and fragrance — these could all cause stinging, red patches, or other uncomfortable reactions. It’s also best to steer clear of sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate (cleansing agents that help create a rich, foaming lather in most shampoos).

Look for: “Hypoallergenic”, “calming”, and “extra gentle” labels. Helpful ingredients include chamomile extract (which calms and soothes irritated skin), aloe vera (which provides gentle hydration and reduces inflammation), and oat extract (which helps soothe the scalp).

Additional tips: Be careful of your sensitive scalp when styling your hair. Use a wide-tooth comb or a brush with soft bristles to avoid scratching and irritating the dry, flaky skin on your scalp. Also, keep the heat styling to a minimum, as it could dry out the scalp even more.

Balanced scalp

If you have a balanced scalp, here’s what to look for and avoid in a shampoo:

Avoid: Heavy or “clarifying” shampoos that could disrupt the natural balance of your scalp.

Look for: Ingredients like panthenol (which strengthens hair and maintains moisture balance), green tea extract (which provides antioxidant protection and increases blood flow to the scalp), and hydrolysed silk (which adds shine and improves hair texture).

Additional tips: Consider adding a scalp exfoliant to your hair care routine, especially if you have product buildup or sweat a lot. There are 2 different kinds of exfoliants: chemical (which dissolves the bonds between skin cells, helping to reveal newer, smoother skin cells on the scalp) and physical (which include things like scrubs that physically remove dead skin cells, dirt, and other impurities). No matter which you pick, start by exfoliating just once a week and see how your scalp responds.

Healthy hair from the inside out

You can think of your scalp like the soil of a farm — it “houses” your hair follicles, sure, but you’ll still need it to have access to the building blocks it needs to produce great, healthy-looking hair.

What building blocks, exactly? Hydrolysed collagen peptides

These provide amino acids, which your body uses to make keratin, the primary component of hair. That’s not all they do, either. Hydrolysed collagen peptides also:

Increase the number and activity of collagen-producing fibroblasts in the skin, “bulking up” your scalp’s thickness, improving its ability to grow new hair follicles and nourish existing ones.
Exert strong antioxidant properties that help fight off harmful free radicals, protecting your hair follicles from oxidative damage.

OK, but where can you get hydrolysed collagen peptides?

Like, high-quality ones that you know are effective and will give results? Answer: The Collagen Co’s hydrolysed collagen peptides. Each serving of these contains 15 grams of heavy-hitting hydrolysed collagen peptides, alongside other hair-health-boosting ingredients like:

Hyaluronic acid: Moisturises hair follicles

Vitamin C: Helps the body absorb iron, which is essential for healthy hair growth

Biotin: A B vitamin crucial for energy production and, thus, healthy hair