Scalp Exfoliation: Before And After

Sharpened

A fleck on His Sword
They just now emailed me the ingredient list. It looks like they scanned it from the bottle and converted it to text. Let me try to clean it up:

Mizani Scalp Care Exfoliating Pre-Treatment

Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Triethanolamine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Crosspolymer, Fragrance, Pentylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Zinc Gluconate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera Oil), Linalool, Camphor, Menthol, Hexyl Cinnmal, T-Butyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronelal, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil (Eucalyptus Oil), Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado Oil), Limonene, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
 

YvetteWithJoy

On break
I almost forgot to post:

I saw some Nioxin products as I was walking into my local Walmart. They were on sale (something like buy 1, get 1 50% off) on display in the salon. I'll upload a photo in a moment. I wasn't sure if one of the bottles was the scalp treatment discussed in this thread.

What do the numbers mean? I apologize for not getting a better close up so that product titles can (better) be seen. I'll see if I can find a link to the products anywhere.

ETA: Here is a link to the products and the differently numbered systems: https://www.nioxin.com/en-US/proven-solutions/3-part-hair-thickening-treatment/system6#subMenu

(photos enlarge upon click)

WP_20170418_014.jpg WP_20170418_015.jpg WP_20170418_016.jpg
 
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Froreal3

haulin hard in the paint
I just bought some of this Nioxin Scalp Renew, but it doesn't tingle my scalp at all. I asked the Amazon seller if it was fresh and they assured me that it was. :rolleyes: I think they said it didn't have an expiry date.
 

Sharpened

A fleck on His Sword
I am using aloe inner-leaf gel as an overnight exfoliating pretreatment. From my research, it contains enzymes that control sebum and removes excess skin cells. There are a bunch of (overpriced) scalp exfoliators featuring aloe, so I figured why not use it alone. I can verify it works great. Twice a month is all I do.
 

Desert Skye

Well-Known Member
Thank goodness for this thread. I have been on LHCF since 2004 and felt I had my regime down...but i always had an itchy flakey scalp. It would be to the point if I tend my nail on my scalp, i would get gunk. That's nasty but I thought i was just someone who needed to shampoo frequently.

Today I bought the Phyto scalp treatment and oh my god...my scalp feels so clean! I am ashamed to admit this, but I don't remember my scalp feeling thus good since I was a small girl. I just didn't know about scalp exfoliation, but now I do and I will do it all the time now.

I want to buy the Cantu scalp cleanse next time
 

Desert Skye

Well-Known Member
I went to aveda and bought a scalp brush
http://m.aveda.com/product/19384/48638/hair-care/scalp-care/pramasana-exfoliating-scalp-brush


It feels s good! The bristles are not like traditional brushes,instead they are round. This helps it not get tangled up in my hair Hard to explain but all I know I feel it does something. I can feel the blood circulating in the area I rub it: I am going to now brush my scalp every night before tying it up.

I also bought the Aveda scalp cleanser called Pramasana.
http://m.aveda.com/product/19384/48635/hair-care/scalp-care/pramasana-purifying-scalp-cleanser

I will alternate that with the Phyto
 

Queenie

Well-Known Member
I do this weekly with St Ives Facial Scrub. Since I'm a shea butter user and my hair is densely packed, I need something to get my scalp clean in certain spots.
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
Last evening was my first time seeing this thread. I read all 15 pages last night in one sitting. Those microscopic pictures were shocking and disturbing to see. Paying special attention to my scalp was something that I was already doing until just last week so it was nice to see that I was on the right track. For years, my favorite clarifying and chelating shampoo was Elucence Volume Clarifying Shampoo. I loved that it contained chelating ingredients as well as salicylic acid for my scalp. It also wasn't harsh like some other clarifying shampoos could be. Then the company went out of business so I had no choice but to switch to a much cheaper drugstore brand of clarifying shampoo. When I wasn't clarifying my hair, I would use sulfate free shampoos and natural hair "washes" and my scalp itched like crazy. I never had dandruff flakes just itchiness. I finally found Neutrogena T-sal shampoo and was using it a first wash until recently. I also started using diluted apple cider vinegar on my scalp. Depending on the products I was using for my shampoo and conditioner, I'd use Canvas Beauty's Follicle Booster on my scalp before following with a regular shampoo from the same brand. I don't think it had any acids or fruit enzymes in it as suggested in this thread but it made my scalp feel really good too.

Anyway, just last week I used a new shampoo that has a mild sulfate in it simply because I am trying more oil based products to seal my hair again. The new shampoo has tea tree oil in it as well as peppermint oil which I love but no acids though it does contain yucca root extract and prickly pear extract. Because I'm using that as a first wash shampoo, I've cut the Neutrogena out. I do think I need something a bit more exfoliating for my scalp; so this thread popped up at just the right time. I would like to try an actual scalp detox not another shampoo. I'm using growth aids, so it's essential that my scalp is clean for a "fresh start" every week. I've been looking around for a scalp detox product all last night and ruled most of them out. I did find a few alternatives that seem okay but there's always that one ingredient that doesn't make sense to me. I also noticed that these products are more on the expensive side. Most just contain salt or sugar as the exfoliant. I'm probably going to narrow it down to The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment on the lower end and Kiehl's Amino Acid Scalp Scrub Detox Treatment on the higher end (which contains salt but has salicylic acid as well as other acids further down the list). I was close to choosing Fekkai Apple Cider Detox Scrub which has rice powder as an exfoliant, fruit extracts, and of course apple cider vinegar but I didn't like that it has sunflower seed wax kind high up the list because to me a wax is defeating the purpose. Some have oils in them like the Inkey List product which I guess I will have to accept if I buy and others had silicones which is crazy to me so they were immediately ruled out.
 
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NaturalEnigma

Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever tried the John Masters Organics Scalp Exfoliating Scrub with Sugar Cane and Tea Tree Oil? I always wanted to try it. Here is the ingredient list.

Ingredient List​

Sucrose*, Glycerin, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract (Bamboo), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera)*, Water, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Thymus Serpyllum Extract (Thyme), Eucalyptus Radiata Leaf/Stem Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Cedrus Atlantica Wood Oil (Cedarwood)*, Menthol*, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract (Myrtle), Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil*, Adiantum Capillus-Veneris Leaf Extract (Maiden Hair Fern), Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene†
 

snoop

Well-Known Member
Anyway, just last week I used a new shampoo that has a mild sulfate in it simply because I am trying Vaseline on my ends which seems to be a thing again on this site so I recently jumped on the bandwagon. I like using it so far but sulfate-free shampoos aren't cutting it as a result. The new shampoo has tea tree oil in it as well as peppermint oil which I love but no acids though it does contain yucca root extract and prickly pear extract. Because I'm using that as a first wash shampoo, I've cut the Neutrogena out. I do think I need something a bit more exfoliating for my scalp; so this thread popped up at just the right time. I would like to try an actual scalp detox not another shampoo. I'm using growth aides, so it's essential that my scalp is clean for a "fresh start" every week. I've been looking around for a scalp detox product all last night and ruled most of them out. I did find a few alternatives that seem okay but there's always that one ingredient that doesn't make sense to me. I also noticed that these products are more on the expensive side. Most just contain salt or sugar as the exfoliant. I'm probably going to narrow it down to The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment on the lower end and Kiehl's Amino Acid Scalp Scrub Detox Treatment on the higher end (which contains salt but has salicylic acid as well as other acids further down the list). I was close to choosing Fekkai Apple Cider Detox Scrub which has rice powder as an exfoliant, fruit extracts, and of course apple cider vinegar but I didn't like that it has sunflower seed wax kind high up the list because to me a wax is defeating the purpose. Some have oils in them like the Inkey List product which I guess I will have to accept if I buy and others had silicones which is crazy to me so they were immediately ruled out.

I'm eyeing Inkey as well.

I wouldn't worry about the acids being further down the list. Typical use level for salicylic acid is only 0.5-3%. Some ingredients can only stay near the end of the list.

I'm going to take a look at the other ones that you mentioned.
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
I'm eyeing Inkey as well.

I wouldn't worry about the acids being further down the list. Typical use level for salicylic acid is only 0.5-3%. Some ingredients can only stay near the end of the list.

I'm going to take a look at the other ones that you mentioned.
I received my order from Sephora which included the Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment. It's a little cheaper if you order directly on their site due to their sale but I had to get something from Sephora anyway (plus Sephora has free shipping). I will try it tomorrow when I wash and condition my hair.

Kiehl's is also having their Black Friday Sale early and you can get 30% off their scalp detox treatment and I think I'm going to take the plunge...mainly so I can compare both/have more than one option.

I was on YouTube today and happen to run across this video review for another scalp scrub from Hairitage. It's called Restart Button Scalp Exfoliator. The ingredients seem interesting (has apricot seed powder as the main exfoliant with willow bark further down the list). The lady who tried it said that it was hard to rinse the little beads out of her thick natural hair and she eventually got tired. I think when you use anything that's not a serum like the Inkey list, this could be an issue. So if I get the Kiehl's, I'll already know that it might take some extra rinsing to get it all out but I'm hoping that it won't be much of an issue with me (I don't have thick hair).

Back to the Inkey List: I did see a video that talked about the differences between the Inkey List's Salicylic Acid vs Glycolic Acid serums (video linked below in case someone is interested in trying this brand but needs help deciding). I also like that the Inkey list has a hyaluronic treatment for your hair after it's washed/conditioned. I'm not going to be trying that anytime soon though.

 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
I ended up buying the Inkey Salicylic exfoliator. I haven't used it, yet.
I've used it twice so far counting tonight. So far so good. It can be very runny though so I always have to adjust my nozzle and be careful applying it in the front of my head/scalp. I did get the Kiehl's salt scrub too but won't be trying it until January.
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
I usually use Cantu ACV Root Rinse, DevaCurl Scalp Purify Spray, and Pacifica Rosemary Apple Scalp Detox Tonic.
Gonna have to look into the Inkey one...
I just looked the bolded up and it actually has more than one acid to detoxify the scalp (glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid as well as niacinamide). Seems like a good one. The DevaCurl one that you mentioned has glycolic acid. I like that there are several options to choose from if you want to try something different.
 

snoop

Well-Known Member
Do you guys think that using a chemical exfoliator (pre-poo) followed by an exfoliating brush during washing would be too much on one's scalp?
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
Do you guys think that using a chemical exfoliator (pre-poo) followed by an exfoliating brush during washing would be too much on one's scalp?
I use my shampoo brush; it's the most gentle shampoo brush I've ever used. I use it very gently on my scalp just going in one direction; there's no vigorous massaging at all. I haven't had an issue yet. When I stop using oil based growth pomades next year, I'm going to cut back on the scalp exfoliation to once or twice a month.
 
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snoop

Well-Known Member
I ended up buying the Inkey Salicylic exfoliator. I haven't used it, yet.

I've used it twice so far counting tonight. So far so good. It can be very runny though so I always have to adjust my nozzle and be careful applying it in the front of my head/scalp. I did get the Kiehl's salt scrub too but won't be trying it until January.

So I finally tried it for the first time. @Dare~to~Dream thank you for the heads up because this thing is like water. I've only ever used the Komaza scalp exfoliator before this so I wasn't sure what to expect. It felt a bit tingly after a few minutes. I'm currently on a no-poo method and I think that this worked pretty well. My hair isn't fully dry, yet so I'll have to wait and see what I really think of it, but my scalp doesn't feel dried out. It feels a little bit oily, which is perfect.

I'll start off by doing this every other week and see if I should stick with twice a month or space it out to monthly.
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
So I finally tried it for the first time. @Dare~to~Dream thank you for the heads up because this thing is like water. I've only ever used the Komaza scalp exfoliator before this so I wasn't sure what to expect. It felt a bit tingly after a few minutes. I'm currently on a no-poo method and I think that this worked pretty well. My hair isn't fully dry, yet so I'll have to wait and see what I really think of it, but my scalp doesn't feel dried out. It feels a little bit oily, which is perfect.

I'll start off by doing this every other week and see if I should stick with twice a month or space it out to monthly.
Good to read your review so far. I used it for about a month and half and it only felt tingly in one spot a couple of times for me. My scalp didn't feel oily but I did see a review that complained about that (it was from someone of the other persuasion) and maybe that's due to the little bit of castor oil it has in it. In comparison, I did use the Kiehl's sea salt and amino acid based scrub last week and I felt like the salt crystals were too big but it rinsed out with no issue. So far, I prefer the watery serum based The Inkey list product over the Kiehl's salt scrub but I do wish it wasn't so watery.
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
I've finished The Inkey List Salicylic Scalp Exfoliating Treatment as of yesterday before washing and conditioning my hair. Yet today that the same spot in the top of my head had an intense itch; the spot seems tender since it seems to be itching more often but it's not sore. I don't have flakes or dandruff which I rarely experience. Just an itch. I used pure tea tree oil in this area and it feels nice now. Every now and then a few other areas might itch but it's not intense.

While I liked the Inkey List product and will revisit it at some point, I'm searching for a scalp exfoliant that has tea tree oil pretty high up the list because my scalp seems to love it. It would be nice to find something that has both the salicylic acid and tea tree oil as ingredients with other ingredients that are okay. I did come across a couple that did have these as ingredients but ruled them out due to other ingredients that I'm avoiding right now. I had planned on making my own DIY scalp serum with essential oils and herbs steeped into it a few months later this year but this might be happening sooner rather than later.

I still have a pretty full jar of the Kiehl's scalp scrub and have used a it a few times but I feel like the exfoliating acid in it isn't strong. Since it's a product that I can remove from the jar and mix with something if I wanted, I may try adding a few drops of tea tree oil to that the next time I use it.
 

Dare~to~Dream

Well-Known Member
I have scoped out a couple more scalp exfoliation products that I might try. It was hard to find one with both salicylic aid and tea tree oil without other ingredients I want to avoid. One company had one I was interested in but it ships from abroad. Others seem to be overnight scalp treatments that you wash out the next morning. I did find one from Pacifica that I want to try. They have a scalp scrub too. Neither has tea tree oil but because it contains rosemary and peppermint essential oils, I'm okay with it.

Anyway, I think my scalp itched due to a combination of products I was using that ended up on my scalp despite my best efforts to only apply them to my hair. There is an itch every now and then in the same spots after my last wash but it less intense. I will continue to seek out remedies--going to try apple cider vinegar spritzes again--and/or seek medical attention if necessary.
 
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