Exfoliating our face and body is a regular part of our self-care practice, but for some reason the skin on our scalps rarely gets the same level of care.
Despite being the often forgotten child of our overall skin care routines, it’s worth taking a little extra time to nurture the very place where the hair on your head starts to sprout. Fact: An unhealthy scalp bears unhealthy strands. The best way to curb your hair’s arrested development is to remove product build-up, and encourage blood flow and the turnover of dead skin cells with regular exfoliation using a scalp scrub.
But before you get nervous that this extra step will somehow add another 30 minutes to your in-shower routine, let us reassure you, using a scalp scrub doesn’t have to be a daunting or lengthy process. In fact, most scrub scalps are formulated to include clarifying chemical exfoliants (think: glycolic and lactic acid) and physical exfoliants (such as sugar and salt), which melt away with water or are easily washed out of hair with a bit of shampoo.
To make things even simpler, we’ve taken the guesswork out of shopping for a scalp scrub to add to your hair washing routine. Here, explore marie claire’s top picks in the scalp scrub category…
2024’s top scalp scrubs
- OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub, $66.77, REVOLVE
- Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt, $65, Amazon Australia
- georgiemane Scalp Scrub, $26.24, Look Fantastic
The best scalp scrub 2024
OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub
from $66.77 at REVOLVE
Best for: Streamlining your scrubs
Designed to be used on the scalp and body, this gently exfoliating pick utilises sugar crystals to slough away dead skin cells, remove product build-up and soften skin, whilst probiotics have been added to the mix to strengthen the skin’s microbiome.
Sizes: 250g
Key features:
- Can be used on the scalp and body
- Exfoliates dead skin
- Removes product build-up
- Softens and strengthens skin
- Contains sugar crystals and probiotics
Available at:
- $66.77 from REVOLVE
- $69 from Selfridges
- $73 from Sephora
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt
from $65 at Amazon Australia
Best for: Oily and congested scalps
Formulated for oily and congested scalps, this exfoliating shampoo targets excess oil and sebum, as well as product build-up, which can lead to greasy strands or irritation.
Sizes: 75ml / 250ml
Key features:
- Contains gently exfoliating sea salt crystals
- Natural carbohydrate complex rebalances and rehydrates
- Brazilian candeia tree-derived bisabolol helps to calm
- Purifies the scalp of build-up
- Promotes healthy, shiny strands
Available at:
- $65 from Amazon Australia
- $71 from The Iconic
- $71 from RY
georgiemane Scalp Scrub
from $26.24 at Look Fantastic
Best for: Encouraging air growth
This multitasking scalp scrub combines sugar granules, caffeine and coconut oil to address scalp flakiness, build-up and an accumulation of excess oils, whilst encouraging the blood flow and nourishment required for new hair growth.
Sizes: 150ml
Key features:
- Sugar granules exfoliate and minimise flakiness, build-up and excess oil
- Caffeine stimulates circulation
- Coconut oil nourishes for long, thick and healthy hair
- Suitable for dry, flaky scalps
- Helps with hair growth
Available at:
- $26.24 from Look Fantastic
- $29.74 from Oz Hair & Beauty
- $34.99 from Priceline
The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Scrub
from $26 at Sephora
Best for: The time poor
Infused with AHAs (glycolic acid), 100 per cent biodegradable castor beads and sebum-regulating Symcontrol® Scalp complex, this pre-shampoo treatment chemically and physically exfoliates the skin on your noggin in just 10 minutes.
Sizes: 150ml
Key features:
- Glycolic acid encourages cellular turnover
- 100 per cent biodegradable castor beads gently slough away dead skin
- Symcontrol® scalp complex controls excess sebum production
- Bioecolia® complex reinforces microbiome function
- Fragrance free
Available at:
- $26 from Sephora
- $27.72 from Cult Beauty
- $30 from ASOS
SACHAJUAN Scalp Scrub
from $88 at Adore Beauty
Best for: Scalp scrub beginners
If you’re new to scalp scrubs and want to start incorporating one into your hair washing routine on a weekly basis, this pick from Sachajuan is one to try. It gently removes dead skin cells and product build-up, whilst helping to encourage cellular turnover and the growth of healthy new cells for lush strands and a happy scalp.
Sizes: 250ml
Key features:
- Maintains a healthy scalp
- Deeply exfoliates
- Removes product build-up, excess oils and sebum
- Sloughs away dead skin cells
- Promotes new and healthy cell growth
Body Blendz Scalp & Hair Scrub Shampoo
from $29.99 at Body Blendz
Best for: Taming unruly strands
Did you know using a scalp scrub could help you to combat frizz and tame unruly strands? Well, that’s exactly what this hybrid scalp scrub shampoo does, using guar bean, which also helps to boost volume. There’s also pink Himalayan salt to remove product residue from the scalp, abyssinia oil to promote new growth and a conditioning formula to hydrate the scalp and hair too.
Sizes: 150ml
Key features:
- Guar bean smooths frizz, tames unruly strands and boosts volume
- Pink Himalayan salt removes product residue
Abyssinia oil promotes new hair growth - Conditioners hydrate the scalp and hair
- Hybrid scalp scrub and shampoo formula
Which scalp exfoliator is best?
The best scalp exfoliator utilises gentle physical scrubs (such as salt and sugar) or chemical exfoliants (think: glycolic acid), which help to slough away dead skin cells without irritating the delicate microbiome of the scalp. Physical exfoliants that melt under water (again, sugar and salt) are also a better option as they are easier to wash out of the hair after you’ve treated the scalp — personally, we’d steer clear of coffee or shell micro-particle based scrubs for this very reason.
Are scalp scrubs good for your hair?
Scalp scrubs are an excellent way to remove product build-up and dead skin cells, as well as helping to invigorate blood flow, which can be beneficial for the health and growth of the hair. Regular exfoliation of the scalp can also help to reduce hair fall and thin hair, as it helps to reinforce and strengthen the natural processes of the scalp for optimum scalp and hair health.
Looking to save money on a scalp scrub? Check out our coupon codes for Sephora, MECCA and more.
Main image credit: @ashleygraham
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
