Shampoo and maintaining a healthy scalp environment

[LongValley]

Hi Tom,

My question today is related to shampoo. Maintaining a healthy scalp environment is very important and I believe my itchy scalp is a contributor to hair loss (my Dad had/has the same problem - constant itchiness).

Regarding shampoos, are there any you recommend, or do you make your own, any comments on sodium laurel sulfate?

Frequency of use?

What about conditioning the hair?

Regarding itchiness, only yesterday I applied apple cider vinegar to my scalp 1 - 2 hours before showering at night and it seems to have helped a lot... do you know why this may be?

Many thanks Mr Hagerty,
Steve...

[Tom Hagerty]

Regarding shampoos, are there any you recommend...?

I am now using Johnson's Natural Baby Shampoo. It's a new product that you'll find on the same shelf with the regular Johnson's Baby Shampoo. The ingredient list is small, and, as far as I can determine, there are no toxic chemicals in the product. Look for "98% Natural" on the label. I wonder what the other 2% is - probably agent orange.

I've been using this shampoo for several months and I like it. I shampoo my hair only once a week with only one application. You probably don't need more than this unless you work on a garbage truck or in a steel mill. I never use a conditioner. It's best to use as little shampoo and conditioner as can get away with. But when I'm done shampooing my hair I use a few drops of emu oil as a grooming agent. Do some research on this oil. It might be healthful for the scalp.

Only yesterday I applied apple cider vinegar to my scalp...

Cider vinegar might be OK. Read through this page - How To Clean Your Hair Without Shampoo. A charming woman tells you how to keep your hair clean and in good condition by using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. If you try this combination and it works for you, get back here and tell us about it.

An itchy scalp often means that the hair follicles are inflammed. Anything you can do to keep your scalp healthy will keep your hair follicles productive. Sodium laurel sulfate might make your hair follicles squirm.

[LongValley]

Hi Tom,

regarding emu oil, I was using it years ago (for months) but the smell was a bit of a put off, but I was using it at night. Maybe not the most romantic time to use it... However, yes I believe it's great for hair follicles and easily deeply absorbent by skin.

Regarding frequency of shampooing, in Australia right now it's 40 degrees celsius where I reside and I work outside and sweat during the day because it's so darn hot. I'm guessing for those of us in this situation it may be better to shampoo more often?

[Tom Hagerty]

I ordered 100% Pure Emu Oil from Amazon.com. It's made in Tempe, Arizona. There is absolutely no smell to this product. I need only two or three drops in my hair after I shampoo.

in Australia right now it's 40 degrees celsius where I reside and I work outside and sweat during the day because it's so darn hot.

If you work outside all day under the Australian sun, I hope you wear a cap. The rays of the sun can damage the DNA in the hair follicle cells if your scalp is exposed for many hours at a time.

[Edmond]

I just read a long article on Dr. Joseph Mercola's site about the benefits of coconut oil as a grooming agent. Has anyone tried this? I also see that coconut oil is the main ingredient is some shampoos. I may try one of these shampoos. Why would coconut oil be better than emu oil or macadamia oil? Is this just more fancy marketing?

[Tom Hagerty]

Dr. Joseph Mercola's article on coconut oil is convincing as are most of his articles. But I'm always skeptical when reading them because he is essentially a marketer pushing his high-priced supplements and items like "safe" tanning beds. Still there is a lot of solid information in most of his stuff, like his ideas on variable intensity training and vitamin D and much more.

I've never tried coconut oil as a grooming agent. After reading through a lot of the material on coconutoil.com, though, I intend to get some and use it. Whole Foods has a good selection of virgin coconut oils. (What is virgin coconut oil anyway? There is controversy here too.) My suggestion is to read through some of the research articles and make your own decision.

I have used emu oil and macadamia nut oil as grooming agents and like both of them, especially the macadamia nut oil.