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How to fix your itchy scalp: the REAL science

Lab Muffin Beauty Science

524,324 views

Your scalp's itchy and inflamed, and no products seem to be helping. Here's the science behind what's really going on and how to fix it.

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0:00 Causes of itchy scalp
0:39 Microbes (important even if you don't have dandruff)
2:02 "Dry" scalp
3:29 Why it's so confusing
5:09 Common allergens
7:51 Active ingredients
10:26 Common mistakes
11:36 Moisture
12:11 Fixing "dry" scalp
13:02 Antioxidants
13:48 Water quality
14:20 Products that didn't work

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Article version with full references: coming soon

🙋🏻 I'm Michelle, a chemistry PhD, cosmetic chemist and science educator, here to explain how beauty products work, debunk myths, and help you make smarter decisions about your skincare, hair and makeup!

Website https://labmuffin.com
Instagram Instagram: labmuffinbeautyscience
TikTok TikTok: labmuffinbeautyscience
Shop my favourite products: https://shopmy.us/labmuffin
✨ Want smooth, glowing skin? Grab a copy of my FREE Essential Guide to Exfoliation! https://labmuffin.com/exfol

🧴 PRODUCTS (affiliate links - some were also part of past sponsorships or were free samples)
NOTE: I tried to link to products with specific actives, but these get reformulated all the time and I can't control redirects - check the ingredients before buying!!
All recommended products linked here: https://shopmy.us/collections/1875065
DERCOS | Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for Normal to Oily Hair (Selenium Sulfide): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486236
DERCOS | Anti-Dandruff Serum 10 (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486279
HEAD & SHOULDERS | Bare Soothing Hydration Shampoo (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486383
ESSANO | Scalp Refresh Balancing Shampoo (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486380
DOVE | Dryness & Itch Relief Anti-Dandruff Shampoo (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486570
HEAD AND SHOULDERS | Classic Clean Shampoo (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486343
HEAD & SHOULDERS | Bare Anti Dandruff Shampoo (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486356
HEAD & SHOULDERS | Royal Oils Scalp Elixir (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486386
HEAD & SHOULDERS | Royal Oils Scalp Cream (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486440
NIOXIN | Scalp Recovery Soothing Serum (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486444
DERMAL THERAPY | Scalp Relief Shampoo & Conditioner (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486621
NIZORAL | Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Ketoconazole 1%: https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486487
SELSUN | Blue Anti Dandruff Shampoo (SS): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486507
HEAD & SHOULDERS | Professional Leave-In Spray (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486522
THANKS TO NATURE | Anti Dandruff Shampoo (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486543
TREE TO TUB | Instant Calm Dry Scalp Solution (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486611
VANICREAM | Dandruff Shampoo (ZP): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486641
CP-1 | Ginger Purifying Shampoo (PO): https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486664
PACIFICA | Scalp Brush: https://go.shopmy.us/p-20486729
Shop more of my favourite products here: https://shopmy.us/labmuffin
Powered By Chemicals Mugs: https://labmuffin.com/shop/

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🧴 SKINCARE GUIDE 🧴 Find out more: https://labmuffin.com/skin

20 Comments

@sunshineflicker6120 1 year ago

Anyone else scratching their scalps while watching this?? 👀

@daisyo.6666 1 year ago

My scalp got itchier and itchier the more you talked about it 😂

Thank you Michelle for always bringing us reliable information

@totallynotmi5 1 year ago

I use to shower right before bed and sleep with wet hair. Stopped doing that and my itchy scalp greatly improved.

@McAloe 1 year ago

Curly hair and itchy scalp is such a killer combo for hair maintenance 😩 also doesn’t help that it’s the middle of winter right now and houses in Australia almost exclusively have reverse cycle heating! Moisture just gets zapped!

@babda 1 year ago

For me, the root cause of my itchy scalp and dandruff was hard water. Nowadays I wash my hair with distilled water instead of my normal tap water, and all of my scalp issues are gone + I shed less hair. My scalp doesn’t even itch when it gets oily. I can even put conditioning products close to my scalp with no itching, and this would be a huge problem for me before - it would make the itching so much worse

@MalinaCC 1 year ago

How did you know I needed this exact video 😮!

@iluvpink87 1 year ago

My skin and scalp itch soooooo much when it's hot and humid. I notice that it's when I sweat that jumpstarts the itching, and it drives me crazy. I have lots of thick and long Indian hair, so it likes heats up my scalp.

Re: the itchy M's.... I am totally over the anti-paraben crap plaguing the beauty industry. I'm Gen X and notice that products have gotten way, way worse ever since the "clean beauty" movement took off. Everything performs worse, everything expires/degrades much faster. Bring parabens back!

@Tootsie23101 1 year ago

girl how did u even know I was literally at ulta looking for itchy scalp shampoo

@islesofshoals3551 1 year ago

I change my pillowcases twice a week. It helps

@Espritlumiere 1 year ago

15:35 I love those scrubby brushes! I'm disabled and have a really hard time washing my hair, and these brushes have been so helpful. I've been using 2 for years now - one with long thinner bristles and one with shorter stubbier bristles. I use both every time I wash my hair and it makes it SO much easier when my hands/arms don't work the way I want them to.

I highly recommend them to anyone with limited function or mobility issues 😊

@Reesepieces10123 1 year ago

literally woke up this morning to an itchy scalp and thought to myself, "I wonder if that hair science lady has made a video on this yet," thank you so much!!1

@OG_Fuzzybubbles 1 year ago

Saving us from fearmongering and misinformation (and now, itchy scalps, too!) one video at a time! Thanks, Dr!

@paaraad3124 1 year ago

I started to shampoo twice when i do my hair. Fixed the itch almost right away. Turns out it never got properly clean in 1 go. If you try this and notice a difference in your hair after the second rinse, i would reccomend it. I clean my hair about every 3 days. (Nordic type hair)

@elin_ 1 year ago

6:27 Bring back parabens!!

@Blcknwhyt1 1 year ago

Luckily, your book, The Science of Beauty from my local library. It has helped me have a better understanding of my skin. I'm looking forward to buying my own book for reference.

@Pineappleish 1 year ago

I have psoriasis on my scalp. Even when it is totally controlled everywhere else on my body my scalp itches like mad. I’ve tried lots of treatments and the only thing I’ve found to help is the old school coal tar shampoo that smells like despair 😂

@domojarana9835 1 year ago

I've had an itchy scalp problem for a long time and I've found shampoos that worked for me in the past. However, the manufacturers changed their formulas and now I'm allergic to them. I've tried to find shampoos that worked for me, but so far, what I've found has made the problem worse. Thank you for making this video: it will make my search easier!

@margarit-x2o 1 year ago (edited)

4:30 When you had dandruff history in your teenage years and you live in humid climate, BUT you wash your head every other day and you definitely have dry skin on your face and body 😅
8:00 huge respect for talking whole half of the video about how we can solve the problem. I often find that way to many sources spend most time explaining "Why?" it is a problem (as I would not know lol) and just couple minutes about "How it could be possibly solved?"
8:38 this is my current favorite shampoo. I don't like the smell. It smells like eggs. But it works. Most of my life I experienced scalp pain when the skin becomes greasy ( I thought that all people have this pain and that's why we all wash our hare that often. So that's why I never complained about it, except one time to years before. Then doctor recommended this shampoo.). After I tried this shampoo it is not a problem anymore.
Thank you for offering different options!
P.S.
Sorry for my grammar. English is not my native and I try my best to write without AI to challenge myself.

@d.on.in.a 1 year ago

I washed my hair once every 5-7 days for years because of the no-poo bs, I genuinely thought I was "training" my scalp to be less oily 😅 I ended up getting very itchy and when I started washing ny hair every other day the itch completely went away