I get a dry, flaky scalp every winter – I tried four viral ‘cures’ for under £5 and here’s what actually solved it

WITH winter approaching and as temperatures drop, I suffer with a dry flaky scalp.

No, it isn’t dandruff but scalp dermatitis and it often leads to an embarrassing moment of uncontrollable scratching.

Also known as Seborrheic Dermatitis, around 10 in 100 people have the condition according to The National Eczema Organisation.

And as well as the flakiness, it can also cause nasty scabs.

Winter months can make the problem so much worse says experts at Cleveland Clinic, and that dry air creates the perfect environment for the fungi to grow and spread.

For years, I’ve had a constant battle with my scalp and it’s now back with a vengeance.

Unfortunately, it’s a chronic condition and not something you can ‘cure’ as such – but there’s plenty of tricks and tips to help get it under control.

This led me to go down a rabbit hole on TikTok, where it seems I’m not the only one looking for ways to calm my skin down as the hashtag #SeborrheicDermatitis has over 109 million videos.

There I found plenty of sufferers as well as doctors sharing remedies to ease the condition.

I tried four and here’s how I got on…

Charcoal

Lots of people online recommend incorporating charcoal in a haircare routine, which they say can help clear away any dry skin left lurking on the scalp.

Studies even suggests that activated charcoal has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties to help calm it down.

So I went straight to my beauty tray to see what I had lying about and found a shampoo with activated charcoal to give it a deep clean.

If you don’t have a shampoo with it in already you can buy charcoal on Amazon for just £3.75 and mix it in instead.

After scrubbing the shampoo onto my scalp and letting it sit for a few minutes, my hair definitely felt squeaky clean, but I’m afraid to say it did nothing for my itchy scalp once my hair had dried.

Scalp massager

Beauty fans often rave about a scalp massager as they swear it can promote new growth as well as gently remove dry skin.

I used the massager every night before brushing my dry hair and found it to be the perfect tool to soothe my scalp.

Not only did it mean I wasn’t scratching my head with my fingers – causing scabs to open up again, it also helped remove some of the dry skin and prevent it form flaking off throughout the day.

I don’t think this is a product that can be used alone to get rid of scalp dermatitis, but it is a great way to stop the itching and you can grab one for just £4 from Boots.

Apple cider vinegar

The acid naturally found in apple cider vinegar is said to be a great way to stabilise the pH balance and stop the growth of fungi that causes scalp dermatitis in the first place.

After I trawled the internet for ways to use it, I found a recipe for two parts vinegar to one part water and figured it was worth a go when it costs just £1.30 from Tesco.

I mixed it together in a jug and applied it to damp hair and left it for 15 minutes.

The smell was disgusting.

I also found the vinegar burned the scabs hiding in my scalp when it was first applied so I’m not entirely sure if it caused more irritation.

It’s one of the hacks I won’t repeat and I will stick with using it on my salad, not my scalp.

Anti-dandruff shampoo

I decided to go back to basics and headed to Aldi for an anti-dandruff shampoo for just £1.25.

While dandruff and scalp dermatitis are two very different things, many say the ingredients such as zinc can still help kill off the fungus.

I used the anti-dandruff shampoo and I was pleasantly surprised by how clean my scalp felt after just one wash.

After drying my locks, I was expecting the itching to commence but was pleasantly surprised when I realised I had no desire to give my scalp a scratch.

Not only that, but hard build ups of dry skin and scabs disappeared after just a few washes.

Not only do I think this ‘cure’ worked the best out of the four I tried, it’s easily one of the more affordable and accessible as you can grab the shampoo on the high street.