Kitchen chronicles: DIY scalp exfoliation

MANILA, Philippines - Beauty is riding on the wave of the craft movement, as seen through YStyle’s homemade beauty remedies special the other week. Caring for hair the DIY way, though, is still quite the unchartered territory, as homemade herbal shampoos look too complicated to whip up in a pinch. Plus, the hair is an unpredictable animal; for example, I tried a local all-natural shampoo and conditioner once, and my scalp and locks felt greasy as a breakfast pan for a whole day.

But then again, “hair” is not the domain of just these strands of keratin that we tend to spend fortunes on. In the quest to color, iron, and blow dry our locks into quiescence, we tend to forget about our scalps that become receptacles for product build-up. Much like the rest of our skin, the scalp also needs to be looked after to prevent clogged pores and dry, flaky patches.

For an all-natural start, I turned to the Ilog Maria Honey and Propolis Shampoo (available at Sesou Nature Source, Glorietta and ATC), formulated with propolis to soothe scalp infections and dandruff, natural oils to cleanse, and aromatherapy grade essential oils to nourish and heal the scalp. I then mixed a small amount of shampoo with a packet of brown sugar in a dipper — it was the cleanest, most delicious-smelling shampoo I’ve ever encountered. I gently poured the mixture on my head, making sure to distribute the grainy liquid all over my scalp, then gently massaged it onto my hair.

I rinsed my hair after three minutes, and the exfoliation left my scalp tingly. To condition, I followed the suggestion on the Ilog Maria Shampoo bottle to rub calamansi juice gently against my hair. Two sliced  calamansi, it turns out, have enough limonene oil to use as conditioner, and limonene oil is hailed for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties on the skin.

The overall result is a squeaky-clean sensation from hair to scalp. My hair felt slightly drier than usual, though, and the pleasant sweet and citrusy smell didn’t last long after rinsing. I guess that’s the way of things all-natural: no residue, nothing staying longer than its welcome.