Do you know this? You want to treat yourself and buy an expensive new care or styling product, and suddenly you have an itchy scalp and/or dandruff? The reason for this is often ingredients that your scalp doesn't tolerate and therefore reacts with itching. But too much care can also unnecessarily irritate your scalp and dry it out. The culprits here are aggressive surfactants that attack the natural oily layer of your skin.

You're already stressed, and suddenly your scalp is itching too? Great. Stress unfortunately affects the entire organism – including skin and scalp. The reason for this is the increased release of the body's own hormone cortisol, which inhibits the new formation of skin cells. The result: itchy, inflamed skin and scalp.

Just as you can be allergic to food or other things, you can also react to certain ingredients in hair care or styling products. In this case, your scalp reacts with redness and flaky patches. This is likely, for example, if your scalp starts to itch after you've used a new product.

Increasing age: As you age, your body produces less oil, which can lead to dry skin and scalp.
Genetic predisposition: Great, yes, dry skin can also be inherited and thus lead to itching.
Seasonal temperature differences: Especially the cold and dry heating air in winter can put a strain on and dry out the scalp.
Diet: Unhealthy diet and nutrient deficiencies stress the entire body – including the scalp.
Pests: Most have vague memories of head lice from kindergarten or school. The diagnosis is quite simple: You can see the little critters.

Hot showers and blow-drying feel great, especially in winter, that's for sure. Unfortunately, it also dries out skin and hair. That's why you should wash your hair with lukewarm water.
When blow-drying your hair, make sure to set it to the coldest setting.

If you use a lot of styling products, you should make sure to wash your hair thoroughly in the evening so that residues don't unnecessarily burden your scalp. Many styling products contain microplastics and silicones, which make your hair shine. However, if these are not washed out thoroughly, your hair will look lifeless and dull in the long run. For this reason, we generally do not use microplastics and silicones in our styling products

We know. It sounds basic and cliché. You might not want to hear it anymore. But healthy eating, a balanced fluid intake, little stress, and sufficient sleep are the holy grail for health and consequently healthy (scalp) skin. It is what it is.

Of course, you can also use all sorts of home remedies to get itchy scalp under control. The effect is, as always, controversial, but it's worth a try.
We have summarized the best home remedies for you here:

Tea tree oil: Has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. Mix a few drops into your shampoo and let it sit on your scalp for 5 minutes. But be careful - not suitable for sensitive scalps.

Baking soda: Baking soda also has antibacterial properties and can free your scalp from dandruff and grease. Mix a paste of water and baking soda and apply it to your scalp. Let the mixture sit briefly and then rinse it out thoroughly.

Olive oil treatment: The miracle weapon against dry scalp. Apply a small amount of olive oil to your scalp with your fingers and let it sit for a few hours. Then, of course, rinse it out thoroughly!

Rinse with apple cider vinegar: Sounds strange at first, but it can work. Apple cider vinegar removes deposits and thus relieves itching. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with half a liter of cold water and apply the mixture to your hair after shampooing. You don't need to rinse out the conditioner, and don't worry - the smell will disappear within a very short time.

If the itching is caused by dandruff, simply use an anti-dandruff shampoo from the pharmacy or drugstore. If there is no improvement after a few weeks, it is better to consult a doctor.

Our vitamin and mineral balance has a great influence on the health of our skin and scalp. If there is a lack of e.g. zinc, vitamin A or omega-3 fatty acids, this can lead to itchy skin. Meat, eggs, legumes, nuts and whole grains are excellent sources of zinc. Vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach and mackerel, for example. Your body gets omega-3 fatty acids from eating fish, avocados and tofu.

If your skin only itches at night, this could be a sign of a parasitic skin disease called scabies – it's best to have it checked by a doctor.

Very sensitive and irritated scalps can react with hair loss, and dandruff can also prevent the scalp and hair follicles from getting enough oxygen. In addition, scratching, which provides short-term relief from itching, also injures the scalp and can even pull out hairs. So, as difficult as it is: please don't scratch!