Your scalp is skin, and your skin is your largest organ. Your skin is the gatekeeper to your internal milieu, and it’s on the frontline every day. Toxins, pollution, smoke, and sunlight are just a few of the aggressors that your scalp faces. Like the rest of your skin, your scalp needs to be nourished, protected and defended. If it’s not, it can get off kilter, and chaos can ensue. Using a scalp serum is key to defending your scalp and attaining your healthiest scalp and most beautiful hair.
What are Scalp Serums?
A scalp serum is a skincare product that is applied to the scalp to deliver powerful ingredients directly to the scalp and hair follicles. Scalp serums are concentrated and lightweight therapeutic cocktails that have specific jobs and functionality. The small, multi-functional molecules of scalp serums penetrate the scalp and regulate and impact multiple internal functions.
Some scalp serums are formulated for daily use, to detox, protect, and support hair growth. Others are formulated to be used less frequently, but still serve as powerful mechanisms to deliver antioxidant, follicle-protective, and adaptogenic molecules to protect, nourish and defend the scalp.
Scalp Health Benefits of Scalp Serums
- Follicle protective
- Defend with antioxidants (defense against pollution, sunlight, chemicals)
- Calm irritation
- Reduce environmental stress
- Support growth
1. Follicle Protective
Irritation from styling products, pollution, hair styling, extensions, or chemical treatments can irritate and damage the hair follicles. Damaged and irritated hair follicles cannot effectively grow healthy and full hair. Using a scalp serum delivers vital phytonutrients to protect, defend the follicles, and detox the scalp, which helps to support healthy hair growth.
2. Antioxidant Defense
Using a scalp serum rich in antioxidants helps reduce the impact of damaging free radicals on the hair follicles. Free radicals cause injury on a cellular level and increase the risk of illness, disease, hair follicle damage, and hair loss. Powerful antioxidants, like the antioxidant EGCG found in tea, can neutralize harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage cells and increase the risk of hair follicle damage and hair loss.
3. Calm Irritation
Scalp serums can effectively deliver calming and soothing ingredients directly to the scalp, where itch, dandruff and tightness are often a problem. Skin issues like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis can lead to a sensitive and irritated scalp. Powerful nutrients, like those found in scalp serums with bilberry fruit, calendula, and almond oil, can help soothe itch and calm the scalp.
4. Reduce Environmental Stress
The scalp is on the frontline of exposure to all sorts of environmental stressors, irritants and aggressors. Exposure to sunlight, cigarette smoke, preservatives from hair styling products, household cleaning ingredients, and other chemical products can lead to scalp irritation and follicular distress. Using scalp serums formulated to combat damage and defend the scalp can help protect the scalp from environmental triggers that can cause damage and lead to scalp issues and hair loss.
5. Support Growth
Scalp serums are often used by those that are experiencing hair loss, excessive hair shedding, or that are noticing that their hair is not as full as it once was. Hair loss can be triggered by stress, illness, childbirth, hair styling choices, or even internal vitamin deficiencies. Hair loss is emotionally traumatic and can be devastating for some individuals. Using a scalp serum can be an important part of recovery from hair loss. Scalp serums can help set the stage for healthy hair growth since they encourage scalp health from within.
Best Scalp Serum Ingredients
When choosing a scalp serum to use, look for natural whole-plant ingredients. Ancient healers always began with whole plants, rich in phytonutrients, to treat the body, mind, and spirit. It’s important to choose unadulterated botanical ingredients with established benefits for the scalp, including antioxidant function, detox, protection, and nourishment. Choosing a scalp serum formulated with adaptogens is also key, as these natural herbs and botanicals have special properties that help the scalp resist and manage stress and irritation.
Damage Defender AOx™ (for antioxidant) scalp serum is formulated with adaptogenic holy basil for resilience and protection, growth-promoting lavender flower, and follicle-protective and breakage-reducing organic golden jojoba and argan oils. It also contains Peruvian Sacha Inchi, which fortifies the scalp barrier with strengthening omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Unlike other scalp serums, Damage Defender AOx ™ is quite unique. It can’t be made overnight. Each bottle undergoes our Radical Botanical Infusion™ process, a 4-week endeavor that intensively captures the full spectrum of healing, protective, and nourishing benefits of whole plant and phytonutrient ingredients.
Summary
With a changing climate and an ever-growing list of environmental aggressors, using a scalp serum is essential for the health and function of your scalp. Regularly using a scalp serum will defend, nourish, and protect your scalp, encourage balance, and support healthy hair growth.