Dry and itchy scalp is something that we can all relate to, and something that I used to get quite regularly. Itching scalp is annoying especially when you are in public and it is not good to scratch your scalp as this can cause more discomfort and even scabs. There are numerous causes of dry scalp:
- Stress
- Weather
- Central heating at home or work
- Too much vitamin A
- Too many hair products clogging the pores
- Inadequate amounts of vitamins
I have tried numerous products on the market and none of them helped the condition. My scalp would stop itching for a day or two after being washed and then it would begin itching again. My hairdresser suggested an excellent product called Top Brass Anti Dandruff hair groom which worked for me for many years but late last year the product was discontinued.
I have searched high and low for this product and looked online but I can no longer purchase it. From previous experience I know that many of the products in the shops do not work for me so I decided to research natural home remedies. Repeatedly I found that lemon juice was being mentioned as a remedy for dry and itchy scalp.
Lemons have antiseptic properties which revitalize and heal the scalp and help to prevent further itching. I decided to give it a try. I simply cut the lemon in half and then squeezed the juice into a plastic bowl. I then parted my hair into sections, dipped my fingers into the lemon juice and then massaged it into my scalp. I left this on my scalp for 30 minutes and then washed and conditioned my hair as usual. 5 days after doing this I can honestly say that my scalp has not itched and I do not have any dry scalp. I am really pleased as this is a cheap and easy way to treat dry and itchy scalp and most importantly it is effective. I feel as though it is treating the problem rather than just clearing it up for a few days untill the next wash. I intend to continue this step every time that I wash my hair for the next few weeks.
Some people have had success by following the same steps giving above but using tea tree oil instead of lemon juice. Tea tree oil has germicidal, antibacterial, antiseptic and fungicidal properties that can help treat dry scalp. I have tried this once but I did not find it to be as effective as lemon juice.
Another excellent tip is to allow the lemon juice to soak for 10 minutes, and then massage olive oil into the scalp on top of it. Olive oil is a great moisturizer for the scalp, and even conditioning for the hair but it can be a bit heavy which is why it is best to leave it in for about 20- 30 minutes and then wash it out. Oil has anti- fungal properties which can reduce scalp itchiness, this will help the scalp to stop flaking.
If you have been scratching your scalp and it is sore, it is likely that you will get a tingling sensation when you put the lemon juice on your scalp. This happened to me also but it subsides after a few minutes. It is just the reaction of the acidic lemon coming into contact with broken skin.
This method has really helped me and it means that I do not have to rely on expensive shop bought products which, in my experience, have not delivered what they promise on the bottle. This method is cheap and you can probably find the ingredients in your kitchen. I hope that you will give this method a try, and I look forward to hearing your success stories!
Healthy Eating and Wellbeing 
I am going to have to get this for my husband to see if it helps! Thanks for the suggestion!
You are welcome, please let me know if your husband has success with this, I would love to know.
which shampoo do you use to wash your hair after that?
After this method I simply wash my hair twice with L’Oreal’s Elvive anti dandruff shampoo with active selenium 5. It comes in a blue bottle with orange and white writing and I have had the most success with this product. There are lots of positive reviews about this product online also if you want to do some research before you purchase.
This is my second day putting lemon juice on my scalp after reading this especially the sore ones and I was wondering if it was suppose to itch alot after applying it and washing it out?
Bob, it should not itch excessively after washing the concoction out. It may take a day or two for your scalp to feel completely healed, but if this is not the case then I would discontinue use as it would be clear that it is not working for you.
what if i don’t wash it out?
I would recommend washing itout as your hair will be very greasy.
This is my third day of using lemon but itching is still there. Idont wash the lemon away.
Hi Rebeca, I would always recommend that you wash the lemon juice out, it is an excellent treatment for the scalp but not something that I would recommend you use as a leave in conditioner. Leaving the products in could be what is causing you further irritation.
Will lemon juice from a bottle work just as effectively?
I have only tried with natural lemon so that is what I would recommend, however if it is 100% natural lemon juice that has been bottled you may want to give it a try. Please get back to me and let me know how you find it. I am always open to new ideas.
can we apply lemon daily ?,can we apply lemon directly to hair ? few said that applying lemon will week the hair roots ,, can we take head bath daily ?
I found that putting lemon in my hair daily whilst using this treatment did no damage at all. Its worth doing for a few days and seeing if you find that you experience any irritation but as they are both natural items, you should not have a problem. I hope this helps.
Thanks for this information! It’s been quite helpful! I’ve been putting lemon into my hair to get rid of a possible rash & dandruff. Hopefully in about 3 more days, this will be gone completely.
Excellent, many people have found it useful so hopefully it works for you also.
I’ve just tried this, will observe in a week’s time to see the effectiveness. Mine is likely a psoriasis caused itchy scalp, so I also have eczema prone skin. This kinda stuff is going to be chronic, I just hope to use as natural a remedy as possible and not depending on those over the counter or prescribed medication that is full of man-made chemicals and most of all, steroids! Wish me luck.
Hi Jason, I have been so busy with other projects that I have running at the moment that I have neglected my blog. I am glad that you have given this method a try please let me know if you had success with it?
I am so so happy that I found your blog!!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing this remedy!!!! I will definitely try this out 😀
I don’t know if it’s just me or if everybody else experiencing problems with your blog.
It appears as though some of the written text within your posts
are running off the screen. Can somebody else please provide feedback and let
me know if this is happening to them too? This could
be a problem with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen before. Thank you
Hi Jonathan, I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems reading my blog. No one has reported having the same difficulties which may mean that it is a problem with your browser. I will certainly publish your concern and then we can see if any one else would like to comment and then maybe offer you a solution. All the best.
just tried it today waiting to see the out come
Hi Triza, did you have any success with this method?
This is my first time to use lemon, i am also using lipton green tea
I hope this will help me 😦
Hi Rhenz, I would love to hear if you had any success using this method?
I’ve been suffering from an extreme heat rash for weeks and now it has spread to my scalp. As if the itching isn’t horrible enough, now I am in pain from the excessive itching. However, I tried this remedy today, only I diluted the first round with warm water. This appeared to help slightly. 2 mins later I decided to add more lemon use with the use of a turkey blaster to the spots on my scalp that were the worse. I’ve had it on for about 20 mins now and I have to say I haven’t felt the much relieve in weeks!!! Thank you for posting this!
You are welcome Jennylee, I am really pleased to hear that you have found success with this method.
I used to rinse with apple cider vinegar and water mixture. It helps me a lot. I got tired of the smell even though i rinse it well. Now, I tried lemon lime . I cut if half, squeeze it and rub it directly to my hair and scalp. I leave it for a few minutes and rinse it then I shampoo and condition my hair after. I feel great. No more itching.