This Ingredient Could Be Causing Your Dry Winter Scalp

Every Winter I can always expect two things to happen: I get dry-as-hell lips, and a very sore and flaky scalp. It's not cute. I've finally found my go-to products to soothe my chapped lips (which may or may not include nipple balm), but I've still got some work to do when it comes to my poor scalp.

I decided to challenge myself to try sulphate-free hair care for a month, and I was surprised to find my scalp felt significantly less dry by the end. The beginning of my little experiment was a little tough because I found my hair felt greasier much more quickly. However, as the weeks went on, my mane seemed to get used to the new products. My scalp was flake-free, with no irritation. If you're considering the switch, you do have to look closely at the ingredients list. Some products don't specify whether they are sulphate-free, and some say they are when actually they aren't. Look out for these two in the ingredients list to make sure your product is free from sulphates: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES).

If you suffer from dry scalp and are looking for alternatives, shop some of my favourite sulphate-free shampoos ahead. For those looking for a more dramatic hair experiment, see what our senior editor thought of Hair Story's New Wash. Oh, and make sure you aren't treating dandruff when you don't actually have it!