Easy Home Remedies for Flaky Scalp

Your scalp, like your skin, continuously sheds old, dead cells. So it's perfectly natural that you'd see the occasional flake or two on your shoulder.

But if your flakes are falling fast and furious, try some of these natural home remedies from Maoshing Ni, PhD, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and author of Secrets of Self-Healing.

3 Natural Scalp Soothers
These home remedies may help soothe a dry or irritated scalp and ease mild cases of dandruff:

In the shower -- Deflake and apply some soothers. Here's how: Gently rub your scalp with a bit of baking soda for a few minutes to remove flakes. Rinse, and then apply a dash of tonic oil with these scalp calmers: wintergreen, eucalyptus, and menthol. Let the tonic soak in for about 10 minutes before shampooing. Here's another kitchen staple that can help make your head beautiful.

Over the sink -- Polyphenols in green tea may help combat overgrowth of a fungus that can cause dandruff. Brew up a pot and, once it's cool, pour it over your scalp. Leave the tea on your hair for about 10 minutes, and then wash it out with an olive- or avocado-oil-based shampoo. Here's a green tea treatment that can give you great skin, too.

In bed -- To help relieve seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammatory skin condition that often causes dandruff, try rubbing a little aloe vera gel into your scalp and leaving it on overnight. Just use old pillow cases, and wash your hair in the morning. Could your itchy, flaky skin be psoriasis? Compare your symptoms.

Secrets of Self-Healing: Harness Nature's Power to Heal Common Ailments, Boost Your Vitality, and Achieve Optimum Wellness. Ni, M., New York: Avery, 2008.