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Alright, I’ll admit it: It doesn’t take much for me to buy into all the new skincare craze.
(Yes, that was a polite way of admitting that I’m gullible when it comes to health and wellness.)
But that’s because finding out about what’s going on in the world of skincare genuinely lights me up. Hyaluronic acid? Charcoal? Witch hazel? I’ll try them all if the experts are raving about them.
If you’re not like me, and it actually takes some convincing to try out new fads, then I’ve still got some news for you: Hair and scalp serums are seriously transformative.
We all know how important it is to take care of your skin—especially your face. But think about all the things your head goes through on a daily basis. If you’re using any harsh chemicals or exposing it to pollutants in the environment (which should be, well … most of us), don’t look past these guys. Hair and scalp serums could be your new BFF if you suffer from dandruff, itchiness, or scalp irritation.
When I started paying more attention to my scalp, something beautiful happened: My dandruff completely went away, and I stopped needing to itch my head every 30 seconds. Just like your face, your head needs adequate attention. Take a look below for our favorite organic hair and scalp serums!
Ingredients to Look for in a Hair and Scalp Serum
As you wade through our list below, you’ll notice a few key components that appear on all—or at least a lot of—the ingredient lists. These all have proven to help the hair in the departments of growth, restoration, nourishment, and overall vitality:
- Organic oils: A healthy way to nourish your hair without the use of artificial, toxifying chemicals. Such beneficial oils include sunflower, coconut, and rosehip.
- Aloe vera: We love aloe vera for its deeply hydrating properties. It’s also known that aloe vera contains proteolytic enzymes, which repairs dead skin cells.
- Antioxidants: Antioxidants can appear in a number of forms in hair care products, but a few that show up in the ingredients of the products listed here include amla berry, pomegranate seed oil, and rosehip seed oil.
- Essential oils: These are the best alternatives to man-made fragrances, as they are typically lighter in scent and, therefore, easier on the respiratory system.
Ingredients to Avoid in a Hair and Scalp Serum
Conventional hair care products don’t offer the same vitalizing properties as their organic sisters. In fact, many products in conventional hair care products do the opposite—they damage whatever comes in their way. Here’s what to avoid in hair and scalp serums:
- Polysorbates: This is an emulsifier so fragrances and other additives can easily dissolve more easily into products, but these have been linked to eye and skin irritation.
- Fragrance: Scents are fantastic, but they can really tax the respiratory system when overused—especially if they’re made in a lab. Anything labeled as “fragrance” or “parfum” on your product’s ingredient list should be an immediate red flag.
- Potassium sorbate: Used in most conventional hair products, potassium sorbate has been linked to toxicity in the organs and skin.
- Dimethicone: A skin conditioning agent, dimethicone causes irritation to the skin and eyes—not only that, but it doesn’t break down well at all when exposed to the environment.
The Best Organic Hair and Scalp Serums of 2019
The Yarok Feed Your Sunshine Serum has a lot more to it than just its cute name. If you’re a sucker for the pool, or if you love being out in the sun, this one’s for you. Perhaps your hair has thinned, split, or lost its life due to the environment. Perfect for the coming summer weather, this hair serum will bring your locks back with full life-force.
With aloe vera and tea tree and geranium essential oils, this product is soothing and revitalizing to the scalp. Because this hair serum exists, you don’t have to worry about needing to limit your time in the sun anymore: You can have as much fun out and about as you want!
Ingredients: Pure Buxus Chinensis (Jojoba), Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Seed, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree), Cymbopogon Citratus (Lemongrass) Oil & Pelargonium Graveolens (African Geranium) Oils.
Pros
- Works wonders to reverse effects of UV ray and chlorine damage
- Deep repair work
- A little goes a long way
Cons
- None!
Where to Shop
Now, we move onto the sister product of Feed Your Sunshine: Yarok’s Feed Your Shine Serum. For those of you who are looking to boost your hair’s overall radiance, look no further, for this serum will do just that. The prominently herbal scent takes some time to get accustomed to, but once you see the benefits, you’ll be hooked.
Because the serum is highly concentrated, you only need a little to work through your hair completely. Sesame and coconut oils provide a healthy dose of hydration, while chamomile and clary sage give the hair a gorgeous sheen.
Ingredients: Pure Sesamum Indicum (Sesame), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut), Chamaemelum Nobile (Roman Chamomile), Salvia Sclarea (Clary Sage), Cedrus Atlantica (Atlas Cedar) Oil & Citrus Aurantium var. Amara (Bitter Orange) Oils.
Pros
- Boosts the hair’s overall shine
- Improves the hair’s health
- Smooths hair’s texture
Cons
- Strong herbal scent may be off-putting to some
- If you use too much, it will weigh your hair down
Where to Shop
To be honest, we’re not sure why this scalp tonic is called CAKE, but we do know this treatment is just as luxurious as eating a nice, big, fat—yet nutrient-dense—piece of cake (and if that doesn’t quite exist yet, we’re willing to be the first to create it). REVERIE’S CAKE Restorative Scalp Tonic is soothing, nourishing, and exquisite.
Although this scalp tonic is lightweight, it’s brimming with life-giving ingredients, including rose flower water and a melody of essential oils that will surely speak to your senses. Applying this tonic is a no-stress procedure with no excess oil leftover; your scalp will drink up every last bit!
Ingredients: *Aqua, *Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Water, *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf /Flower Water, *Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, *Glycerin, *Caprylyl Caprylglucoside, *Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Cassia Angustifoliaseedpolysaccharide, Malus Domestica (Fruit Cell Culture Extract), Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Boswellia Carterii (Frankincense) Resin Extract, Vanilla Planifolia (Bourbon Vanilla) Bean Oil, Santalum Spicatum (Sandalwood) Wood Oil, Cymbopogon Martinii (Palmarosa) Leaf Oil, Myroxylon Balsamum (Balsam) Resin Extract, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Leaf Oil, Potassium Sorbate, **Geraniol, **Benzyl Benzoate, **Benzyl Salicylate, **Citronellol, **Linalool, **Farnesol, **Limone, **Eugenol
*Certified Organic
**Naturally Occurring By-Product Of Essential Oils
Pros
- Absorbs quickly by the scalp
- No-fuss and lightweight
- Smells wonderful
Cons
- More expensive than other hair serums on the market
Where to Shop
If you’re thinking, hair serums sound great and all, but I’m not completely won over yet … let us introduce you to the Beneath Your Mask Nourish: Skin & Hair Serum, a multifunctioning product for your head and the rest of your body!
To be blown away, we encourage you to check out the full ingredient list. But, if you can’t do that, we’ll speak on behalf of the highlights, which are hemp seed, rosehip seed, and pomegranate seed oils to provide your hair with deep moisture. Yes, this product is a bit pricey—but if you want something that truly delivers on what it says it does, this is a worthwhile investment.
Ingredients: cannabis sativa (hemp seed) oil*, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) oil*, rosa rubiginosa (rosehip seed) oil*, macadamia integrifolia (macadamia nut) oil*, punica granatum (pomegranate seed) oil*, azadica indica (neem) oil*, cymbopogon flexuosus (lemongrass) essential oil*, lavandula angustifolia (lavender population) essential oil**, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil*, mentha piperita (peppermint) essential oil*, thymus vulgaris var thymol (thyme) essential oil*, daucus carota (carrot seed) essential oil†, salvia officinalis (sage) essential oil*, rosmarinus officinalis verbenone (rosemary verbenone) essential oil*, cedrus atlantica (cedarwood atlas) essential oil*
Pros
- Restorative, nourishing formula
- Can be used on both skin and scalp
- Boosted with vitamins B, C, and E
Cons
- None!
Where to Shop
Another dual-functioning hair serum, Ranavat Botanics Mighty Majesty Hair & Body Serum is for the purist. With only three ingredients—sunflower, jasmine, and amla oil—this mixture takes your hair and skin from dull to vibrant with a sweet scent.
This serum fits a variety of hair types, such as textured, fine, thick, and even color-treated. It feels light in application, but it works deeply to replenish hair and skin with superfood amla, known to prevent aging and for being rich in antioxidants. Negative feedback? None.
Ingredients: jasmine officinale*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, jasminum sambac (jasmine) oil*, phyllanthu emblica (amla) fruit oil*
Pros
- Simple, hearty ingredients
- Lightweight yet deeply restorative
- Sweet scent
- Dual-functioning
- Fits a variety of hair types
Cons
- None!
Where to Shop
Good news: If your hair has seen a lot from heat products, color treatments, or harmful chemicals—there’s something on the market to ensure your hair isn’t going completely dead. It’s the Sahajan Nurture Hair Oil, which works to reverse signs of wear of tear on your hair.
You only need a little bit of this product to get you far, otherwise you may accumulate excess oil on your head. But with the right amount, this oil will keep frizz at bay. You’ll fall in love as sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, and eclipta alba do the dirty work in bring your hair back to its better days.
Ingredients: helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil*, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil*, parfum*, emblica officinalis fruit extract*, eclipta prostrata extract*, tocopheryl acetate, brassica campestris (rapeseed) seed oil*
*natural or organic ingredient
Pros
- Keeps frizz at bay
- Great for severely treated hair
- Antioxidant-rich
Cons
- Too much product will weigh your hair down
Where to Shop
Conclusion
So, what do you think? If you were once put off by yet another far-fetched skincare trend, did we show you that hair and scalp serums are at least worth a shot?
Our bodies all need a little extra TLC at times, and it’s important not to let stress, the environment, and everyday styling get the best of your locks. Even if your hair is relatively fine, you may find, with the use of one of these products, that you enjoy pampering yourself every once in a while! Whether you have color-treated, frizzy, dry, itchy, thick, fine, or even normal hair, we hope you found something here that sparks your interest.
Any questions or suggestions? Feel free to reach out in the comments below, even if you just want to say hi! We always love hearing from you.
The Sahajan nurture oil would be perfect for my own hair, being that it’s notorious for frizz. I like how it contains antioxidants as well, so that’s a definite bonus. I don’t think we realize just how many toxic chemicals we really use on our hair, and if there’s one thing myself and others are constantly looking for, it’s non-toxic solutions to those chemicals that do more harm than we think.
I love natural products precisely because natural ingredients are loaded with antioxidants! Thanks for stopping in and commenting Todd!
And could this be more timely for me than this time? I am not sure. I’ve been itching my skull almost every 20minutes. The itching is becoming very unbearable now and I think I might have injured myself while itching due to dandruff. Hair and scalp serums that you have reviewed up here definitely seems very convincing to try out and I will purchase the REVERIE: CAKE Restorative Scalp Tonic because a friend suggested it to me at work today too so I think it should work pretty well.
Rolerne
I hope it works out for you! Be sure to let us know 🙂
Well, something for me too. I think I should try out this product for the scalp. I do have occasional dandruff on my hair and some times I scratch and it’s just so annoying. Knowing that I can easily use this products and they’ll help my hair is perfect. Which of this do you recommend best for dandruff problems?
I would recommend the Beneath Your Mask: Nourish Hair and Scalp Serum for dandruff because it contains hemp seed oil and neem oil, which are both really great ingredients for dandruff. We have an article on the site you can check out: Essential Oil Dandruff Treatment- Plus Recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions!