Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.

What flaking on textured hair usually comes down to

Flakes on curly and coily hair are often product buildup, dried gel and old oil rather than anything else. Textured hair is washed less often by design, styles stay in for weeks, and gel goes on the scalp as well as the hair. The result looks like dandruff and behaves like a cleaning problem.

That is why this collection mixes proper cleansing shampoos with scalp oils and conditioners. If flaking is heavy, persistent, or the scalp is sore, broken or bleeding, see a pharmacist or your GP rather than working through more products.

The shampoos

Sulfur8 Deep Cleaning Shampoo comes in 222 ml and 340 ml and is the strongest cleanse in the group. Keracare Dry & Itchy Scalp Moisturizing Shampoo is the gentler weekly option and comes in a 32 oz bottle that lasts. Dr. Paltas and Vatika Lemon Dandruff Guard cover the middle ground at 250 ml and 400 ml.

Lather twice. The first wash lifts oil and product, the second actually reaches the scalp. Rub with fingertips in small circles rather than piling the hair on top of itself.

Scalp oils, conditioners and leave ins

Sulfur8 Treatment in both Original and Light Formula is a hair and scalp conditioner rather than a rinse out, applied to the parts and left in. Dabur Amla oil and the Sof n Free Black Castor Oil Hairfood do a similar job with a lighter feel. Shea Moisture Apple Cider Vinegar leave in suits anyone who wants a water based option instead of a grease.

Keracare Dry & Itchy Scalp conditioner pairs with its shampoo and puts moisture back after a deeper wash, which matters because a stripped scalp flakes as readily as a dirty one.

Braids, locs and the styles you cannot wash weekly

Sulfur8 Anti-Dandruff Conditioner for Braids and the Sof n Free Black Castor Oil braid oil are both built for scalps under a style. Apply along the parts, not through the braids. The Sof n Free Curl Moisturising Spray and Afro Spray handle the length between washes.

If you wear gel styles, the flake free stylers here matter as much as the shampoo. Shine ’n Jam Silk Edges, the Keracare Gel Essence gels and the Creme Of Nature Coconut Milk Control Glue all set without the white residue that cheaper gels leave along the hairline.

Hard water and the winter itch

London and the south east run hard water, and the mineral film it leaves makes an itchy scalp worse and shampoo lather poorer. A monthly deep clean helps. So does a shower filter if you are in a very hard area.

Indoor heating drops household humidity to around 30% in winter, which dries the scalp and the hair together. That is the season to cut back on daily gel, add a scalp oil twice a week, and rinse in warm water rather than hot.