Scalp Oil & Scalp Care.

What scalp care actually covers

The scalp is skin, and it behaves like skin. It gets dry, it gets oily, it reacts to weather and to whatever you left sitting on it for three weeks. This collection pulls together the oils, lotions, masques and cleansers that keep the roots of textured hair comfortable, from lightweight daily oils through to heavier weekly treatments.

Most people land here for one of three reasons: flaking, tightness after washing, or a scalp that feels sore under braids. Different problems, different products, so it helps to know which one you have before anything goes in the basket.

Oils, lotions, masques and cleansers

Oils are the biggest group by far. The Aunt Jackie's Elixir range comes in 2oz bottles with a pointed tip, useful for parting and dropping oil straight onto skin rather than coating the hair. Motions Marula Natural Therapy Hair and Scalp Oil is a larger 8oz bottle for people who oil often. Shine 'n Jam Magic Fingers Nourishing Scalp Oil is built for braids and locs, where you need to reach through a style without disturbing it.

Lotions sit between an oil and a cream. Sofn'free's Black Castor Oil lotion in the 250ml bottle spreads more easily than neat oil and suits anyone who finds pure oils too rich. Masques and rinse-out treatments do the deeper work: ORS HAIRepair Scalp Rescuing Detox Masque and the matching 2oz Concentrate lift residue before you condition, while Shea Moisture Aloe Butter Scalp Moisture Cream stays on afterwards.

Cleansers matter more than people expect. As I Am Rosemary Shampoo and the Avlon Texture Release sulphate-free shampoo both clean the scalp properly without stripping the lengths, and that is usually where flaking starts.

Fitting it into a wash week

A simple pattern works for most people. Oil the scalp once or twice between washes, not daily. Cleanse weekly or fortnightly with something that genuinely removes residue. Use a masque or detox treatment monthly if you get through a lot of gel, butter or edge control.

Oil daily and never clarify, and you end up with the exact tightness and flaking you were trying to avoid. Oil sits, dust sticks to it, and the next wash never quite clears it.

Hard water and the British seasons

London and the south-east sit on some of the hardest water in the country. Calcium and magnesium leave a film on the scalp and along the hair shaft, which reads as dullness, tightness and a scalp that itches a day after washing. A monthly clarifying wash or a detox concentrate handles it, and so does a shower filter.

Winter is the other pressure point. Central heating pulls indoor humidity down to roughly 30 percent, and a scalp that was fine in September starts flaking in November. Heavier oils and a leave-on cream do more in those months than the routine you ran all summer.

Curl types and protective styles

Coilier patterns from 4a to 4c dry out at the scalp faster, because natural oils travel down a tightly coiled shaft slowly. Looser waves and 3-type curls often need less oil and more cleansing. Under braids, locs, wigs and weaves, everyone needs a nozzle.

For children, ORS Olive Oil Girls Hair Scalp Lotion in the 8.5oz bottle is a lighter option that sits well under plaits and cornrows.