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Where did your interest in scalp health stem from?

As a hair colorist, I understood early on that healthy hair was the key to a beautiful hair color – but to achieve healthy hair, you have to look at the root of it, which involves scalp health!

How did the development of the Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt come about?

Doing so many hair colors, I noticed clients would often complain about how it would make their scalp itchy or irritated – I had this ancestral recipe which involved dissolving salt in water and rinsing their hair with it to soothe the irritations; it worked. Eventually, I wanted to develop something that would really remove the color pigment residues and be a soothing treatment, which is when we created the first scalp scrub!

What would be your number one suggestion to someone wanting to improve their scalp health?

Unbalanced scalps are quite common, especially with the dry shampoo trend, product residues, stressful lives, and so on. I think it’s important to let your scalp breathe. For instance, when you use dry shampoo, make sure you don’t sleep with it, wash your hair before sleeping, it’s especially important because your skin absorbs a lot more at night than during the day. Same for shampoos and conditioners, always make sure to use very little and rinse super thoroughly, you will notice you can go much longer in between shampoos!

Another important point is diet. What you eat impacts your skin, hence your scalp, it’s important to have a varied diet with loads of omega3s and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

How does having a healthy scalp benefit the health of your hair? And your facial skin?

Maintaining a healthy scalp is imperative for healthy hair. Buildup of product, sweat, sebum, and dead skin cells can all block the hair follicle, which has an impact on the quality of hair growth. It’s very similar to a plant– if you don’t give it the proper nutrients or environment to grow, it will never reach its fullest potential. Your hair is the exact same! When you finally give your scalp the proper care, you will notice that all of your scalp related issues including dandruff, oiliness, and hair loss, will slowly fade away, and your hair will begin to look and feel the healthiest it ever has.

Many are surprised to learn that your scalp ages six times faster than your face. As it ages, its elasticity weakens. And once weakened, your facial skin begins to sag, leading to premature aging in the face. This is why we stress that you prioritize your scalp health, as it can help slow down the aging process.

How do you know if your scalp is healthy or not? Any tell-tale signs of an unhealthy scalp?

There are plenty of ways to tell if your scalp is healthy or not. Some of the most common signs of an unhealthy scalp include: flakiness, redness, itchiness, and irritation. A lot of these issues are caused by the repeated use of silicone and sulfate-based products. Silicones build up on the scalp, and sulfates strip the scalp and hair of good bacteria and natural oils, which are vital for overall scalp and hair health.

We have developed our own innovative scalp camera that allow us to take a microscopic look at the scalps of our customers. This helps us to pinpoint specific concerns, and give specific recommendations as to how one should care for their scalp. Later this year we will be opening our Act+Acre store in the Lower East Side, where we will begin offering this service to the public!

Best method for restoring your scalp’s health?

The first step to a healthy scalp is to use good, clean, nutrient-rich products that stimulate hair growth. It is what’s inside the bottle that counts- always look for clean products that are nutrient-dense, as they will properly cleanse the scalp while delivering vital nutrients to the hair follicle. We also recommend incorporating our Scalp Detox into your hair care routine 1-2 times per week. The incredible ingredients in it are essentially equivalent to a weekly wheatgrass shot for your hair, and aids in stimulating and balancing the scalp, which leaves it feeling nourished and moisturized.

Why is scalp health so important?

A healthy scalp promotes healthy hair. An unhealthy scalp can inhibit new growth and can lead to hair loss.

What do you suggest to clients to increase their scalp health?

I recommend my clients to reduce the amount of times hair is washed per week and to massage their scalps to promote blood circulation to the scalp.

How often should someone “detox” their scalp?

It depends on the person, but I ask my clients to “detox” their scalps at least once a week. For my color treated clients, I recommend Scalp Detox and for my non-color treated clients, Sunday Shampoo.

What spurred you to create Rahua’s new Scalp and Hair Treatment?

Our new Founder’s Blend Scalp & Hair Treatment is a full-circle product for us. Rahua products have always been about the health of the hair and scalp and highlighting the outstanding restorative properties of beautiful Rahua oil. When the scalp is healthy and in balance, the hair can grow strong and healthy. Rahua Founder’s Blend is created specifically to nourish and balance the scalp’s microbiome and set the stage for healthy hair!

What’s a common misconception of scalp health?

A common misconception about scalp health is that an oily scalp needs to be shampooed more often, when it is actually the opposite. The more often you shampoo, the more you stimulate the scalp to produce more oil. The scalp gets used to how you treat it. Shampooing a little less often allows the scalp to balance out and produce just the right amount of healthy oils.

With improved scalp health, what can someone expect to see in regards to their hair health?

With improved scalp health you can expect to see stronger, healthier hair. Stronger, healthier hair results in less breakage, longer hair, improved color retention and lots of happy hair days!

Rahua’s new Founder’s Blend Scalp & Hair Treatment launches tomorrow! Find it here.