Using Dandruff Shampoo as a Sunburn Treatment

One summer after I returned home from a beach vacation, Ihad a wicked sunburn. My skin was dry and kept sloughing off, but I couldn’tfind an effective cure. Aloe vera gel wouldn’t even work, but a friend of minetold me about a great home remedy for sunburns: dandruff shampoo.

And a light bulb went off in my head! The sunburn had causedmy skin to become dry, and the same thing happens to my scalp when it producesdandruff. Although the causes are not the same, the ingredients in dandruffshampoo will help to slough off dead skin cells and also moisturize the skin.

Some common ingredients in dandruff shampoos that help withdry skin are salicylic acid or coal tar or Zinc pyrithione. These ingredients haveanti-fungal and antibacterial properties that take off the dead skin cells fromyour skin and then slow down production of more dead skin cells.

Using commercial dandruff shampoo in conjunction with aloevera gel was the perfect cure! I just lathered up the dandruff shampoo in abath sponge that I normally use with bath gel and used the shampoo like I wouldregular soap. The gentle scrubbing of the bath sponge combined with theexfoliation properties of the actual shampoo helped heal my skin faster than itnormally does. I got rid of the dead, dry skin that was constantly sloughingoff my skin and I could finally wear sleeveless shirts again without peopleasking what the heck happened to my shoulders!

Make sure not to use commercial dandruff shampoo on areas like your face to make sure that you don't let the active ingredients get into your eyes, which will be sensitive to things like salicylic acid.

If you are looking to cut costs or use solely natural ingredients, there are many dandruff shampoo recipes out there for you to make your own version out of readily available products. Make sure to test these out on small patches of skin so you don’t have a skin reaction. These won’t have the same chemicals as regular dandruff shampoo, but use natural herbs or baking soda or vinegar to create the same results. Feel free to use these all over your body, even your scalp!

1/4 cup shampoo

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablesppons apple juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 sprigs chopped rosemary

Using a simple, nature shampoo, mix it in a bowl with the apple cider vinegar, which will add the acidity that will help get rid of the dead skin cells. Add apple juice, lemon juice and finely chopped rosemary and put into an empty plastic container or squeeze bottle.

1/4 cup shampoo, make sure it is a natural brand for sensitive skin

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons apple juice

1/2 teaspoon rum extract

6 finely ground cloves

Mix all ingredients in a blender on low for 30 seconds. First, wet your hair with warm water and shampoo like you normally would. Rinse.