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Neutrogena T/Gel & Apple Cider Vinegar.

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
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I don't have dandruff but I do have dry scalp (there is a difference). battled it for years. Head & Shoulders simply never got rid of it, kept me from itching but I could still see flakes on my clothes. I've tried various other shampoos and nothing helped. What I never tried though was an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. But I wanted to pair it with a good shampoo.

A few weeks ago I switched to Neutrogena T/Gel and at the same time I started an apple cider vinegar rinse after the shampoo. I lather the shampoo first and let it sit in my hair while I continue my shower. I let it sit at least 2-3 minutes. Which I think this is the key. Let the lather sit on your hair and do it's job for a few minutes. I then rinse it out.
I put the ACV in a spray bottle (just a basic spray bottle like they would use at a hair saloon) with a mix 50% water 50% ACV. I think the spray bottle allows you to coat your hair better rather than simply dumping it over your hair and it all running down. With the spray bottle you'll use less of the mixture as well, and it's just easier to apply.
I don't let the ACV sit for long, 30 seconds or so then I rinse it out.

That's been my process for the last few weeks. I'm a little less than halfway through the bottle of T/Gel. I am happy to say that I no longer itch my scalp, I've seen no dry scalp flakes on my clothes either. I even just tested my hair over my desk by scratching my fingers all around which in the past would result in it looking like it was snowing dry skin......but now nothing.

Thought I would share this set up with anyone suffering from dry scalp or dandruff. But as I said I don't have dandruff and there is a difference between dry itchy scalp and dandruff so I don't know if this would work with dandruff but it is something I'd try for sure.

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Can't remember if I tried T/Gel or not over the years. Head & Shoulders "Clinical Strength" works pretty good for me, but I'll have to keep T/Gel in mind as a backup. My hair is kept pretty short so I only do the ACV rinse once a week.
 
The spritz bottle for the ACV! That's a good idea.

FYI, try a good shampoo bar and the ACV and also avoiding synthetic hair conditioners, and leave ins, and then skip shampooing altogether a few times a week.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
The spritz bottle for the ACV! That's a good idea.

FYI, try a good shampoo bar and the ACV and also avoiding synthetic hair conditioners, and leave ins, and then skip shampooing altogether a few times a week.

I'm thinking about trying a shampoo bar soon as the Neut. is gone. I was thinking about a bar with similar ingredients as the Neut, but that might be hard to find.

Are you suggesting to skip the shampoo a few times but still use the ACV?
 
T/Gel works well. My mom used to use it and I tried it once when I had a case of dandruff. Smells like tar, but gets the job done well. I hear this pine tar soap does wonders for skin conditions and such. Probably the same sort of thing.
 
tgel is just a coal tar and sulfur shampoo so anything along those lines usually works as well. denorex makes a coal tar as do a few others. wal mart sells their own brand of the tgel under the equate name and they even sell the 5% version which imo is better than the original formula. the wal mart one works just as well as tgel and its much less $$. also since my wife owns a grooming shop i have tried her shampoos there (normally for dogs but what the heck) that are coal tar and they work great and you can find them in gallon jugs MUCH cheaper than the tgel. as well as you may like the chlorhexadine (not sure on exact spelling) shampoos they worked great for me in the past for dry scalp. another one to try is the African black shampoos they also have worked great for me for dry scalp. and as a every day shampoo right now im using the new clear brand scalp therapy it works pretty good and then i throw in the equate / tgel or similar once or twice a week and have no issues.
 
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I'm thinking about trying a shampoo bar soon as the Neut. is gone. I was thinking about a bar with similar ingredients as the Neut, but that might be hard to find.

Are you suggesting to skip the shampoo a few times but still use the ACV?

Not to info bomb you, but this little piece I worked up on the topic has gotten a lot of positive feedback from those who seem to know.

The spirit of B&B -- educating myself and exploring healthier, typically more natural, traditional, effective personal grooming and management products and techniques -- extended to my shower and hair care. I'd been plagued by dandruff much of my life, and googled around to research traditional, healthier hair and scalp care.

In response to what seems likely a dandruff epidemic caused mostly by overuse of unhealthy products, there’s a growing awareness that dandruff is caused by unbalanced scalp moisture and acidity, which in turn throw off natural scalp flora, leaving it vulnerable to infection by bacteria and fungi. In response, there’s a growing movement of people who are abandoning stripping detergent shampoos and using gentler, more natural and traditional hair and scalp cleansing and management techniques.

  1. Give your scalp a rest. Shampoo less often
    1. Washing with water alone, or a little natural (cleansing) conditioner several times a week (for some most of the week) allows the scalp to regain its own equilibrium.
  2. Shampoo bars
    1. Shampoo bars made with natural ingredients don’t strip natural oils, and maintain a healthier scalp moisture and pH. I like mine with menthol (mint oil): invigorating, soothing, and anti-bacterial.
      1. Liggett's [url]http://www.amazon.com/Jojoba-Pepperm.../dp/B001W2K51O[/URL]
      2. Mike’s Natural Soaps
        [url]http://www.mikesnaturalsoaps.com/Mikes_Natural_Soaps/Shampoo_Bars.html[/URL]
      3. Taconic [url]http://www.amazon.com/Taconic-Shave-.../dp/B00938W0TE[/URL]
      4. Salve Naturals [url]http://www.salvenaturals.com/index.p...&product_id=97[/URL]
      5. Lush [url]https://www.lush.co.uk/product/134/D...id-Shampoo-Bar[/URL]
  3. Apple cider vinegar rinse
    1. Natural, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar rinse helps restore natural, healthy (slightly acidic) scalp pH and flora, driving out unhealthy.
    2. A few teaspoons of one part ACV to 4 parts water massaged into the scalp then rinsed at the end of the shower once or twice a week.
    3. An ACV rinse also closes down hair cuticles, locking in moisture, protecting hair, making it shinier and more manageable. A cold water final rinse helps, too. (Witch hazel is another traditional rinse for closing hair cuticles, scalp pH and moisturization balance.)
  4. Essential oil leave-in
    1. Natural oils are the most commonly used leave-in conditioner since ancient times (“Thou anointest my head with oil”). Essential oils balance and retain moisture, pH, fight unhealthy flora, and leave hair and scalp looking, feeling and smelling fantastic.
      1. [url]http://www.etsy.com/listing/62564549...Faxr7Aod12IAag[/URL]
      2. [url]https://www.google.com/shopping/prod...CPMBEPMCMAg4UA[/URL]
      3. [url]http://www.etsy.com/listing/12860070...FW0V7Aodb2YAYQ[/URL]
      4. [url]http://www.sallybeauty.com/peppermin...efault,pd.html[/URL]
    2. If you enjoy a scalp rush, I’ve recently discovered Alpecin Hair Energizer liquid with menthol and caffeine. After showering and drying my hair, I sprinkle a little on my head and massage it in, followed by a few drops of essential oil. It claims to promote hair growth, but the cool scalp rush and menthol scent are what I most enjoy.[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alpecin-liqu...item27bbf07c0d[/URL] (notice the or best offer pricing).
  5. A scalp brush provides an invigorating scalp massage and helps immensely with exfoliation while washing.
    proxy.php

 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Not to info bomb you, but this little piece I worked up on the topic has gotten a lot of positive feedback from those who seem to know.

Loads of great info there. I might actually pick up the scalp brush. seems like it would be useful. going to look in to those shampoo bars too.
But half of me is thinking "if It ain't broke, don't fix it."
I've got a system that is working. the t/gel is pretty expensive though. I think the bottle was $8.00
 
but as i said in my post above you can buy the equate brand of t/gel (i use it myself) for a LOT less money at wal mart. and they even have a 5% version which imo works much better than the original.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
but as i said in my post above you can buy the equate brand of t/gel (i use it myself) for a LOT less money at wal mart. and they even have a 5% version which imo works much better than the original.

I'm going to check that out while I'm there. I typically avoid walmart branded items, food related anyway. If it's the same ingredients then I'll check it out.
 
same thing. im very picky about buying generics but i can say that i personally use the equate version and i have used t/gel for a long time and its the same thing even just about smells the same. i buy the 5% equate one compared to the 1% version of t/gel or equate works awesome. i buy 3-4 at a time because many times the equate version is sold out. one of my friends is a buyer for wal mart and i can tell you most equate items are made the the big brands and just labelled for wal mart. an example is wal mart equate saline solution is made and packaged by baush and lomb (not sure if i miss spelled that) it comes from the same factory and same lines just a different label. many wal mart equate items are this way. i also avoid the "great value" in most food items though but there are a few exceptions i find just as good or sometimes even better than their brand name versions though its rare.
 
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Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
same thing. im very picky about buying generics but i can say that i personally use the equate version and i have used t/gel for a long time and its the same thing even just about smells the same. i buy the 5% equate one compared to the 1% version of t/gel or equate works awesome. i buy 3-4 at a time because many times the equate version is sold out. one of my friends is a buyer for wal mart and i can tell you most equate items are made the the big brands and just labelled for wal mart. an example is wal mart equate saline solution is made and packaged by baush and lomb (not sure if i miss spelled that) it comes from the same factory and same lines just a different label. many wal mart equate items are this way. i also avoid the "great value" in most food items though but there are a few exceptions i find just as good or sometimes even better than their brand name versions though its rare.

It's reassuring to know read your confidence in the product. I typically don't have a problem with the hard goods being generic as long as they work the same, otherwise no thanks.
If it save me a few bucks and works the exact same way why wouldn't I buy it? I'll give it a go.
IIRC the brand name t/gel comes in a maximum strength too, and I thought about getting it but I figured it might be to harsh on my scalp and to start with the regular stuff first. I'm going to check it out though.
 
This is all great info. I picked up some T/Gel, apple vinegar cider and a scalp brush today. I was wondering though, to what extent using hair styling product every day contributes to flaky scalp?

I always use water based product (Layrite or Baxter pomade), so I have to wash my hair every day. I never had a problem until I moved from Ireland to Canada (where winters are colder and dryer). Now my scalp is a mess. I'm wondering how much of my new found problem is just an effect of a long time using pomades, and how much is the Canadian winter. I guess my issue with "shampoo only a few times a week" advice is that unless I totally change my hair style, I can't really avoid the daily shampoo. My hair, when left un-producted, is a huge fuzzy wavy disastrous looking mess. :)
 
As to shampoo bars, check out QED's Birch Tar version.
I can definitely get on board with a vinegar rinse, tho for now I am sticking with the white vinegar version.
Trying to work out in my mind the benefits of an unpasteurized ACV versus a lower cost alternative.
 
Thanks for sharing your success! I battled seborrhoeic dermatitis, and I found that Nature's Gate shampoos were my fix. I used the Tea Tree Oil one (~$8.50 at some Kroger or Meijer stores that I saw, or online) for about 6 months. About a week ago, I saw that I had two problems. First, I was getting dry scalp flakes (not the large oily flakes I was getting earlier), and I was running low on shampoo. I went to the store and I picked up the Aloe version of their shampoo ($6.50). After using it for a few days, I concluded two things: The aloe version smells like candy. My flakes are almost all gone. I think the extra moisture from the aloe helped my scalp for this issue.
 
I have scalp problems and dandruff which in the past 5 years or so have been aggravated by long hair. Now I tell them zero guard on the sides and back of my head and if I go too long between haircuts I have a lot of problems on the back of my head. Keeping my hair short lets my scalp shed dead skin freely and I use a combination of Queen Charlotte Soap's Cedarwood & Rosemary shampoo bar, the Neutrogena shampoo with salicylic acid (asprin) and a bottle of Axe Tea Tree Oil shampoo that seem to keep things in line. I also only shampoo my hair maybe 3 times a week and only condition once a month. With my hair as short as I keep it this hasn't caused me any issues. I'd switch to apple cider vinegar but at the rate I use conditioner my bottle of Dove will last me another year or two easy LOL
You might also want to look into dry shampoos as well. Also look into the "No Poo" method. As advertised there is no poo involved in case you were a little worried Haha You just use baking powder on your scalp/roots and an apple cider vinegar rinse. I can't find the site I originally found with a ton of great information but Instructables has a good basic primer and you can research it further yourself.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/
 
Thanks for the thread. What is the difference between dandruff and dry scalp? I think I have dry scalp as I generally have dry skin and my hands are very dry aswell. I have tried every dandruff shampoo imaginable including t/gel with no luck. The only thing that worked was selsen blue medicated but that doesn't seem to be working this year. As my hair gets longer it gets worse. Any info would be great. Thanks
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Thanks for the thread. What is the difference between dandruff and dry scalp? I think I have dry scalp as I generally have dry skin and my hands are very dry aswell. I have tried every dandruff shampoo imaginable including t/gel with no luck. The only thing that worked was selsen blue medicated but that doesn't seem to be working this year. As my hair gets longer it gets worse. Any info would be great. Thanks
i think this does an alright job of explaining it.
http://urbanbushbabes.com/2012/01/there-is-a-difference-between-dandruff-dry-scalp/

basically dandruff is is a build up of oils. Your scalp producing to much sebum. Often times is yellowish large flakes.
Dry scalp is typically small white flakes. Dead skin cells. Caused by dryness or product build up

with longer hair it is often times harder to fully rinse away all the product after a shampoo. Thus the "build up" that causes issues. This is why an apple cider vinegar rinse is suggested. It will remove all the product build up and return your hair to normal ph levels.
 
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