After a long, hot summer filled with sweat, sunscreen, saltwater, and slicked-back hairstyles, your scalp is likely overdue for a detox. While your strands may get all the TLC, your scalp—where healthy hair starts—often needs more attention than it gets. The buildup of oils, environmental grime, and product residue can clog follicles, trigger flakes, and affect growth. As fall approaches, it’s the perfect time to reset and clean your scalp.
To help guide your post-summer hair care routine, we asked a panel of top professionals—Dr. Meena Singh, Ladosha Wright, Jamielynn De Leon, T. Cooper, Darrius Peace, and Laverne Amara—how to properly detox your scalp and prep for healthy hair growth this season.
Why Your Scalp Needs A Reset
During summer, increased sweating, outdoor activity, and layered styling products create the ideal conditions for scalp congestion. Leon has seen it firsthand: “Protective styles and sweat can trap buildup, making it hard for the scalp to breathe, especially in textured hair.”
Wright agrees. She explains that while sweat alone isn’t the problem, it mixes with product and bacteria to create dryness, itchiness, and odor. “Regular shampoos clean the hair, but they don’t detox the scalp,” she says.
How To Know If It’s Time for A Detox
You don’t need to wait for visible flakes or irritation to detox. But if your scalp feels sore, tight, greasy, or itchy—or if your hair still feels coated after a wash—it’s time. Amara says that buildup can often appear as a waxy film or cause white residue at the roots. For loc’d and tightly coiled textures, where rinsing is more difficult, a detox is even more important.
How The Pros Detox—And What You Should Do At Home
Every expert agrees: start with a pre-cleanse. Wright recommends applying a scalp cleanser on dry hair to loosen buildup before you shampoo. “Water dilutes the product and reduces its effectiveness,” she notes.
Cooper begins with a clarifying shampoo to break down sweat and oil, followed by a gentle scalp scrub and hydrating treatment. Her go-to is TPH by Taraji’s sugar-based scrub, which “exfoliates without being too harsh,” followed by NUELE’s Nighttime Scalp Serum to soothe and rehydrate.
De Leon’s salon uses jojoba oil as a pre-cleanse, then massages in a clarifying shampoo like Kevin Murphy’s SCALP.SPA WASH. She cautions against rushing: “Take your time. Rushed detoxing often leads to over-stripping.”
Amara suggests a soak using apple cider vinegar and essential oils—peppermint, eucalyptus, and lime—to dissolve buildup. This is especially effective for clients with dense natural hair or locs.
And if you’re a DIY-er? Darrius Peace recommends mixing baking soda with a moisturizing shampoo or using a baking soda and vinegar paste for gentle exfoliation. “It’s an old-school trick that still works for lifting residue and refreshing the scalp,” he says.
How Often Should You Clarify Or Scrub?
Most experts recommend clarifying once or twice a month, depending on your product usage and scalp condition. Scrubs can be used every two to three weeks, though people with dry or irritated scalps should proceed with caution. “If your scalp feels squeaky clean or tight afterward, you’ve likely gone too far,” says De Leon.
What Ingredients To Use—And What To Avoid
For a healthy scalp detox, the pros recommend apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, peppermint, rosemary, and charcoal. These ingredients help cleanse while supporting circulation and balance. Amara suggests looking for clarifying shampoos that also include hydrating agents like glycerin or aloe vera.
Across the board, everyone warns against harsh sulfates, drying alcohols, and synthetic dyes. Cooper adds, “Avoid heavy silicones that coat the scalp and make buildup worse.”
How To Reintroduce Moisture And Prep For Growth
After detoxing, it’s crucial to follow up with hydration. Wright swears by oil-based shampoos and conditioners, which cleanse gently without stripping. Her go-to is RevAir’s Cleansing Oil Shampoo. “Oil shampoos reduce friction and dryness—they’re a game changer for all textures,” she says.
“Over the summer, one of the most common complaints I see is seborrheic dermatitis,” says Dr. Singh. “Heat triggers increased sweat and product buildup, which can worsen scalp inflammation, especially for those with braids, sew-ins, or styles left in for several weeks.”
Dr. Singh’s go-to is Zoryve, which is lightweight, moisturizing and non-greasy. To reset the scalp before fall, Dr. Singh recommends washing every 5–7 days with a clarifying shampoo to reduce excess sebum and yeast-like organisms, followed by hydrating products to reinforce the scalp barrier. “Ultimately, a healthy scalp lays the foundation for healthy hair.”
Cooper and De Leon both recommend using a leave-in conditioner and lightweight scalp oil to lock in moisture. For clients transitioning from summer to fall styles, Peace finishes with grapeseed oil to seal in hydration and reduce irritation. Amara notes that prepping your scalp now sets the stage for strong growth later: “A clean, balanced scalp is the foundation. It’s like clearing space so your hair has room to thrive.”
Whether you’re removing months of product buildup, recovering from beachside styling, or just need a fresh start, a targeted cleanse followed by replenishing moisture can make all the difference. As Amara puts it, “You wouldn’t layer skincare on top of dirty skin. The same goes for your scalp.”