Thanks to the genetic lottery and my years-long gig as a beauty writer, I’ve always had great hair. But what hides beneath my bountiful 2B texture is a greasy, flaky, and uncomfortably itchy scalp that’s perpetually in need of relief. So, on my endless search for soothing products and anti-dandruff hair care, I came across Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Special Shampoo — and I’ve been a convert ever since.
My scalp is basically a breeding ground for dandruff, and it’s an issue I’ve had for as long as I can remember. Several family members have similar, less severe issues with the condition. Plus my constant battle with trichotillomania — a body-focused repetitive behavior that gives you the compulsion to pull out hair during times of stress — definitely worsens the situation on my scalp.
Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, previously told Allure that this BFRB can actually lead to physical damage on the scalp. “In some cases with chronic hair pulling, inflammation may develop around the follicles, leading to permanent damage,” he says. This inflammation can also lead to other issues like irritation, scabs, and flakes.
Thankfully, this shampoo relieves the itchy, sometimes painful flaking and irritation on my scalp through its main ingredient, tea tree oil. In case you need to brush up on your ingredient knowledge, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Arash Akhavan says that tea tree oil has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory benefits to rid your scalp of excess oil, sweat, and product build-up. “It has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of dandruff and other inflammatory conditions of the scalp,” he says.
Another key ingredient to this shampoo’s formula is peppermint oil, which makes my hair smell like candy-canes — ’tis (almost) the season, right? — while it acts as a second cleansing defense. “Similar to tea tree oil, peppermint oil has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-fungal benefits for the scalp,” says Akhavan. “It can help with itchiness of the scalp and can sometimes be helpful for those with excessive scaling.”
Put these two intensive ingredients together, and you’ve got a recipe for a cleansed, soothed, and (nearly) flake-free crown — which is exactly what I got after using this shampoo for about two weeks.