Now I am the one who is always on the Internet looking for new and unique beauty hacks. I won’t deny I do greet these hacks’ that at first might to be only a little helpful, with a lot of side eye, but do not miss to experiment it on myself to get a reliable conclusion.
So when I came across this Instagram post by Farah Dhukai that she uses Listerine to rid her hair of dandruff, I was quite in surprise. Its winter and my head is all flaky – so why not try some Listerine for dandruff control and see if it actually works. We got nothing to lose, well, maybe few flakes of dandruff.
You won’t believe the results, because I couldn’t either. I just followed the super easy steps and after I blow dried my hair, there wasn’t a hint of dandruff.
The kind of inquisitive I am, I took the experiment to my dermatologist and what she told me was quite surprising. Apparently, way back in the early 1930s and 1940s, the mouth wash was largely known for its hair benefits and was even marketed on those lines. My doctors said that people all over North America and parts of Europe used Listerine for hair lice. In fact, the chemical formulae of the breath freshener is such that people largely recognize Listerine for hair benefits. Not only does it help in fighting dandruff and help us bring an end to lice, people in the western countries also use Listerine for hair growth.
It is the kind of beauty hack that was well known and was lying right there in plain sight and some of us were too ignorant to recognize its amazing advantages. My dermatologist suggests that I should make a Listerine spray for hair growth, keep it in a separate bottle, and use it at least twice a week.
The discussion inspired me to make further investigation to know more about the product. I hit the internet again and what I discovered was amazing. The biggest names in the world of style, in fact the hair stylists of the celebs also swear by the magical effects of Listerine on one’s hair. Hair expert and celebrity hairstylist Daven Mayeda says, “Listerine may just work for treating dandruff,” and was all praises for the product. She added, “Flaky, dry skin is often caused by an overgrowth of yeast, and the antiviral and antifungal properties from Listerine can treat the disorder. The ingredients in Listerine like menthol, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, and thymol contain antifungal properties. It’s a great medication for minor cases, but might not be strong enough for moderate to severe cases.”
When Tyler Colton, another big shot in the field who has worked with the likes of Avril Lavigne and Charlize Theron, was asked about his take on the product, he did approve of the hack. He would use mouthwash on his clients as long as they have the component that makes it a great fighter of dandruffs. “You can basically use any mouthwash but I would use a tea tree-based mouthwash. Tea tree has natural properties that will help with dandruff. And instead of buying dandruff shampoo, you could easily mix up your own batch of mouthwash and shampoo to create your own dandruff shampoo,” says Colton.
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The ace stylist suggested, as opposed to popular belief, dandruff is not dry and dead skin of the scalp and continued to burst the myth, “This is the biggest misconception and this is where marketing for dandruff gets people. With changing season, we can get a dry scalp that flakes white. This is just dry scalp and using a deep conditioner at the scalp will help cure dry scalp. Dandruff is an over-production of the oil gland which produces sebum. This oil/sebum builds up on the scalp getting crusty and flakes off. Anti-fungal and soothing properties found in mouthwash can help dry up and control dandruff.”
It is hence safe to say that Listerine with its properties to fight flaking and killing lice, can actually double as a great hair product. All you have to do is get through your regular regimen of washing your hair with a shampoo and conditioning it for smoothness. After rinsing the conditioner off the scalp, dilute some Listerine in a mug of water and use that water for a final wash. You may or may not rinse it off your hair. I am going to perform it throughout winter. How about you?
For more interesting beauty hacks, keep visiting this space.
