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Popular dandruff remedies only do harm
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Currently, the most popular methods of getting rid of dandruff on the Internet are rubbing olive or any vegetable oil. They say that they are good for the head. However, researchers claim the opposite. Natural oils not only do not get rid of dandruff, but also only worsen the condition of the scalp. Experts from the medical school of the University of Saint Louis came to the conclusion that everything is not so simple.
Home treatment for dandruff involves massaging the oil into the scalp, leaving it on for 15 minutes or overnight, and then combing it out before washing.
Dandruff is usually caused by excess sebum production and overgrowth of yeast that occurs naturally on the scalp. Treating it with natural oils will not only fail to improve the scalp condition, but can actually have the opposite effect. This is because oils such as olive and other vegetable oils contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, which is what sets them apart from baby oil, which contains petroleum-based mineral oils.
Yeast itself feeds on saturated fatty acids, and therefore natural oils are the optimal nutrient medium for them. On the other hand, yeast is unable to digest mineral oil, which means that it is baby oil that can get rid of dandruff. But not natural vegetable oil, which becomes a source of nutrition for the main problem of the scalp, which is quite common in people. And therefore, fans of folk remedies for dandruff treatment are recommended to use baby oil.
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