Scalp Care Is Skin Care
I have a little confession.
I spend so much time thinking about skincare rituals… and somehow I forget about my scalp.
Yet it’s skin too — and when the air is dry (especially here in Salida), I can feel it. My scalp gets tighter, my hair looks duller, and everything just feels a little off.
Lately I’ve been reminding myself that scalp care is skin care. When our skin is dry, our scalp is usually dry too — and it shows in the health of our hair.
That’s what brought me back (again and again) to rosemary — a plant I’ve trusted for years for circulation, scalp health, and waking up sleepy roots. It’s simple, accessible, and incredibly effective.
A Simple Rosemary Hair Oil (DIY)
If you’d like to make your own at home, rosemary is one of the easiest and most forgiving herbs to work with.
You’ll need:
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1 cup olive oil, jojoba, or fractionated coconut oil
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3/4 cup dried rosemary leaf
Slow Infusion (traditional)
Place the rosemary in a clean glass jar and cover completely with oil. Let it infuse in a warm, sunny window for three to four weeks, shaking gently every few days. Strain, and you have a simple, potent herbal hair oil.
Quick Infusion (when you don’t want to wait)
For a faster version, you can use a gentle double boiler.
Place the rosemary and oil in a heat-safe glass jar or bowl. Set it in a pot with a few inches of water and warm on very low heat for 20–30 minutes. The oil should feel warm, never hot.
Strain and use right away.
A Weekly Scalp Ritual
For many of us, scalp care is something we’ve never really been taught — but it can become one of the most grounding rituals you add to your week.
Choose a day or evening when you have a little extra time.
Warm a couple of dropperfuls of vitalizing hair oil between your palms — depending on how thirsty your scalp is, you may want to use a little more.
Let your shoulders soften. Let your breath deepen.
Close your eyes and take three slow breaths. Inhale the herbal aroma. Exhale whatever you’ve been carrying.
Begin at the crown of your head and massage gently with your fingertips. Move in slow, circular motions — no rushing, no pressure, just steady, loving touch.
Let your fingers wander across your scalp, down behind the ears, along the hairline. Follow the places that feel dry, tight, or tired.
When you’re ready, draw the remaining oil through the lengths of your hair.
Sit for a moment in stillness. Feel your roots, your breath, your body settling.
Leave on for an hour, or overnight if your hair welcomes it.
A Little Herbal Secret
When you’re ready to rinse, here’s the gentlest way to shampoo:
Step into the shower and don’t wet your hair first.
Apply shampoo directly to your dry, oiled scalp and massage gently. Then let the water hit.
Oil and water don’t mix — but shampoo binds to oil. Starting this way helps everything rinse clean without stripping or needing to over-wash.
It’s a small shift, but it makes the whole ritual feel softer, easier, and more effective.
And If You’d Like to Go Deeper…
After years of working with rosemary, I eventually created my own blend.
My Vitalizing Hair Treatment combines rosemary-infused jojoba and argan oils with pumpkin seed, amla, bakuchi, black seed, and daikon seed extract — plants I chose not just for shine, but for true scalp health, circulation, and long-term resilience.
For me, I use it as a once-a-week ritual — a healthy amount massaged into my scalp and through the ends an hour or so before shampooing.
A few drops.
A slow breath.
Tend the roots.
with love and sunshine,
