Dandruff

If you are like many of the people who suffer from either dandruff or psoriasis you’ve probably tried all the OTC (over the counter) options available.  The most pleasant ones are like any regular shampoo, and unfortunately do about as much for dandruff as regular shampoo.  The unpleasant ones are expensive, messy, and they stink.

Then you turn to other alternatives: destroying your hair rubbing mineral oil on your scalp, or spending hours trying to massage moisturizing lotion into your scalp.

Or maybe you give up and live with it.

Another Alternative

Many people enjoy drinking tea.  They drink it hot, they drink it with lemon, they drink it iced.  And there are many varieties.  They carry the names of colors, famous people, and interesting places.

The one I’m going to tell you about today is black tea.  Black tea is made from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis , a perennial evergreen shrub.  Black tea is a good source of poly-phenols and anti-oxidants.  And it is currently the most popular in the United States.  Usually iced.

Preparation

If you think you may want to try this, I suggest starting like this.

• Find an empty bottle, perhaps an empty mouthwash bottle, one that will hold 48 ounces
• Boil six cups of water
• Add the boiling water to the empty bottle
• Tuck 4-6 tea bags into the bottle, allow the strings to hang outside.
• Once the water has cooled put the cap on the bottle, allowing the strings to remain outside
• Allow to steep 3-5 days, shaking occasionally
• When the tea has reached as dark a color as it can, remove the tea bags.

You now have about 3-4 weeks worth of Black Tea Rinse.  When you wash your hair go ahead and shampoo like normal, add conditioner, rinse, etc.  Before drying your hair, pour the tea from the bottle on your head until you can feel your scalp has been saturated.  About 4 ounces should do.  I recommend leaving this on your scalp.  In my experience it does not cause any stickiness or other unpleasant side effects.  But if you want to you can rinse it out after you have massaged it into your scalp.

If you leave it in, you will only notice a mild, and pleasant, tea smell after your hair dries.

Disclaimer – if your hair is susceptible, using tea this way may tint your hair.  It also may not.  You’ve been warned.

Do this every time you wash your hair.

The first think you will notice is that you have lost the urge to reach up and scratch and rub your scalp, and you should see a decrease in flakes as well.

Psoriasis

For spots of psoriasis on your skin you will need to have a tea or coffee pulverizer.  Pulverize the tea until it is a as close to being a powder as you can get.  Then add water a drop at a time until you have a paste.  You then apply the paste to the location of your psoriasis and cover with a bandage.  Remove after an hour. Wash the area and pat dry.  Apply a small amount once per day.  If you have sensitive skin, you can apply over a longer period such as 1-2 times a week until the psoriasis is gone.

Do not apply again if your condition worsens or you notice other side effects.

Good luck, I hope this works for you, and if not, that’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a cup of tea the regular way.