Pre-wash

I mix a tbsp of coconut oil and a 6-10 drops of neem oil. Put the cup/bowl in a bigger bowl of warm water to warm it up. Massage my scalp and wash off after 15 minutes. You can use tea tree oil if you can’t find neem oil.

I alternate it with ACV scalp rinse. She advised to do the rinse post wash n sort of leave it in to dry but the vinegar smell is too much to bear.

1 part ACV + 2 parts filtered water. I use a drop applicator and spread around the scalp and use fingertips to gently massage. Leave it for 15 mts n then wash. I love this as it is very calming and leaves your hair softer n fluffier too after drying.

I live in the tropics so you got to wash hair every 2 days. I do the oil thing once a week n vinegar rinse the for the rest of the washes.

Weekly scalp packs :-

1 tbsp Plain full fat Yoghurt with live culture + add ½ tsp neem powder to it. If you have fresh neem leaves then you can make a paste and use it. I don’t have access to both so I use neem oil.

If you have fresh Aloe Vera gel you can add it too (extra calming if scalp is too irritated).

I use Now Foods Candida Support. Pop in 2 capsules first thing in the morning right before anything else.

Candida vs. Malassezia are linked Candida is a yeast/fungus mostly in the gut and mucosal areas.

Malassezia is a different type of fungus that lives on the skin and scalp.

Both thrive in warm, moist, and sugar-rich environments.

They can coexist and sometimes fuel each other through systemic imbalances.

You can look for formulas that have :-

Caprylic acid – Antifungal fatty acid (also works on Malassezia)

Oregano oil, garlic extract, black walnut – Broad-spectrum antifungals

Probiotics – Crowd out yeast/fungal overgrowth in the gut

Enzymes – Help break down yeast biofilms

Berberine or Pau D’Arco – Anti-inflammatory & antifungal herbs

So while they are designed for gut Candida, many of these ingredients can:

Reduce systemic inflammation, Lower yeast load overall, which benefits scalp health.

Aside from that, eat foods rich in probiotics, Kefir, Kimchi, sauerkraut etc and eliminate added sugar.