Recently read about scalp exfoliation- are there any benefits or is in-shampoo massage care enough?

There are so many hair products on the market these days that it's sometimes difficult to work out whether your hair is oily due to the natural sebum its producing or the products used. It may be due to the fact that your scalp is actually too dry. If too dry your scalp may produce more oil that then transfers to your hair, so you think you have an oily scalp, if that makes sense..!!
Products that make the hair shine or products that coat the hair shaft may include silicone or stearic acid and over time these tend to build up on the hair and then we go and buy a product to 'strip' it all out and start again..!!
I wouldn't bother with a shop bought product to exfoliate the scalp as a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar mixed with a gentle shampoo and gently massaged into the scalp for a minute or two will work just as well. If your hair is prone to be oily then a good idea is add a couple of drops of essential oil to a gentle shampoo - there are lots to choose from but Lemongrass is one of my favourites. Others you can try are Lemon, Lavender, Basil, Rosemary or T Tree if your scalp is very dry or itchy, If you think the problem may be due to product or conditioner build up, take a small amount of baking soda and mix this in with your shampoo. Hope this helps

giving yourself a 5 minute scalp massage on dry hair or a couple of drops of olive oil, just do some generaly shampooing techniques but use the pads of your fingers rather than your nails as this can be too harsh.
A holistic therapist can offer you a lovely aromatic aromatherapy massage to the scalp.

Hi Ali,
Scalp exfoliators are getting popular, I know Korres sell a good scalp exfoliator. I would take the previous advice and consult your hairdresser, they will be able to give you advice from what they know about your hair, how you maintain it and what styling etc products you use, they will also be able to advise you on exfoliating techniques with your hands whilst shampooing. You certainly wont do damage to your scalp by gently exfoliating occasionally, but only once or twice a week at most. Really its about asking advice from your hairdresser and giving it a go if you feel it suits you and you are seeing benefits (some people dont like the feel of having exfoliator in their hair). I would stick to sugar based products or mixing sugar with your shampoo as advised by the pamper party lady, dont use any harsh sea salts or anything.
You can also have a good head and scalp massage with oils from a therapist, the massage techniques will help disperse dead skin, exfoliate the scalp and the soft oils will condition hair as well as the scalp.
I hope this is helpful
Nikki