This Christophe Robin Scalp Scrub Seriously Worked Wonders for My Oily Hair

• Value: 18/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Quality: 20/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Effectiveness: 20/20
• TOTAL: 96/100

There are many hair woes one can be #blessed with. For some, it’s thinning strands. For others, it’s dryness and breakage. My own personal tress qualm, however, starts at the root (literally). For as long as I can remember, I’ve been plagued with a super oily scalp that seemingly nothing could cure—until I was introduced to the Christophe Robin cleansing purifying scalp scrub with sea salt, that is.

For those that aren’t familiar with the wide world of scalp scrubs, this product works just like a body scrub to exfoliate your noggin, aiming to remove dead skin cells along with product buildup and excess oils. It's formulated with soothing almond oil and sea salt minerals to try to restore balance to sensitive or oily scalps, like mine, which people can be prone to for a variety of reasons.

If you've ever touched the crown of your head immediately after washing your hair and felt what can only be described as a waxy oil slick (*raises hand*), you're not alone. There are numerous reasons why you may be more prone to greasy hair than others. For some, it may come down to washing behaviors and product choices. Overwashing, for instance, can send a message to your scalp that it needs to produce more sebum (an oily substance produced by your body’s glands), whereas skipping shampoo completely can allow all that oil to pile up. 

For others, it’s a matter of genetics. According to Healthline, straight hair is more prone to collecting oil, since it doesn’t have any texture, making it easier for sebum to slide down the strand. Some, on the other hand, may suffer from something called seborrhea, or excess sebum production, which occurs when the body reacts poorly to excess Malassezia yeast, which lives on the scalp’s surface.

Using the Christophe Robin salt scrub couldn’t be easier. Once or twice a week, the brand recommends applying roughly a tablespoon of the product to your already-damp hair, concentrating at the nape of your neck. Personally, since I tend to get most greasy near the crown of my head, I like to use a little more there. While the exfoliating salt can make it difficult to work through your hair at first, it becomes easier and easier as you add in water. I like to lather it into a super-sudsy foam before rinsing it thoroughly. Christophe Robin recommends following it up with its detangling gelée with sea minerals for the best results. 

Speaking of results, it's the moment of truth. Since I’ve been burned by hair products before, I opened my trial-size jar of this product with a healthy dose of skepticism. It has a rather potent soap scent in the jar, so I fully expected it to make my hair reek. I also had relatively low expectations for its claims to cleanse, purify and balance my scalp (and in turn, my hair). After just one wash, however, I knew I had found something special. Not only did it not leave any strong scent behind, my hair felt … clean. Deeply, thoroughly and miraculously clean. Even the problem area near my crown felt completely oil-free!

Now here’s the best part: Three days later, my locks still felt fresh. Normally, after three days, my tresses would be practically screaming for a wash. Any longer, and I’ve got an absolute grease pit on my hands. But for what very well might have been the first time in my life, my strands didn’t feel gross after those three days of neglect. Needless to say, I purchased a full-size jar before my sample even ran out, the $50 price tag be damned: It’s really that good. I'm happy to say I've found the holy grail of scalp scrubs, and I'll never look back.