Dry Scalps Are No Match For This Affordable Shampoo Massage Brush

Combat dryness and eczema with this hair care, skincare, and self-care dream!

Being born with eczema means more than just temperamental dry patches and sensitive skin on my body—my scalp is affected too! It constantly pleads for moisture and is usually Flake City, population: me. That means I prioritize my head getting a deep, thorough clean to minimize irritation and buildup in my hair. I recently came across the Diane shampoo massage brush, and its whole premise sounded like a scalp savior and hair-washing must-have. Using circular motions, the silicone bristles are meant to exfoliate, increase blood flow, relieve head tension, and get rid of any dry skin or product buildup. Coming in at only $6.99 at Ulta—and being much cheaper than other massager brush/scalp massager/scalp brush options—I was sold on trying it out!

I had high hopes for this shampoo massage brush, but I simultaneously had some reservations and concerns, too. Was my scalp going to feel as clean as it normally does? Were the silicon bristles going to even remotely mimic the satisfaction of scrubbing with my fingers? Was this going to hurt my sensitive scalp? And were the circular motions going to weave up some sort of impossible, monster knot on my head?

After many days of concealing my oily roots and ever-present flakey scalp in messy buns, it was time to put the massage brush to the test. My first method involved applying shampoo directly onto the bristles and then going to town on my head. I quickly realized that the shampoo mostly sat on the area that I initially scrubbed at, and I simply didn’t use enough. I kept pouring more and more shampoo onto the massager, almost five times the amount than usual. While I knew that was a bit excessive, it honestly made me question whether or not I’ve been using enough shampoo in my hair in general.

Alas, I finally finished up my last circular motion, and to my delight, my scalp actually felt pretty relaxed. I hold a lot of tension and get some pretty uncomfortable dryness on the crown and on the back of my head, so I was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t feel compelled to keep scrubbing with my fingers. The bristles may be pointy, but they aren’t too firm and aren’t at all painful. They don’t hazardously scratch the head and have some give when you apply pressure. Like the name implies, it just feels like a nice massage.

Rinsing all the accumulated product proved to take a lot longer than usual, (which honestly was probably my own fault,) but I didn’t have any knots like I initially feared! Once my hair dried, it looked and felt fresh, and for the first time in a while, there were no flakes to be found! Throughout the week, my hair stayed cleaner for longer, and my scalp was less dry and generally eczema-free—a huge feat for me.

However, in my next wash, I wanted to tackle this surplus shampoo situation and try a different technique: I first put shampoo on my fingers, ran it through my scalp, and then went in with the brush. While this still meant more shampoo than normal, it was significantly less than my first trial and I could avoid rinsing out a thick coat of shampoo on my head. In fact, the circular motions evenly distributed the product and created a nice lather that gave me the same result, just less time and difficulty.

Even though using a massage brush takes more time and effort overall, I think it’s totally worth it and has made a difference in my scalp health. I’m definitely using more shampoo than I was in the past, but that probably just means I wasn’t using enough before. Now, my hair feels cleaner after my showers, and my scalp is soothed and calm. You don’t have to have eczema or deal with a dry scalp to enjoy it too. If you just want a soothing massage or do a deep hair cleaning, the Diane shampoo massager brush is the perfect addition to your self-care arsenal!