Advice
Hair Scrub: Should You Use It Before or After Shampooing?
Should you do a hair scrub before or after shampooing? We explain the order, benefits, and mistakes to avoid for your treatments.
Hair Scrub Before or After Shampooing: The Clear Answer to Properly Exfoliating Your Scalp
A scalp scrub is a way to reset your scalp. It helps remove dead skin cells, excess sebum, and styling product residue. But with the Madame d’Alexis routine, there’s one important misconception to clear up: The scrub isn’t automatically used before shampooing. It replaces shampoo on the days you use it.
- A hair scrub should not be used after shampooing: it can unnecessarily irritate the scalp, which has already been washed.
- With Alexis’s Le Scrub Madame, the rule is simple: use it as a reset wash and let it replace your shampoo that day.
- The recommended frequency is every 10 to 15 days, not once a week by default.
- Massage the wet scalp using your fingertips, without scratching with your fingernails.
- After rinsing, you can follow up as needed: apply Night Serum to the roots in the evening, and a mask to the mid-lengths and ends if they're dry.
Madame d’Alexis products featured in this routine
Product cards are included in this article only for the skincare products that are actually useful: the Scrub, the Shampoo, the Night Serum, and the Length-Enhancing Mask.
The Scalp Reset Scrub
- Every 10 to 15 days
- Replaces shampoo on that day
- Helps remove residue and excess sebum
Gentle Shampoo
- Days Without a Scrub
- Free from sulfates and silicones
- pH 5, plant-based keratin
Night Serum for roots
- Scalp and roots only
- In the evening, apply section by section
- A few drops, leave-in
Lengths Mask
- Lengths and ends only
- After washing, if the fabric is dry
- Does not contain keratin
Helpful videos to watch before you get started
The videos are included here because they demonstrate the essential techniques: scratching, massaging the scalp, and proper exfoliation.
Solutions for Itchy Scalp
Why the Scalp Can Become Suffocated
How to Exfoliate Properly
Hair Scrub: Before or After Shampooing?
The general answer: before shampooing
In a typical routine, a scalp scrub is usually done before shampooing, as it helps loosen residue, dead skin cells, and excess sebum. Shampooing then removes what has been loosened.
Madame d’Alexis’s answer: On that day, the scrub replaces shampoo.
To avoid over-washing or stripping the scalp, Madame d’Alexis’s routine is simpler: Use the Scrub as an occasional reset, then rinse it out thoroughly. There’s no need to follow up with the Shampoo on the same day.
Key takeaway: On days when you don't use the scrub, use the shampoo. On days when you use the scrub, the scrub replaces the shampoo.
How do you use a hair scrub properly?
The technique is just as important as the product. A good scrub should never be rubbed in aggressively. The goal is to gently massage the scalp, not to irritate it.
Wet the scalp
Moisten the roots thoroughly to make them easier to spread out and reduce friction.
Apply in sections
Apply a small amount directly to the scalp, not to the lengths of the hair.
Gently massage
Use your fingertips in slow, circular motions, without using your fingernails.
Rinse thoroughly
Rinse until all the grains are gone. With Madame d’Alexis, that’s all you need to do: the scrub replaces shampoo that day.
Fill in if necessary
In the evening, the Night Serum can be applied to the scalp and roots. If the lengths are dry, apply the Mask only to the lengths and ends.
What are the benefits of a hair scrub?
A scalp scrub can be helpful when your roots get oily quickly, your scalp feels clogged, or styling products build up. However, don’t be misled by exaggerated claims: it does not “repair” your hair, does not “strengthen” it medically, and does not guarantee hair growth.
Lighter roots
By helping to remove buildup, the scalp can feel fresher and less heavy.
Less buildup
A scrub is a good idea if you use dry shampoo, gel, styling cream, hairspray, or oils.
A More Streamlined Routine
An occasional reset helps you start over on a cleaner footing, without accumulating more products.
If your scalp is mainly oily or clogged, be sure to check out our guide on sweating and scalp buildup.
Hair Scrub vs. Exfoliating Shampoo
The two steps may seem similar, but they don’t serve exactly the same purpose in a routine. Exfoliation is a one-time reset. Exfoliating shampoo is often thought of as a hybrid cleanse.
| Criterion | Hair scrub | Exfoliating shampoo |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Occasional scalp reset. | Cleansing with gentle exfoliation. |
| Frequency | Every 10 to 15 days with Alexis's Le Scrub Madame. | Depending on the formula, this is often more common but less targeted. |
| Place in the routine | Use this instead of shampoo that day. | It generally replaces a regular shampoo. |
| Warning | Do not use on an irritated or damaged scalp. | Check to make sure the formula does not strip the surface. |
For more information: hair scrub or exfoliating shampoo.
Mistakes to avoid
- Exfoliate after shampooing, when the scalp has already been washed.
- Make it a habit to use the scrub once a week. With Madame d’Alexis, use it every 10 to 15 days.
- Scrubbing with your fingernails or massaging too hard.
- Apply the scrub to dry hair if the formula is not intended for that purpose.
- Exfoliating an irritated, painful, damaged, or very red scalp.
- Apply the mask to the scalp, even though it is formulated for the lengths and ends.
See also: to round out your routine
Exfoliation and the Scalp
Products and Active Ingredients
FAQ - Should You Exfoliate Your Hair Before or After Shampooing?
Should you use a hair scrub before or after shampooing?
Generally, exfoliation is done before shampooing. But with Alexis’s Le Scrub Madame, it replaces shampoo on the day you use it: apply it, massage gently, then rinse thoroughly.
How often should you use Alexis's Le Scrub Madame?
Every 10 to 15 days, depending on your scalp. Using it too often can cause irritation or upset the balance of your scalp.
Can you exfoliate a sensitive scalp?
Yes, but only if the scalp is not irritated, painful, or damaged. The massage should be very gentle. If you have patches, significant redness, or pain, avoid exfoliation.
Can you exfoliate after using a face mask?
No. The mask is designed to condition the mid-lengths and ends. Exfoliating afterward serves no purpose and can disrupt your routine.
Does exfoliation promote hair growth?
It may be accompanied by a feeling that the scalp is cleaner and lighter, but it does not guarantee increased hair growth. Hair growth depends on many factors.
Should you wet your hair before exfoliating?
Yes. The scalp should be wet to help distribute the product and minimize friction.
