This Peppermint-Infused Scalp Serum Soothed My Itchy Scalp Almost Instantly

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Photo: Getty Images / Yadira G. Morel
The worst part about getting braids is the itchy scalp that soon follows. It's a feeling I'm all too familiar with and something I had always been unable to successfully manage. The braid sprays never did much and any sulfur-based products that helped also smelled terrible. So when I got an email about Canviiy, a Black-owned hair-care brand that is centered around an anti-itch serum, I was more than intrigued. I put it on as soon as the box of ScalpBliss arrived—and instantly fell in love.

You know that ridiculously refreshing feeling you get when you take a sip of ice-cold water while chewing minty gum? That's what the Canviiy ScalpBliss Itch-Calming Organic-Based Serum ($20) feels like on your scalp. And that sensation lasts for hours—I can put it on before bed and still feel the soothing tingles the next morning.

Canviiy ScalpBliss Itch-Calming Organic-Based Serum

Shop: Canviiy ScapBliss Itch-Calming Organic-Based Serum, $20

The power of this product lies in its ingredients. The star of the show is peppermint oil, but it's also packed with good-for-your scalp ingredients like aloe vera, witch hazel, manuka honey, lavender, and jojoba. Founder and CEO Sherrel Sampson launched Canviiy with the ScalpBliss serum in 2015 after realizing there wasn't an effective organic product on the market to address itchy and irritated scalps. With extensive experience working with personal care brands, she knew she wanted to make a product of her own but wasn't sure where to start.

"One day I got a sew-in and my scalp was on fire—no lie I came home and I was ready to just pull out the tracks," says Sampson. "I called my stylist and I was like 'Hey, girl. What can I do for this?' and she's like 'Well, you can wash your hair'—and I'm like okay I just paid all this money for my hair and to get it done I'm not washing it. And so my husband looks at me and he says 'Babe, why don't you do something for that?'"

Through her research, she realized a product like this could help more than just those with braids and extensions. "Women who color their hair experience scalp irritation, people who just have eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis," she says. "I was like if we take our time to build something really unique and really different, we could create something really special, not just for people who wear extensions but people who suffer from scalp irritation."

Sampson worked hand-in-hand with an organic chemist for 18 months to develop this serum, and it shows. The soothing sensation begins as soon as it touches your scalp. It's lightweight and non-greasy so it works for any hair texture, it's formulated with certified-organic ingredients, it's cruelty-free, and the non-runny formula paired with the nozzle tip applicator makes it easy to apply.

In the years since its launch, Canviiy has also released ScalpBliss Scalp Purifying Foam Treatment ($15) for dandruff, Nourish+Calm Natural Cleansing Bar ($8) for the body, and most recently, the ScalpBliss Restorative Growth Serum ($18).  The line is available to purchase directly from Canviiy and arrived at Target in February. You might also spot it in airports ready to soothe that vacay scalp sunburn. Sampson said the brand is working to become available through other major retailers and plans to expand its ScalpBliss line.

There is nothing about this serum that I don't love. It smells delicious, feels great, and actually works. Excuse me while I go and apply some more.

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