Your Post-Shower Scalp Routine

The best time to apply a leave-on scalp serum is right after you wash, once the scalp is dry. Here is the routine for Formula 01, step by step, with the small details that make the difference.

How do you use a scalp serum after a shower?

After a shower, dry your scalp fully first, then part your hair and apply the scalp serum along the part at the roots. Spread it into a thin film with your fingertips and let it dry before you style. With Formula 01 that is 1–2 pumps, once a day, left on until your next wash.

Step by step

1. Wash as usual

Use your normal shampoo and conditioner. Keep conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends so the scalp is clean and free of residue.

2. Dry the scalp completely

Towel-dry, then let the scalp dry fully, either in the air or with a blow-dryer on a cool or low setting aimed at the roots. Water left on the scalp dilutes the matrix. The lengths can still be a little damp; the skin should not be. See why a gel serum needs a dry scalp.

3. Part the hair

Make a part where you want to apply, so you can see the skin. For the hairline and temples, push the hair back. For the crown, make two or three short parts close together.

4. Apply 1–2 pumps at the roots

Put the serum on the scalp, not the hair: along the part, the hairline, the temples or the crown, wherever you want it. One pump is about 1 mL. Start with one, and use two for a larger area.

5. Spread it into a thin film

Use your fingertips to spread the gel. It feels thick at first, then thins out into a light coating. Do not rinse it off.

6. Style and leave it on

Style your hair normally. The serum is meant to stay on the scalp until your next wash, typically 12–24 hours.

Morning or evening?

Either works. What matters is a clean, dry scalp and doing it once a day. Pick the time you will keep to: right after a morning shower, or after an evening wash once your scalp has dried.

Common mistakes

• Applying to a wet scalp. The gel thins and runs onto the lengths.
• Rubbing it through the hair. It belongs on the skin; on the lengths it only adds weight.
• Using more to “do more”. The directions are 1–2 pumps. A thin film dries faster and feels lighter.
• Rinsing it off. It is a leave-on serum.
• Layering oil on top at the roots. If you use an oil, keep it to the ends.

Before you start

If you have sensitive skin, try a small amount on one area first and wait a day. Stop using it if your scalp becomes irritated, and contact us at contact@synergy45.com to report any reaction. The full directions are on the How to Use page.

Keep reading

• How to use a scalp serum: the label directions, step by step
• Scalp serum on wet or dry hair?: towel-dried, damp or fully dry
• Scalp serum for fine hair: keeping roots light: texture, finish and how much to use
• Thicker-looking hair for men and women: for men and women, and where to apply it