How to use a scalp serum

Formula 01 is a precision daily scalp ritual for noticeably thicker-looking hair. Once a day, on a clean, dry scalp: 1–2 pumps, spread into a thin film and left on until your next wash. Here is each step, and why it is done that way.

How do you use a scalp serum?

Apply a scalp serum directly to a clean, dry scalp, not to the lengths of your hair. Part the hair, apply a small amount along the part, spread it with your fingertips into a thin layer and leave it on. For Formula 01, that means 1–2 pumps once a day, with no rinsing until your next wash.

Step by step

What it feels like

Formula 01 comes out of the pump as a thick gel. That is by design: it is an alginate gel, not a watery tonic. It thins as you spread it and dries to a light film on the scalp. It is fragrance-free, so there is no scent to layer with your other products.

Common mistakes

• Applying to a wet scalp. The gel thins and slides onto the hair. Wait until the skin at the part feels dry.
• Using more than 1–2 pumps. More is not better. Extra gel takes longer to dry and can leave the roots looking heavy.
• Putting it on the lengths. It is made for the scalp. Use your usual products on the lengths.
• Rinsing it off. It is a leave-on serum. Leave it until your next wash.

For the full daily routine, what to expect and when to reorder, see your Formula 01 routine. More detail: your post-shower scalp routine, scalp serum on wet or dry hair? and a non-greasy scalp serum for fine hair.