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Summary: In this blog we detail and explore why you may have dry skin on or around your eyebrows. We’ll discuss what causes eyebrow dandruff, what it can mean, and how to help get rid of it. Read on to discover more about eyebrow dandruff, and dry skin in this area and what to do about it…

Eyebrow dandruff. Yes, you read that correctly – it’s a thing! Its technical name is seborrheic dermatitis, but it’s simply another unexpected (but thankfully treatable) issue the body can develop and surprise you with.

Regardless, it’s not nice to have flaky skin in your brows for all the world to see. So, how can you help get rid of it?

What is seborrheic dermatitis?

Eyebrow dandruff, or seborrheic dermatitis, is an inflammatory condition that can affect all genders at any stage of their life. It occurs when the body has a reaction to a build up of yeast that's called malessezia furfur. This yeast is naturally everywhere on the body, and it’s the same yeast that can cause scalp dandruff too. The flakes of seborrheic dermatitis are usually large and oily, and the skin might additionally be red and irritated underneath them.

Seborrheic dermatitis can occur anywhere where there’s hair: face, scalp, butt, chest, belly, genitals etc. The oilier the area, the more prone to seborrheic dermatitis a certain patch will be, hence scalp dandruff being the most common.

Seborrheic dermatitis is considered a chronic condition, so it’s treatable but not curable. The condition will ‘flare’ occasionally, perhaps due to stress levels or a change in the seasons etc.

If it’s just dry skin that needs moisturising, this won’t be as localised (so other areas of the face will be dry, not just the brows), will be a lot finer in scale and the underlying skin won’t be red.

What causes eyebrow dandruff?

Usually you can put dandruff down to genetics, so if your family suffers from it, it’s likely you will too. However some medications can cause the skin to react and develop dandruff, as well as allergies. If you’re highly stressed this also can exasperate any skin condition, including seborrheic dermatitis.

How can I treat the dry skin on or around my eyebrows?

Fish Oil

A fish oil supplement can help suppress a flare up of seborrheic dermatitis. Omega 3 fatty acids which fish oils are rich in, are essential for skin and hair health so you want to stay well stocked to reduce the symptoms of dandruff.

You can take a supplement, or you can aim to eat around 12 ounces of low mercury fish a week which is roughly two average meals. Low mercury fish includes shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for centuries to soothe skin conditions, including dandruff. If you have an aloe vera plant, simply squeeze the liquid out of the leaf and massage into brows. If you don’t have a plant, there are many products on the market like aloe vera gel that have just has just as good an effect!

Due to its gel like consistency, you will have to wash it out after application, otherwise your brows will feel very sticky. However, you can use aloe vera everyday and leave it in your brows for up to 30 minutes a time before thoroughly rinsing.

Gently Wash, Don’t Exfoliate

It may seem instinctive to exfoliate the dead skin cells away but this can actually make the dandruff and dry skin on the eyebrows worse. Using harsh exfoliants or aggressively rubbing can make the scaling and redness sorer.

You should wash your eyebrows with an anti-dandruff or gentle shampoo though, minding not to get it the eyes. Try Cel’s Microstem Shampoo. As well as being hypoallergenic, it contains glycerin which is a non-toxic sugar compound that works as a moisture sponge to help keep our scalp and brows hydrated, whilst preventing any skin irritation like seborrheic dermatitis.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is notorious for treating skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis and dry skin. It’s antibacterial, anti fungal and anti-inflammatory – a little miracle oil! Try to stick to a tea tree oil concentrate of 5% to 20%, but if you do buy 100% tea tree oil be mindful that this will be too strong to apply directly, so make sure you dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut, almond or olive.

Simply add up to 15 drops of tea tree oil to a tablespoon of your chosen carrier oil and then gently massage the mixture onto your flaky brows and let it soak into the skin. Do this after showering.

Diet

Did you know your diet could be contributing to your flare ups? You need to be well stocked on foods that have anti-inflammatory properties, whilst also supporting your immune system, to help prevent flares from happening.

Load up on foods like sweet potatoes, almonds, bell peppers, citrus fruits, avocados, butternut squash, olive oil, tomatoes, berries, kale, spinach and other leafy greens to support your eyebrows, hair and skin and their condition from the inside out.

Read up on the do’s and don’ts of food for hair growth here.

Our final thoughts on dry skin around or on the eyebrows

If you’re wearing makeup whilst battling with eyebrow dandruff, make sure you apply a moisturiser before you apply. A line of coconut oil over your brows would do the trick! This way you’ll get a smoother finish, otherwise the flakes may appear more pronounced.

If you’re trying all these at home remedies and reaping no improvements, it may be time to let a dermatologist intervene. They may prescribe an anti-fungal cream to use daily for a set number of weeks, or in severe cases, a cortisone cream to help calm the inflammation and scaling and stop the symptoms.