If you suffer from dandruff, you are in good company. The unsightly hair flaking condition affects nearly half the population, to one noticeable degree or another. It hits hardest in the winter, and mostly affects people in their teens and early twenties. There are a number of different causes, but we are going to focus upon some homebrew fixes.

There is no true cure for dandruff, but you can keep the flaking in check by simply crushing two aspirins to a fine powder and adding it to the normal amount of shampoo you use each time you wash your hair. (It's not so strange: look at the label of many medicated dandruff shampoos and you'll see the active ingredient salicylic acid, which is the two-dollar term for asipirin.) Be sure to leave the mixture on your hair for 1 to 2 minutes, then rinse well and wash again with plain shampoo.

Try baking soda! It reduces overactive fungi that can cause dandruff. Wet your hair and then rub a handful of baking soda vigorously into your scalp. Skip the shampoo and go right to rinsing. Baking soda will dry your hair out at first, but after a few weeks your scalp will start producing natural oils, leaving your hair softer and free of flakes.

Oil up, with tree, or coconut, or olive oil. Just adding a few drops of tree oil to your current favorite shampoo will turn it into a dandruff-busting shampoo. If you are looking for a more fragrant approach, massage 3 to 5 tablespoons of coconut oil into your scalp and let it sit for about an hour. Then, shampoo normally. Or take the Mediterranean approach and massage 10 drops of warm o live oil into your scalp and cover with a shower cap overnight. Just follow your regular shower routine in the morning.

Mouthwash is not just for bad breath anymore. The same anti-fungal chemistry that battles your halitosis can be put to work to combat the Melassezia yeast that contributes to your dandruff problem. Shampoo your hair as you normally would, than rinse it with an alcohol-based mouthwash.

Our old favorite apple cider vinegar, when not serving as our prototypical super-food, can perform double-duty as a dandruff buster. The acidity of apple cider vinegar changes the pH of your scalp, making it harder for yeast to grow. Mix a quarter cup apple cider vinegar with a quarter cup water in a spray bottle and spritz on your scalp. Wrap your head in a towel and let sit for 15 minutes to an hour, then wash your hair as usual. Do this twice a week.