Q: I have a rather oily scalp and also a mild dandruff problem. The use of certain hair products helps to reduce one problem but intensifies the other. What hair products can I use to eliminate both problems?

A: Maeda Toshikazu, the artistic director of hair spa Komachi The Hair Cult (02-07 Liang Court, tel: 6339-9432) advises that you treat your oily scalp first. Once that is taken care of, it is likely that you will start seeing less dandruff because your scalp is healthy and balanced.

Start with an appropriate shampoo that treats oily scalps.

He recommends a product such as Simply Zen Normalizing Clay Hair Wash ($22 for 250ml, from Komachi), which is formulated with white kaolin clay that helps to absorb excess sebum without stripping away moisture.

You should also use shampoo correctly. The appropriate amount of shampoo to use each time is about the size of a 50-cent coin.

'Using too much shampoo will produce a film that covers the scalp, making it difficult to remove all the dirt and oil from the scalp,' he says.

If your budget allows, invest in a post-shampoo product such as Simply Zen Equilibrium Scalp Lotion ($60 for eight 8ml bottles) to help maintain the health of your scalp.

If your dandruff persists, try using an anti-dandruff shampoo such as Simply Zen Dandruff Controller Shampoo ($22 for 250ml) every other day, alternating with your oil-controlling shampoo.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Oct 17, 2008.