Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum
A lightweight leave-in scalp serum designed to support scalp hydration and help relieve the look and feel of dryness.
A useful scalp-support product for people whose scalp feels dry, tight, or uncomfortable but who do not want a heavy oil treatment.
Most scalp hydration products are either medicated (which you don't need if the issue is just dryness) or oil-based (which can feel heavy and require a wash-out). This delivers proper humectant hydration — the type your scalp is actually missing — in a lightweight leave-in format at a price point that makes daily use practical.
Nightly leave-in, applied after washing hair or on dry scalp days between washes. Apply before bed so it absorbs overnight without the need to style around it.
People who wash their hair frequently and find their scalp dries out between washes, or anyone who has moved to a dry or air-conditioned climate and noticed their scalp becoming tight and uncomfortable.
If you have a scalp condition beyond simple dryness — fungal dandruff, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis — this will not address the root cause and may offer only temporary comfort while the underlying issue continues. Identify your scalp concern before committing.
Safe to continue — it contains no actives that would aggravate a reactive scalp. Lightweight, fragrance-free, and humectant-based.
- A gentle sulphate-free shampoo to avoid stripping the scalp further on wash days
- 100% Plant-Derived Squalane on dry hair ends for a coordinated scalp-to-tip hydration routine
- A weekly scalp massage to boost circulation and absorption
Best For
- Dry scalp
- Dehydrated scalp
- Tight-feeling scalp
- Lightweight scalp care
- Leave-in hydration
How to Use
Apply directly to a clean, dry scalp once daily, ideally at bedtime. Section hair and apply a few drops directly to the scalp, then gently massage in. Do not wash out.
Key Ingredients
NMF components act as humectants — drawing water from the environment and deeper skin layers into the stratum corneum — and help maintain the skin's own water-binding capacity. When NMF levels are depleted (by over-cleansing, harsh actives, age, or environmental stress), the skin becomes dry, tight, flaky, and less resilient. Topical NMF replenishment restores this natural hydration reserve.
Draws water to the skin and helps lock it in, making skin appear plumper, smoother, and more hydrated.
Amino acids draw moisture to the skin (humectant function), replenish the natural moisturizing factors found in healthy skin cells, and provide the raw materials for collagen and elastin synthesis. In the skin's natural state, free amino acids make up a significant portion of the NMF complex that keeps the stratum corneum soft and hydrated.
At lower concentrations (2–5%): hydrates and softens skin. At higher concentrations (10–20%+): exfoliates and softens thickened, rough, or callused skin.
Attracts and retains moisture, soothes irritated skin, supports barrier repair, and improves skin texture and softness.
Soothes irritated skin, promotes skin cell renewal, smooths rough texture, and supports barrier recovery.
Ingredients to Note
May be a concern for some skin types. Tap to learn more.
Full Ingredient List
About This Product
The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum adapts the brand's well-known NMF technology — amino acids, urea, sodium PCA, and other naturally occurring skin hydrators — into a scalp-specific leave-in format. Paired with hyaluronic acid for added water-drawing support, it addresses dry, tight, or flaky-feeling scalps that lack hydration rather than those dealing with a fungal or seborrheic condition. The formula is lightweight enough to apply daily at bedtime without weighing hair down or requiring a wash-out, making it one of the more practical hydrating scalp treatments available at any price point.