Wait, Why Does It *Really* Burn After I Pee (Even When I Don’t Have a UTI)?

Plus how to *stop* feeling the burn.

As a beauty editor, I’ve long been familiar with the impact that stress can have on your scalp and strands, but it wasn’t until recently that I experienced it firsthand. After a few intense months of a lot of work and very little sleep (two things that are, apparently, synonymous with starting your own company), my exhaustion and overwhelm started to show their effects on my hair. The scalp flakes that I thought I’d gotten under control came back in full force, and my hair started to come out in clumps every time I shampooed. I knew I needed some serious TLC to get things back to normal, but my jam-packed schedule didn’t leave a whole lot of time for self-care—I could barely find time to take a shower, let alone spend a half an hour sitting around waiting for some deep-conditioning mask to work its magic.

Thankfully, Briogeo Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil ($32) targets all of my stress-related hair issues in one fell swoop, and takes little to no time whatsoever. Best of all, it’s 15 percent off right now for W+G readers.

Briogeo Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil — $32.00

W+G readers can save 15% off with promo code WG15.

Shop now

How stress impacts your hair

Before we dive into how the product works, it’s first important to understand why stress can translate into flaking and thinning. When you’re stressed out, your body releases hormones called cortisol, which can catalyze two major changes on your scalp.

First, it boosts the production of a scalp oil called sebum, which creates a more hospitable environment for malassezia—the yeast-like fungus that causes dandruff—to grow and flourish. Second, it signals the hair follicles to shift from the “growth” phase into the “transition” phase, which causes them to fall out.

The good news? Because these two concerns have similar root causes, it’s totally possible to treat them at the same time— which is where the Briogeo Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil comes in.

How the Briogeo Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil treats stressed hair

The hero ingredient in the Briogeo Pre-Wash Oil is rosemary, which helps to tackle both of the major hair issues caused by stress.

On the flaking front, “rosemary oil has anti-fungal, astringent, and decongesting qualities to reduce excess oils, buildup, and flakes that can be part of the dandruff experience,” Love White, founder of the hair-care brand Love & Snow, previously told us. “Anti-fungal qualities help to address overactive fungal activity in the scalp, which is the origin of dandruff.”

Additionally, rosemary has earned a reputation (on TikTok and beyond) as one of the best essential oils for hair shedding. Some research suggests that it boosts circulation to the scalp, which allows nutrients to better reach the hair follicle to keep them functioning properly. Additionally, rosemary may help to block the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that causes hair loss in women. And finally, it provides antioxidant protection to help neutralize any free radicals that may lead to shedding.

The formula combines its multi-tasking main character with vitamins and lipids, which soothe and nourish the scalp while allowing the rosemary to work to its maximum potential without any itching, tingling, or irritation. As a pre-shampoo treatment, the Briogeo Scalp Revival Oil is designed to treat your hair before you wash it—you can leave it in for 10-15 minutes ahead of your shower, or apply it before bed and let it sit overnight.

Think of it as the first step in a double-cleansing skin-care routine but for your hair. It gets all of the gunk and grime off of your scalp so that when you do go in with your shampoo, you get all it has to offer—there’s no layer of debris blocking out its benefits.

Briogeo Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil: My honest thoughts

My hair needed some serious help when this pre-wash oil came into my life, and boy am I glad it did. I love that I can apply it before bed and rinse it off in the morning—it doesn’t require me to remember to schedule 10-15 minutes of “soaking in” time before my morning shampoo session.

I also really like that it’s an oil. I’ve tried other pre-shampoo treatments in the past that have a more liquid-y texture, and the user experience just isn’t as good—they’re really hard to control, and wind up dripping all over the place. The Briogeo Oil is easy to massage into your scalp in a targeted way and feels (and smells!) like pure luxury. What’s more, it doesn’t sting or tingle at all (another thing I’ve disliked about other pre-wash treatments I’ve tried), so the lipid-rich complex works as the brand intended.

I follow the treatment up with my current go-to shampoo and conditioner (Aveda Be Curly Shampoo and Conditioner ($61), and can confirm that it washes away easily and doesn’t leave behind the sort of greasy residue you might expect from an oil. After just one use, my scalp was noticeably less irritated—there were no flakes to be found, and the itchiness and discomfort I’d been dealing with for weeks were totally gone. It will take some more time to see the true effects of the product on my shedding, but given how well it’s worked on all my other issues thus far, I have high hopes.

FWIW, I’m working on minimizing the stress in my life—but for now, I at least don’t have to worry about its effects on my hair. Get yours for 15 percent off now using the code WG15.