I used to suffer from psoriasis as a teenager, and recently I had the horrible feeling that it had come back. My scalp was quite itchy and there were a couple of small scabs there (sorry for the graphic detail!) and also a little dandruff/dry scalp. I tried some dandruff-reducing products, including the Snake Oil scalp bar and Soak n' Float shampoo bar from Lush, but while these were quite effective on the dandruff they didn't stop my scalp itching as much as I'd like.

I had read a few things about Lush's Recon Scalp Treatment, and all the reviews seemed positive, so I decided to purchase a tub next time I made an online order (the product is part of the Retro range so is only available online). At £12.75 it was expensive, but the tub was a large 225g one and I'd heard that it lasted a long time.

Recon, being Retro, comes in a white tub rather than the usual black one. It is described as a "stimulating treatment for dandruff and sore or flaky scalps". The treatment contains herbs such as nettle leaf and rosemary infusion, essential oils such as almond, peppermint, menthol, lavender, rosemary and juniper berry, as well as fresh papaya. The product also contains beeswax and lanolin, which does mean that it is not suitable for vegans (although like all Lush products, it is suitable for vegetarians). Using it once a day for a week, and then one to three times a week, is supposed to get rid of the "meddlesome microbes" that cause dandruff and an itchy scalp.

The product inside the tub is creamy yellow-white in colour and smells of peppermint, a scent which is quite pleasant and more subtle than a similar product, the Snake Oil scalp bar. It was very thick, but easy to scoop out of the tub. I followed the instructions about using the product every day for a week before switching to twice-weekly use.

The first time I used the product the results were excellent - I noticed immediately that my scalp was much less itchy and there were barely any white flakes. This result was not achieved without much effort, however! Applying the product was very difficult simply because all my hair was getting in the way. Inevitably a lot of my hair got quite greasy in the process. When it came to washing the product off, I shampooed my hair a couple of times but it still came out slightly greasy - I had to shove it behind my ears throughout the day! On the other hand, on subsequent days after using the product I found my hair was in better condition, so the product seems to have gone some way to preventing my hair becoming dry.

After using the product for several weeks I can confirm that it definitely works to reduce dandruff, as I hardly have any at all. I wouldn't say that I never get a single bit, but it is much reduced. It also vastly reduces the itching of my scalp, which did used to irritate me quite a bit.

However, I have continued to contend with the fact that my hair does look greasy the day after I've used the product, although it's become less so since I've started to get the hang of it. You have to be prepared to shampoo your hair a couple of times in the shower, and even when you first apply the product you have to be careful not to use too much. This is very difficult when your hair is getting in the way! I've learned the right amount of time to leave the product on my hair. Fifteen to twenty minutes is about right - any less and the product doesn't have time to get to work on your scalp, but any longer, and my scalp tends to be irritated by the product and can sometimes be even itchier. For this reason it's not a good idea to leave the product on your hair overnight, although I did try a couple of times!

After using the product for several weeks, I haven't even reached halfway down the tub so it clearly lasts a long time. Therefore the initially high price seems like good value for money. I do recommend this product and want to give it a high rating as it works well. However, because of the initial difficulties using it and the greasy effect it sometimes produces on my hair (which is not a good look!) I'm deducting a star.