If you’ve been wondering how to get rid of greasy hair once and for all, look no further. We’ve got all the answers to why your scalp is acting up and what methods you can use to remedy your greasy hair in no time.
Index
So What Causes Greasy Hair in the First Place?
An abnormally oily scalp can be caused by a variety of factors, with some of the most common including:
How often you wash your hair:
Are you the type of person who washes their hair everyday or do you tend to go a day or two in-between washes? When dealing with greasy hair, it can feel necessary to wash your hair once a day (or more!) to get your oily scalp under control and improve your hair’s appearance. However, what you might not realize is that overwashing your hair strips the scalp of its natural oils. When the scalp is stripped, it overcompensates by producing even more oil, leaving you in a vicious cycle of oil-production, greasy hair, and subsequent overwashing.
It might seem like an impossible thing to ask of those with oily hair, but try going 1-2 days in between washes. After a week or so, your hair should naturally begin to produce less oil as it returns to a healthier state.
Your hair type:
Along with how often you wash your hair, your hair type might also play a role in your oily scalp condition. Greasy hair is more common for people with thin, straight hair as the oil and sebum that causes a greasy appearance travels more easily down this hair type.
A quick way to easily get rid of greasy hair is simply to curl it! Since oil has a harder time travelling down curled or wavy hair, switching up your hairstyle can be an effective way to mask oily hair while you’re between washes.
The products you use:
Certain hair products also contribute to oily hair. Shampoos and conditioners with heavy moisturizing ingredients like coconut and argan oil might not be suitable for greasy hair. It’s best to stick with a shampoo and conditioner for oily hair that contain lighter, all-natural ingredients. Plus, adding a sulfate free clarifying shampoo scrub as Scalp Delight™ Detox Scrub into your routine once a week can help to slough away any extra sebum and buildup that tends to clog an oily scalp.
Additionally, most styling products like hairspray, hair gel, and mousse can also make thin, limp hair appear more oily, so avoid those whenever possible if you want to get rid of greasy hair! Instead, I recommend Grow Perfect™ Thickening Spray that delivers instant soothing hydration to itchy scalps, and improves circulation to support regular hair follicle function and growth. Plus, it delivers instant volume to revive flat and dull hair. A 3-in-1 scalp solution so to say!
Further down in this article you will get our best tips for alternative home cooked methods, easy hair styles and effective products that will help you battle your greasy hair and refresh your scalp. One of these innovative products is 99% natural Refresh Powder™ Dry Shampoo. This non-aerosol dry shampoo powder instantly refreshes oily hair, and is formulated with gentle ingredients that soothe an irritated scalp. Read on and get inspired.
Your lifestyle:
It may seem far-fetched, but factors like your diet, sleep quality, and stress levels can also have an impact on your greasy hair situation. If you’re eating a lot of fried foods, not managing your stress, and staying up too late to watch Netflix, you’re probably not doing your oily scalp any favors.
Start by introducing more hair-friendly foods into your diet, like greek yogurt, spinach, sweet potatoes, and iron-fortified grains. These superfoods contain important vitamins and minerals that help your hair retain vital nutrients and self-regulate sebum production in naturally oily hair.
Additionally, make sure you’re getting at least 8 hours of sleep each day and seeking out healthy ways to manage and minimise the stress in your life. Basically, an oily scalp is often an indicator that something else is wrong, so by introducing more overall health and wellness into your life, the less you’ll have to worry about having oily hair!
Healthy hair and balanced scalp require an all-round approach. So remember both inner and outer hair care.
3 Ways to Treat Oily Hair
Sometimes a good ol’ natural home remedy used in tandem with the proper hair care products can help you get rid of greasy hair for good. To whip that oily scalp back into shape, give these home remedies a try:
1. Aloe Vera
You probably know how great aloe vera gel is for treating pesky sunburns during the summer, but did you know it can also help treat an oily scalp? Try using a generous amount of aloe vera as a hair mask once a week to soothe your oily scalp, add natural hydration, and help remove product buildup that can cause oily hair. Due to the cooling and anti-inflammatory effects of aloe vera, many of our products are formulated with organic aloe vera leaf juice. Click here and read more about our primary ingredients.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Many people espouse the benefits of apple cider vinegar, not only for weight management and treating acne (including scalp pimples), but for combating greasy hair too. Try an apple cider rinse once a week to help get rid of buildup and oily scalp, and reset your scalp’s pH level. Make sure to properly dilute your ACV with water before you rinse though!
3. Rosemary Oil
One of the most versatile natural ingredients out there, rosemary oil is extremely handy for dealing with oily hair. It’s powerful properties can help relieve itchiness, stop excess oil production, and reduce inflammation around hair follicles. Even those with sensitive scalps can enjoy the benefits of a quick rosemary oil rinse. Greasy hair be gone!
Here's what you do: Scalp Delight™ Detox Scrub combines rosemary oil and other active potent plant extracts that will cleanse and exfoliate your scalp in depth, so you can once and for all get rid of all that buildup and grease you’re struggling with.
Remember to Take Your Vitamins
Along with maintaining a healthy diet full of vitamin-rich foods, taking your daily hair vitamins can also help improve the overall quality of your scalp and breathe new life into limp strands.
We recommend looking for supplements that include vitamin B6 and zinc. Along with helping your body stay healthy by strengthening your immune system, these vitamins also work to eliminate oily hair and oily scalp by regulating oil production around your hair follicles.
Most hair supplements also contain the B vitamin called biotin, which is linked to stronger, thicker hair. Our Hair Formula Tablets for Women and Gummies (also available for men) contain all of these ingredients and more for promoting better overall hair health!
Styling tips for greasy hair and oily scalp
Depending on your hair type, the way you style your hair can have an impact on how oily it appears. Try these simple tips next time you style your hair to see a major difference!
Choose Silicone-Free Products
While silicone-based hair products can add temporary shine and fullness to your hair, their long-term effects aren’t worth it. Especially for those who are already dealing with greasy hair, products containing silicone can add even more of an oily appearance—the opposite of what you want if struggling with oily scalp. Plus, silicone tends to build up quickly in the scalp, which causes hair follicles to become clogged, oil production to ramp up, and hair to appear lifeless and dull.
It’s best for your hair if you skip styling products altogether, but if you can’t bear to get rid of your styling routine, make sure to opt for silicone-free products only.
Clean Your Hair Brush Regularly
When’s the last time you cleaned your hair brush? If you can’t remember, that’s probably not a good sign. Think of your brush as your hair’s trash can—each time you brush your hair, dead strands, dead skin, and product all build up in your brush. If you keep using it without properly cleaning it, you’re just re-introducing all that nastiness back into your hair, which could be contributing to your greasy hair troubles.
To give your hair brush a thorough cleanse, first remove all the loose hair from the brush. The tail of a comb can help lift hair out easier!
Next, fill a bowl with warm water and add a few drops of clarifying shampoo or baby shampoo until you’ve got suds. Gently wash your brush, taking care to remove any visible grime.
Lastly, after rinsing your brush with water, lay flat on a towel to dry.
For more tips read this article about how to clean hair brushes.
Touch Your Hair Less Often
One of the easiest ways to get rid of greasy hair and oily scalp is simply to touch it less! Our fingertips and faces are full of oil-producing glands, so the less often we play with our hair, the less new oil will be introduced.
Keeping your hair off your face can also help—opt for a cute headband or try a tied-back hairstyle.
Top 5: Our product picks for greasy hair and oily scalp
While taking care of your diet, being more mindful about your hairstyling routine, and trying home remedies can all help with keeping oily hair at bay, the best way to get rid of greasy hair in the long term is by sticking to a targeted hair care routine.
To help demystify what products you should be using, we’ve compiled a short list of our top choices when it comes to a healthy and balanced combination of products.
1. Start Off with the Right Shampoo and Conditioner
Finding the right shampoo and conditioner can make all the difference in treating the root cause of oily hair: an oily scalp. A good shampoo and conditioner should soothe and hydrate the scalp without over-hydrating or causing buildup.
I recommend looking for a gentle shampoo and conditioner that targets your hair type. For greasy hair prone to dandruff opt for a sulfate-free dandruff shampoo that will balance your scalp oil production. If you don't have dandruff but instead are experiencing hair breakage and split ends then the Split Fix™ Shampoo is for you. Or if besides greasiness you're experiencing hair thinning, try the Grow Perfect™ Shampoo. It also contains scalp stimulating rosemary oil. All of these shampoos are sulfate and silicone free, plus formulated with balancing and soothing ingredients like organic aloe vera and olive leaf extract, making them a top choice for naturally oily hair.
2. Introduce a Scalp Scrub Into the Mix
You’ve heard of face and body scrubs, but have you ever tried a scalp scrub? Give greasy hair the go-around by trying a gentle scalp scrub. We love how our Scalp Delight™ Detox Scrub sloughs away weeks of buildup with ease, leaving the scalp healthy and hair silky smooth. Oily hair and oily scalp doesn’t stand a chance! It is also a great option if your scalp is irritated or itchy as well.
To get the most out of this amazing hair treatment, use once a week in the shower instead of a shampoo. For best results, use with the lightweight, scalp soothing Scalp Delight™ Detox Conditioner and Scalp Delight™ Scalp Massage Brush and prepare yourself to be amazed at how clean your scalp feels!
3. Set it and forget it
Not ready to go down on style? It's your lucky day. Final Touch Hair Spray is a hair spray powered by organic plant extracts from aloe vera, açaí berry and apple, providing a natural and non-damaging hold to keep your scalp and hair healthy. Use on damp hair for a frizz-free blowout with volume, or on dry hair to set your ‘do without stiffness.
Oily hair often lacks volume but it doesn't have to be that way! My go-to styling product for achieving bouncy volume with a matte finish is Volume Wizard™ Hair Powder. This hair styling powder provides instant texture and body, while absorbing excess oil from the hair. That makes it the perfect styling product for oily hair!
For texture, stronger hold and a matte finish try the Mineral Clay Wax made with 100% certified natural ingredients that won't irritate your scalp. Plus, it's formulated with kaolin clay that can help absorb excess oil from your scalp, keeping your scalp feeling clean. Read more about what hair clay is here.
4. Opt for a Better Pillowcase
Did you know that the quality of your hair can be affected by what you sleep on? That’s right, depending on your pillowcase, your hair can actually be damaged and broken while you sleep, especially if you frequently toss and turn. Switching to a pillowcase made of bamboo fibres is an easy way to prevent this kind of damage, and stop greasy hair in its tracks. Our Silky Bamboo Pillowcase protects your hair while you sleep and is gentle enough for sensitive skin.
Plus, as opposed to silk or wool, bamboo is a 100% cruelty-free and vegan material, making our pillowcases a more sustainable option for the environment! Want to know more about how the fabric of your pillowcase may affect your hair? Go take a look at our article Bamboo vs. Silk Pillowcase.
5. Refresh your hair between washes
Do you struggle with washing your hair too often because you feel it gets greasy? Give the Refresh Powder™ Dry Shampoo a try. This non-aerosol dry shampoo powder instantly refreshes oily hair, and is formulated with gentle ingredients that soothe an irritated scalp. It's the perfect solution for extending the time between washes while still keeping your hair looking and feeling fresh. Try it out and say goodbye to greasy hair!
Having oily hair and oily scalp can definitely be a challenge, but by taking the right steps forward, you can get rid of greasy hair once and for all! Whether you’ve been struggling with greasy hair for years or have just started noticing a change in your hair, there are plenty of ways to gently and effectively restore your hair back to normal. It all boils down to taking care of yourself, adopting a few new tips and tricks, and building a hair care routine you love!
