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If you have oily hair, you know how much of a pain it can be. You likely can’t go too long without giving your hair a good wash, and dry shampoo is considered a must-have product. While greasy, dirty hair can feel a bit embarrassing (even if you couldn’t really help it happening), there are tons of products available to help stop that oil in its tracks and help you get cleaner, shinier hair (because we know that dry shampoo can majorly dull it).
Knowing which shampoo is the best shampoo for oily hair is critical because it can save you a ton of time, money, and effort trialing products that ultimately won’t work (and may leave your hair oilier than ever). Here, we break down some of our favorites for different types of hair, different budgets, different environmental concerns, and more.
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What Causes Oily Hair?
While you might think that oil causes oily, greasy looking and feeling hair, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Though it looks and feels like it’s your hair that is oily, according to Healthline, it’s actually your scalp’s sebaceous glands causing the oil.
So do your glands just produce however much oil they want, all on their own? Nope. There are a few factors that can affect whether or not you have oily hair. Your hormones, genetics, humidity, and even stress can all affect oil production on your scalp, according to WebMD. While some of these things are out of your control, there are a number of products that can help keep the oil in check and make your hair look the best it can (and make you feel a bit more confident in the process).
What to Consider When Choosing a Shampoo for Oily Hair
When you’re looking for the right shampoo for oily hair, there are a few things to keep in mind. Most importantly, you’re going to want to pay attention to what’s in the shampoo. The ingredients that make up your personal care products can have a major effect on how well they work (or don’t) for you. Unfortunately, it might be that that trendy shampoo you’re using just isn’t the right one for your hair. The good news is, however, that if you take a closer look at the ingredients in your shampoo, you’ll have a better idea of which shampoos might be a better fit.
Clarifying properties
When you’re looking for the best shampoo for oily hair, you’ll probably come across advice to use a clarifying shampoo to help give your hair and scalp a deeper clean. That’s because a clarifying shampoo can help with buildup. Buildup can be caused by the products you use to style your hair, any minerals found in the water you’re using to wash it, and more.
Because this buildup can contribute to the greasiness of your hair, using a shampoo with clarifying properties may help your hair look less oily.
Ingredient List
The ingredients in your shampoo are super important when you’re trying to choose the best shampoo for oily hair because the wrong ones can leave your hair susceptible to getting oily again very quickly. Trying to crack the puzzle that your oily hair can present can feel frustrating, but if you know some of what to look for, you’ll be able to better evaluate whether the shampoo you’re considering is going to help or hurt.
If you have oily hair, you’ll definitely want to avoid shampoos with lots of conditioning agents and synthetic ingredients because those can make the situation worse. That being said, ingredients like tea tree oil and lauryl sulfates can keep your oil situation in check.
Added Fragrance
If you’re dealing with oily hair, one thing you may want to consider is switching to a fragrance-free shampoo. If you have sensitive skin, the added fragrance could be irritating your scalp, according to VeryWell Health, which noted that you may notice that your hair is altogether healthier after you make the switch.
Our Top Picks
From thin to thick, straight to curly, coily, and beyond, here are some of the shampoos we think qualify as the best shampoo for oily hair.
Best For Extremely Oily Hair
The reviews are in, and reviewers say this shampoo is a great choice for those of us with hair that needs to be washed daily. No matter the cause (lots of product use, hard water, hormones, stress, or something else), this shampoo delivers (and with a lemony fresh scent to boot).
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Best For Fine Hair
As someone with thin, fine, easily greasy hair (I know, a triple whammy), I can tell you first-hand how difficult it is to find a good shampoo that gives you the bouncy volume you’re looking for, but makes your hair feel really clean. But let me tell you, this one might be next on my list to buy. A number of fine-haired reviewers noted that it left their hair feeling squeaky clean and bouncy without weighing it down.
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Best For Curly Hair
Wavy and curly haired reviewers raved about this clarifying shampoo, saying that they didn’t know they needed it until they gave it a try and their hair feels clean and refreshed and looks shiny and bouncy.
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Best For Frizzy Hair
This frizz-fighting shampoo also gently cleanses oil, product buildup, and the like from your hair and scalp.
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Best For Thick Hair
People love OUAI products for a number of reasons. This detox shampoo cleans your hair thoroughly with apple cider vinegar and also contains keratin to help keep your hair strong.
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Best For Damaged Hair
Made in Denmark, dermatologically tested, and available as a subscription for convenience, this shampoo strengthens your hair while it cleanses and keeps oil production in check, making it perfect for damaged hair.
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Best For Dandruff
Reviewers say that this shampoo not only helps control oil, but it also helps address scalp itchiness and flakes.
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Best For Added Volume
If you have both an oily scalp and limp, lifeless hair, you might be looking for a shampoo to address both. Act + Acre’s Cold Processed Hair Cleanse is designed to boost your volume while it also cleanses your hair from pollution, oil, and more.
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Best For Keratin Treated Hair
Social media darling Nécessaire’s shampoo is designed to cleanse the scalp and minimize product build-up while the hyaluronic acid keeps the scalp skin barrier strong. This shampoo is great for keratin-treated hair, as well as thin or thinning hair.
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Best For Color-Treated Hair
Popular brand Paula’s Choice is known for its effective products at affordable prices. This shampoo is fragrance-free and safe for color-treated hair. One reviewer said that while their hair is quite oily, this shampoo cleans it without ever leaving it feeling too dried out.
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Best For Teenage Hair
This shampoo is made specifically for hair that’s getting greasier because of hormonal changes due to puberty. Bonus? It’s pretty affordable too.
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Best For Hard Water
If you know that you have hard water in your home, you may want to pick out a shampoo specifically made to address the minerals found in hard water. Mineral deposits can build up in your hair, causing damage, and this shampoo can help you prevent those buildups.
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Best Natural Pick
This natural shampoo from Maple Holistics is made without parabens or sulfates and includes lemon, rosemary, and cypress oils. Reviewers said that it was a game-changer for their hair, leaving it looking and feeling cleaner.
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Best Sulfate-Free Pick
This sulfate-free shampoo from AHAVA thoroughly cleans your hair, nourishes your scalp, and is safe for sensitive skin.
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Best Clarifying Pick
People love Nexxus’ hair products because they use proteins in order to care for hair. This shampoo cleans your hair and removes excess oil, but shouldn’t be used daily since it’s a clarifying shampoo. Some reviewers said they felt like it made their product build-up worse, which just goes to show that everyone’s hair is different.
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Best Volumizing Pick
This shampoo is designed to clarify your hair and scalp, while also making your hair feel stronger, thicker, and fuller.
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Best Purifying Pick
The Body Shop’s tea tree shampoo is a classic for a reason. People love how it cleanses their hair and smells amazing while doing it.
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Best Balancing Pick
Hairstory’s New Wash Deep clarifies and conditions your hair (at once) while also balancing your scalp health. Reviewers love how long this shampoo allows them to go between washes.
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Best Budget Pick
Oily scalp-friendly shampoos don’t have to break the bank. This budget pick clocks in at under $10, but is sulfate-free, easily accessible, and leaves your hair clean.
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Best Shampoo And Conditioner Combo(s)
R+Co’s scalp-focused set includes CBD to help calm the scalp and lemon oil to curb overactive sebum production.
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Best Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair
This dry shampoo is formulated to absorb oil in 25 seconds and keeps oil production in check for up to 48 hours.
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Shampoo for Oily Hair FAQs
Having oily hair can be a real pain, but knowing how to care for it can help alleviate a lot of headaches. These basics will get you started on the right foot.
How much shampoo should I use on oily hair?
While you might be tempted to really lather up to make sure you can clean every single strand of hair, there is, in fact, such a thing as too much. In an interview with PureWow, Hair Cuttery Technical Artistic Director and Product Consultant Steve Waldman said that the type and density of your hair determines how much shampoo you should be using. If your hair is fine, you only need about a nickel-sized amount of shampoo to clean your hair and scalp (raise your hand if you’ve been using too much…), while if you have other hair textures, you should go for more like two quarter-sized dollops.
How often should you wash oily hair?
The frequency you should wash your hair can depend on a variety of factors. According to John Frieda, you probably shouldn’t wash your hair daily, but because fine hair can get greasier sooner than coarser hair, you might find you need to wash more regularly if your hair is fine. The blog post from the company also explained that if your hair is really oily, you may actually need to wash your hair every day. It really just depends.
Is shampoo for oily hair safe to use on colored or treated hair?
If you have color-treated (or other treated) hair, you’ll have to pay closer attention to the ingredients in your hair products than if you don’t have treated hair. According to PEOPLE, some clarifying shampoos aren’t safe for treated hair, so you may not be able to use all shampoos for oily hair on your treated hair. But the good news is, there are plenty of options that are safe for treated hair, you just may have to do a little more research to find the right one for you.
Looking for more hair care advice? Read our hair care edit and make sure you don’t miss our best haircare roundup! Browse our beauty shop to find and buy all our favorite Picks!
