Do you struggle with keeping oily hair looking presentable? And it feels as if your own hair is going against you? You should know, that you are not alone. Oily hair can be tricky to manage; imagine oily hair wash day comes, and almost immediately your hair is oily again. Then my friend what you need is a proper hair care routine for oily hair.

If you, unfortunately, belong to the oily hair type, and you feel like you have a bad hair day every single day, it sounds like you are yet to find the right oily hair care products and the correct oily hair maintenance. That’s right, just like colored hair needs specific products, there are also those formulated to help you manage an oily mane.
There’s nothing worse than oily strands that follow you around almost announcing to the world your grease locks are out of control. As you can tell, oily hair certainly requires special attention, and you have to put in some effort to do some research for the best oily hair care routine and products to go along with it.
The right oily hair care routine will ensure you get the most from your hair type, and prevent you from making mistakes, like overwashing, etc. This is why proper oily hair maintenance is so important. If you have no idea where to start you are in the right place. Keep reading and find below the hair care routine for oily hair you’ve been waiting for.
Products Reviewed In This Article
Best Clarifying Shampoo: Love Beauty And Planet Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Conditioner: Aveeno, Fresh Greens Blend Sulfate-Free Conditioner
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Mousse: TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Mousse
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Dry Shampoo: OGX Mermaid Dust Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair
⇣ Jump to ReviewIntro To Oily Hair
Healthy hair produces a certain amount of sebum, or oil, as a way to hydrate your scalp and protect your hair. The oil in your hair is part of your body’s defense system for the sensitive hair of your scalp.
This oil mixes with sweat and dirt, coating your scalp and sometimes the top of your head. This is normal and, for the most part, unavoidable. This gives your hair a slick appearance that some people feel looks dirty.
But some hair types are prone to oil buildup. Oil can build up to a visible level in less than a 24-hour time span. Sometimes intense exercise, overuse of hair products, or even going outside in excessive humidity or heat can trigger an oily hair day.
Oily Hair Causes
- Overwashing. Every time you wash your hair with shampoo, it sends the scalp the signal to produce more sebum. If you’re washing your hair too often, your scalp gets the message that it needs to be in an oil production overdrive.
- Hair type. Straight hair is especially prone to collecting oil. That’s because the hair shaft doesn’t have any texture or wave to it, so oil slides straight down the hair shaft and collects all over your head.
- Products. Another cause of oily hair is the type of products you use. While it might not be easy to spot the oil when your hair is drying, it quickly appears oily again only a few hours or so later. That’s because only certain ingredients, found in most shampoos, can break down the oil that builds up on your hair.
- Excessive brushing. Excessively brushing or playing with your hair can stimulate your scalp to produce more oil, so if your hair is feeling greasy, resist the urge to mess with it too much. You also risk worsening the problem when you touch your hair by transferring oil or grease from your hands onto your hair.
Hair Care Routine For Oily Hair Steps
Step 1 Use the right shampoo: Love Beauty And Planet Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo
The best kinds of shampoos for the right hair care routine for oily hair are gentle, natural, and clarifying shampoos. Avoid shampoos that contain any sort of silicon, as these will only cause excessive buildup. And you only need to wash your hair 2-3 times a week.
You can try Love Beauty And Planet Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo, this clarifying removes excess dirt and oil, leaving you with clean hair and a cleansed scalp.
Say goodbye to the build-up with our charcoal and bergamot clarifying shampoo sulfate free, which removes excess dirt and oil, leaving hair and scalp spotless. The purifying shampoo is made with plant-based cleansers and infused with coconut oil for hair.
With a precious scent of bergamot that will leave you feeling uplifted. This hair shampoo uses coconut husk and naturally derived menthol for a deep, cooling clean.
How to use Love Beauty And Planet Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Simply squeeze
- Lather and rinse

Step 2 Condition: Aveeno, Fresh Greens Blend Sulfate-Free Conditioner
Avoid conditioners that are too thick or marketed as being intensive, as these can create a moisture imbalance and cause your hair to become greasier quicker. Ideally, you want a balancing, lightweight, natural conditioner.
As well as choosing the type of conditioner you use carefully, you should also go easy on the application. Conditioners can build up and add weight to the hair, so less is usually more when your hair is oily.
Aveeno, Fresh Greens Blend Sulfate-Free Conditioner comes highly recommended. It is infused with oats, rosemary, peppermint, and cucumber, this farm-fresh-inspired conditioner clarifies, thickens, and adds light moisture to make it perfect for fine to medium hair.
Oat as the first ingredient helps to promote a healthy scalp environment. Infused with rosemary, peppermint, and cucumber, this conditioner volumizes, thickens, clarifies, and adds light moisture with a cooling fresh experience.
The blend of ingredients works together to produce a sensational, fresh fragrance. Free from sulfates, parabens, and dyes, this product is safe for color-treated hair.
How to use Aveeno, Fresh Greens Blend Sulfate-Free Conditioner:
- Apply the conditioner strictly from mid-length to the ends of your hair and avoid the scalp at all times
- Leave on for 2-3 minutes and rinse off with cold or lukewarm water.

Step 3 Air dry
While a straightener and blow dryer can tame your frizzy hair, it is best to leave your hair to dry naturally. The heat from the blow dryer can plump the cuticle of your hair making it easier to absorb scalp oil resulting in oilier hair.
Step 4 Style: TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Mousse
You must have noticed that when you straighten or blow-dry your hair, they turn oily pretty quickly. This is because as you straighten your hair, it gives the oil a direct route down your hair making it look even greasy.
If you wish to style your hair, then go for curly or wavy styles so that you can add volume to your hair. In this case, you can absorb oil by using a mousse. We like TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Mousse.
TRESemmé Tres Mousse provides protection for your hair through blow drying as well as heat styling with curling irons or curling wands, flat irons, and other heated styling tools.
Use TRESemmé Tres Mouse for both extra firm hold and frizz control so that you can rock any hairstyle with confidence in any weather. The tightest curls, the straightest strands, fine hair, and wavy locks will look and feel more polished
This salon-quality formula gives you complete control of your tresses with enough flexibility to stay soft to the touch. This styling foam also provides fullness and bounce. Best when applied to clean, damp hair.
How to use TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Mousse:
- Shake the can and dispense 2-3 egg-sized dollops of TRESemmé Extra Hold Mousse for hair
- Apply the mousse to hair either directly with a brush or with your hands
- Brush from roots to ends to cover thoroughly

Step 5 Refresh: OGX Mermaid Dust Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair
If you must refresh oily hair, then you can go for a dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is a great quick fix for annoying oily hair; it can mattify and dry your roots by absorbing oil.
Keep in mind that using dry shampoo too often between washes can lead to irritation of your scalp. We love OGX Mermaid Dust Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair.
This dry shampoo for all hair types lets you keep strands clean and fresh without running the water. This mermaid spray also absorbs oil, which boosts body and volume.
With a delicious smelling mix of sweet cotton candy, semi-floral, and tropical scents, OGX Kandee Pop Glam Mermaid Dust Dry Shampoo is a delightful, indulgent sensory experience.
This everyday dry shampoo is made without sulfated surfactants and is extra good for color-treated hair.
How to use OGX Mermaid Dust Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair:
- Shake dry shampoo and hold at least the length of the can from the head (8-12 inches).
- Spray on the root starting at your part line, and divide it into smaller sub-sections to ensure the whole head gets the product.
- Flip your head upside down and gently massage your roots all over with your fingertips. If the spray still feels damp, set a blow dryer on the lowest, coolest setting and aim it at your roots.
- Use your fingers or brush to comb through to disperse throughout the whole head

Hair Care Routine For Oily Hair Additional Tips
- Every time you brush your hair, you’re dragging sebum and sweat from your scalp down into your hair cuticle. When you distribute the oil throughout your hair, your scalp produces more. Brushless to keep the oil situation to a minimum.
- Similar to brushing your hair, straightening your hair moves oil throughout your hair cuticle. Hair straighteners and other hot tools for hair also apply heat close to the root of your hair, which can trigger your sweat glands.
- Remember to wash your pillowcases often. Once a week is a good rule of thumb. Otherwise, every time you go to bed you’re lying in the oil and sweat buildup of your hair from the day’s past.
- Oil-absorbing sheets are typically used to absorb excess oil from the skin on your face. If you’re in a pinch, you can use them to absorb oil from your hair quickly. Focus on the root of your hair and your scalp to get rid of some of the oil.
- Cornstarch and baby powder is the same concept as dry shampoo, just with one natural ingredient. Both of these ingredients can dry out your scalp quickly, so just use a tiny bit at the crown of your head as a way to make oily roots less obvious.
- When applying conditioner or styling products to your hair, avoid applying them to your scalp and the roots of your hair as this will only increase the greasiness. The sebum that your scalp produces naturally moisturizes the roots of your hair anyway, so it is not necessary to apply conditioners or masks to your roots.
Common Questions About Oily Hair Maintenance
Why is my hair oily after 1 day?
Those with fine or thin hair, however, may find their hair looks greasy after just one day. It’s all to do with the amount of oil your scalp produces, as well as how well your hair can carry that oil.
Why my hair gets oily fast?
Some hair types are prone to oil buildup. Oil can build up to a visible level in less than a 24-hour time span. Sometimes intense exercise, overuse of hair products, or even going outside in excessive humidity or heat can trigger an oily hair day.
How often should I wash my hair if I have an oily scalp?
If you have an oily scalp, then daily washing is needed, experts recommend. Sometimes, people think they have dry scalps because they have dandruff, but in those situations, more frequent washing is also helpful.
Is aloe vera good for oily hair?
For those of us plagued with oily hair, aloe vera is worth looking into. Aloe is effective in stripping extra sebum oil and residue, yet it’s gentle enough to not damage your hair follicles. It’ll also help your hair get that healthy, shiny look.
Should I wash my hair every day if I have oily hair?
People with oily hair or who use hair care products daily should consider washing their hair once every 1–2 days. People with dry hair can wash their hair less frequently. Those with textured or coily hair should only wash it once every 1–2 weeks.
Should you include conditioner in your hair care routine for oily hair?
As well as choosing the type of conditioner you use carefully, you should also go easy on the application. During your hair care routine for oily hair, conditioners can build up and add weight to the hair, so less is usually more when your hair is oily.
Hair Care Routine For Oily Hair Video Tutorial
Products Mentioned In This Article
- Love Beauty And Planet Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Aveeno, Fresh Greens Blend Sulfate-Free Conditioner
- TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Mousse
- OGX Mermaid Dust Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair
Disclosure: The Hair Products recommended in this article are our top favorites because they have a great combination of quality, features, and affordability. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through the links as a way to support this site. If you buy a qualifying product, you’re not charged anything extra, but I’ll get a small commission to help pay for my expenses. I hope you find our advice helpful and discover the Best Hair Products for your needs on this list.