Dealing With an Oily Scalp? Here are 9 Ways to Manage It

Having an oily scalp can be so frustrating—you’ll wash your hair in the morning and later that night, look in the mirror only to wonder how it’s possible that your strands already look greasy. But that isn’t a sign that you should be washing your hair more frequently; in fact, it might be the exact opposite.

“A normal, healthy scalp is constantly producing sebum, a thick waxy substance that is also our body’s natural moisturizer,” explains hair transplant surgeon Dr. Craig Ziering. Usually, the excess oiliness occurs when we overproduce sebum. That said, it can be hard to suss out the cause of an oily scalp because, as trichologist Bridgette Hill explains, “all abnormal scalp conditions result from one or a combination of these factors: genetics, lifestyle, diet, hair styling habits, environment, health, stress, hormones, and medications.” When it comes to managing an oil-prone scalp on a day-to-day basis, remember these nine tips from Ziering and Hill:

1. Work on training your hair to be washed less. “Skip a daily wash,” Ziering suggests, explaining that in the beginning it will be hard but will ultimately help “break the cycle.”

2. For fine hair, try conditioning first. “Apply conditioner 10 minutes before you shampoo to dry, dirty hair—[then] shampoo, and rinse. This allows the hair fiber to receive the humectants, lipids, and proteins necessary to keep the hair healthy from conditioning, while preventing any additional buildup on the scalp,” Hill says.

3. In lieu of frequent shampooing simply rinse your hair with water. “Rinsing will remove topical debris and water-based hair products,” Hill advises, noting that this is particularly nurturing for coarse, wavy and curly textures.

4. Choose dry shampoos carefully and look for ones with hydrating properties, so you don’t overly strip your scalp of necessary oils.

5. Use products that have good-for-your-scalp ingredients like clay, peppermint, apple cider vinegar, zinc, and witch hazel.

6. Try to limit touching and running your fingers through your hair. “We have oils on our fingers that can make hair look greasier,” Ziering warns.

7. Even with an oily scalp—beware of over-drying ingredients. Ziering says: “Sulfates and alcohol are too harsh and have a tendency to strip too much moisture out of the hair and scalp.”

8. Brush your hair each night so oil does not “pool at scalp,” Ziering recommends.

9. Exfoliate the scalp with a scrub to “keep the surface clean and clear of dry skin cells and oil buildup,” he add.

Fortunately, as scalp health becomes something more people are aware even exists, the amount of useful products to choose from just keeps growing. Here are some of our favorites that make managing an oily scalp NBD.