How You Wash & Condition
Would you believe us if we said almost all of your good or bad hair days begin in the shower? It’s true—how you wash and condition thick or thin hair plays a huge role in not only how it looks that day, but also how it will look until your next wash day.
If you’re thinking abouthow to get rid of greasy hair, it’s important to know what’s causing it in the first place. Here are a few things you could be doing wrong in the shower that result in oily, greasy hair. The good news? Switching up your care routine is fairly simple once you’ve identified the misstep.
#1 Overwashing
If you wash your hair every day or every other day and still experience greasy roots, overwashing may be to blame. Shampooing is necessary to rid your hair of its natural oil,dirt, grime, and product, but too much of a good thing is true with shampoo.
When you wash your hair, you also strip it of some of its natural oil (which is why you should always focus the suds at the roots, not the ends, of your hair). If you wash your hair too often, you can trigger an overproduction of those natural oils, creating excess sebum production, and bang—you’ve got greasy hair the next day, or even just hours after rinsing.
While it may be difficult at first to put up with greasy roots, the only way to solve this problem of why your hair gets greasy so fast is to go longer in-between washes. Reach for thedry shampooto cleanse hair between washes and embrace a messy bun or french braid hairstyle, or finish off your second-day style with somehair volume sprayto create a more lived-in look.
#2 Underwashing
While overwashing your hair can cause it to overproduce in the oil department, under washing canalsocause oily hair. Most of us are familiar with this culprit—go a few days or a week without washing, and we gradually notice grease start to form on our healthy scalp. Dirt, sweat, pollution, and product begin to build upon the hair, signaling that it’s time for a good cleanse.
The key is to strike the right balance between overwashing and under washing. Only you can know what is right for your hair. To figure it out, you may need to experiment. If you regularly experience oily hair, divert from your usual washing routine by increasing or decreasing how frequently you wash by one day for at least two weeks. If you notice an improvement, you might try increasing or decreasing how frequently you wash by another day. Soon, you’ll learn how many days between washes are optimal for you.
#3 Using the Wrong Shampoo
If you’ve experimented with your wash cycle and aren’t seeing any improvement, it’s time to take a closer look at theshampoo productyou’re using and explore the differenttypes of shampooyou can try. It could be too rich a formula for your fine hair or contain ingredients like silicones and parabens that can leave behind a greasy residue.
There are plenty of silicone-free andparaben-free shampoosavailable that are formulated for a variety of hair types. You can also look into a clarifying shampoo that’s sulfate-free or find thebest shampoo for oily hair. Make sure you read the description carefully to find the right clarifying shampoo for your hair. For instance, ourFull Shampoois formulated for fine, flat hair, while ourPerfect Hair Day Shampoois optimal for most hair types.
You could also be washing your hair the wrong way. Yeah, you’d think after a lifetime of shampooing your locks, you’d be an expert at it, but that’s not always the case. You know when you visit the salon, and your hair feels squeaky clean for days? Your stylist probably spent a lot of time lathering your hair and massaging your scalp at the shampoo bowl. Take a cue from the pros and give your greasy scalp a good, gentle rub down all over when you wash. You may even considerdouble shampooingto help clear away any excess oil or product residue.This helps promote not only a healthy scalp but healthy hair as well. Then, be sure to thoroughly rinse out all the products. This helps promote not only a healthy scalp but healthy hair as well. Then, be sure to thoroughly rinse out all the products.
#4 Using Too Much Conditioner
We get it, nothing makes it easier to run a hairbrush through freshly showered hair than a big dollop of conditioner, but if you’re going through a bottle quickly or putting it all over your hair and scalp, you’re doing it wrong and could be causing your hair to become oily. When you lather on the conditioner, stick to using it from the mid-lengths to the ends of your hair where the most tangles and damage occur.
Truthfully, the roots of your hair need less conditioner than the ends because the oils your scalp produces supply natural conditioning. So, take it easy on the conditioner, and you’ll notice less oil and buildup, and keep those locks feeling fresh for longer.
