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Some hair types can hold a professional blowout for a whole week—others, even with the help of dry shampoo, can’t help but have it look grimy after 36 hours. If you can relate (and find yourself in need of a daily wash), you could likely benefit from the best shampoo for oily hair.
Though excess oil may be detrimental to sporadic styling, it’s actually quite beneficial to scalp health. “The scalp produces oil for many important reasons, including protecting the scalp and hair as well as preventing flaking and irritation,” says Morgan Rabach, MD, board-certified dermatologist and cofounder of LM Medical in New York City. “Sebum has antimicrobial properties that help maintain the skin from infections and dandruff.” Those oils also help nourish, strengthen, and add shine to your strands. Now, while everyone wants a lustrous mane, no one wants to look greasy, which is why we’ve tapped experts to find the very best shampoos for oily hair.
Vogue’s Favorite Shampoos for Oily Hair
Featured in this article
In This Story:
- What causes oily hair?
- What shampoo prevents greasy hair?
- What do dermatologists recommend for oily hair?
- What to Look for in a Shampoo for Oily Hair
- How often should you shampoo if you have oily hair?
- What can I do to combat oily hair?
- Meet the Experts
Best Overall: Neutrogena T/Sal Scalp Buildup Control
- Why We Love It: Our experts are big fans of this medicated formula, frequently recommending it to patients who have scalp buildup and excess oil. “I love that this formula utilizes salicylic acid,” explains Kenneth Mark, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “This beta-hydroxy acid is an exfoliating and anti-inflammatory ingredient that has been one of the main ingredient recommendations for almost 30 years to treat seborrheic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis.”
- Key Ingredients: 3% salicylic acid
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 4.5 fl. oz.
Best for Fine Hair: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo
- Why We Love It: With strengthening biotin and keratin, this formula is designed to give fine hair a volumizing boost. “Thanks to its gentle cleansing agents, this shampoo does not add excess weight and oil at the hair roots,” explains Anetta Reszko, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York City. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the gorgeous scent, which practically functions as a hair perfume; it features lush notes of heady florals like magnolia, jasmine, and peony in addition to effervescent citrus.
- Key Ingredients: Biotin, keratin, chia seed oil
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 10 fl. oz.
Best for Dry Scalps: Moroccanoil Scalp Balancing Shampoo
- Why We Love It: If your scalp often feels dry and tight despite having oily hair, give this one a go. “I prefer the emollient effect of this formula for those with a dry scalp, but not full on psoriasis,” Mark says. In addition to salicylic acid, which helps slough off dead skin, this Moroccanoil shampoo contains balancing niacinamide and nourishing argan oil to help restore equilibrium to the scalp.
- Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, argan oil
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 8.5 fl oz.
Best Silicone-Free: Biolage Scalp Sync Clarifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Those looking to avoid silicones in their hair products will appreciate how this formula leaves hair feeling ultra-clean, weightless, and fresh (the latter of which is enhanced with a bright minty fragrance). According to Dr. Reszko, alpha-hydroxy acid glycolic acid helps balance the scalp by getting rid of buildup and greasiness, while ingredients like fermented tea and green tea extract reduce irritation.
- Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, black tea ferment, green tea extract
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 13.5 fl. oz.
Best Custom: Prose Custom Shampoo
- Why We Love It: For a truly bespoke wash day, Prose custom creates every shampoo to your exact needs. Simply fill out the brand’s questionnaire, which extracts over 80 insights—including factors like water hardness, hair density, oil levels, and more—to develop a personalized formula. Each ingredient is tailored to a specific problem, so you can use a perfect blend targeting not just an oily scalp, but other issues too, Dr. Reszko says.
- Key Ingredients: Ingredients vary based on your custom formula
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 8.5 fl. oz.
Best Detoxifying: Christophe Robin Advanced Purifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: This shampoo features an unexpected, whipped texture that showcases the thermal mud in the formula. “Mineral-rich thermal mud helps make your hair feel cleaner and even extends the time between washes,” Dr. Reszko explains. As you emulsify the product with water, it creates a light lather that rinses away easily, leaving strands completely clean without drying them out.
- Key Ingredients: Thermal mud, red seaweed extract, sea water extract
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 8.4 fl. oz.
Best for Scalp Buildup: Bumble and Bumble Sunday Clarifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: The clever name of this formula hints at the most common way to use it: as your Sunday deep clean to start the week fresh. This clarifying shampoo powerfully cuts through grease and product buildup with a blend of plant extracts and sulfates for seriously clean, shiny hair. “This is an incredible cleanser and will have your hair feeling brand new after just one wash,” says Jae-Manuel Cardenas, celebrity stylist and senior stylist at Ollin NYC by Johnny Ramirez in New York City. “I have also recommended this to clients who have had issues with itchy or irritated scalps, and they have seen a huge improvement from using this.”
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng extract, sage leaf extract, rosemary leaf oil
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 8.5 fl. oz.
Best for Sensitive Scalps: Sisley Paris Gentle Purifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: As soon as you start to lather up with this shampoo, you know you’re in for a treat thanks to the spa-like aroma, which lingers in the hair long after you’ve finished styling. While some purifying formulas can irritate the scalp, this one is very gentle despite its efficacy, Cardenas notes. Essential oils and minerals help detoxify strands while bisabolol soothes a tender scalp, leaving hair looking glossy, bouncy, and hydrated while feeling soft and clean.
- Key Ingredients: Bisabolol, panthenol, rosemary extract
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 6.7 fl. oz.
Best Hydrating: Crown Affair The Ritual Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Not all clarifying shampoos are compatible with every hair type and texture (they’re naturally more drying than other formulas), but this one is designed to remove excess oil without dehydrating strands, which is especially important if you have textured hair. That’s due to the inclusion of camellia seed oil in the formula, which weightlessly nourishes hair, as well as coconut-based surfactants that rinse away oil while still keeping hair soft and hydrated. Cardenas notes that its deep-cleansing properties perform best on thicker hair.
- Key Ingredients: Camellia seed oil, coconut-based surfactants, glycerin
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 8.1 fl. oz.
Best for Color-Treated Hair: Rōz Foundation Shampoo
- Why We Love It: A go-to for Cardenas in both the salon and his own shower, this formula provides a gentle cleanse while still leaving hair feeling hydrated. “It’s incredible for color-treated hair, as it preserves your color and reinforces hair health,” he explains. The genderless earthy fragrance enhances the very luxurious cleansing experience (lots of lather!), which leaves your hair clean as well as giving it plenty of movement and a gorgeous sheen.
- Key Ingredients: Ginger root extract, walnut extract, grape extract
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 10.1 fl. oz.
Best for Curly Hair: Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Formulated specifically for the needs of curly hair, this shampoo is packed with plant-derived proteins, lipids, and vitamins to fortify brittle strands while helping to define your texture. Unlike other shampoos designed to address oily hair, “it will not strip your hair of necessary oils your curls need to stay hydrated,” Cardenas notes. While it may not lather as much as other shampoos you’ve tried in the past, don’t worry, it’ll leave your hair looking clean and fresh post-wash.
- Key Ingredients: Hemp seed extract, pumpkin seed extract, rice protein
- Sulfate-Free: Yes
- Size: 12 fl. oz.
Best Volumizing: Redken Volume Injection Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Those with oily, flat hair will see a dramatic transformation in their strands after washing with this body-building shampoo, especially those with fine hair, Cardenas says. “I usually recommend this to anyone who wants their hairstyle to last, whether it’s for a photo shoot, a red carpet, or even brides,” he says. The key ingredient here is Filloxane, a lab-made molecule that bulks up each individual strand to create volume and density without greasiness or weighing down the hair for a lush, full look that lasts all day.
- Key Ingredients: Filloxane
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 10.1 fl. oz.
Best for Combination Hair: Kerastase Specifique Balancing Shampoo for Oily Scalp
- Why We Love It: If you have an oily scalp, but most clarifying or detox shampoos leave the tips of your strands feeling stripped, Cardenas says this is the one to try, especially if you have medium to thick hair. “It removes oil and buildup from your scalp, but also hydrates your ends,” he explains. It does so with clarifying salicylic acid and oil-controlling vitamin B6, while amino acids help strengthen and nourish dry hair. It also offers a light, refreshing scent that lasts for several days—ideal if you’re someone who pushes off your next shampoo as long as you can.
- Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, amino acids, vitamin B6
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 8.5 fl. oz.
Best Clarifying: Aveda Rosemary Mint Purifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: This clarifying shampoo is gentle on hair thanks to natural detoxifiers like micelles and white vinegar, which remove excess oil without stripping strands. “Rosemary in the shampoo helps to decrease sebum production, and mint provides a relief for people who struggle with scalp irritation caused by excess oil,” Dr. Reszko adds.
- Key Ingredients: White vinegar, micelles, rosemary leaf extract, peppermint oil
- Sulfate-Free: No
- Size: 8.5 fl. oz.
Everything You Need to Know
What causes oily hair?
There are a handful of reasons that you could be dealing with oily hair, with one of the most common being fluctuations in hormones. “These oil glands are very sensitive to hormonal regulation,” explains Tracy Evans, MD, board-certified dermatologist and medical director of Pacific Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology in San Francisco.
“Therefore, children have less oily scalps, teenagers often have very oily hair, and, as one matures, the scalp tends to decrease in oil production, and hair is generally less oily.” In that same vein, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can cause ample oiliness, as can increased stress levels (remember, cortisol is a hormone) and hormonal disorders, explains Howard Sobel, MD, board-certified dermatologist and clinical attending cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Other factors that can cause oily hair include going too long between washes, which causes buildup dirt, oil, and various styling products, using hair care products that are too heavy for your hair type, high humidity levels, sweating, and even certain scalp conditions. Evans points to seborrheic dermatitis as a specific example, which is caused by a yeast that grows on the scalp—the same one that causes dandruff, which is a milder form of the same condition. “It can make hair very oily and scaly,” she explains.
What shampoo prevents greasy hair?
To help prevent greasy hair, you’ll want to use shampoo that is specifically formulated to combat excess oil. “For patients with oily hair, I recommend they use clarifying shampoos to help avoid oil buildup,” Sobel says. These may also be referred to as “purifying” or “detoxifying.” You’ll also want to look for something sudsy, Rabach instructs. “Shampoos that make a lot of bubbles can help break up the oil.”
What do dermatologists recommend for oily hair?
Beyond washing your hair regularly with clarifying shampoo, incorporating an anti-dandruff shampoo to address common symptoms (i.e. inflammation and a flaky scalp) can be helpful, Dr. Reszko says. “Because seborrheic dermatitis is a common contributor to oily hair, starting an anti-dandruff shampoo such as ketoconazole may be beneficial,” she explains. She also recommends exclusively applying conditioner to the mid-lengths and tips of the hair, rather than the entire length and/or scalp.
What to look for in a shampoo for oily hair
As mentioned, an especially foamy formula can be effective in combating excess oil. Be aware that suds come courtesy of a type of ingredient known as surfactants, the most well-known being sodium lauryl sulfate, which many people avoid because it can be very stripping. Though that’s kind of the goal of a clarifying shampoo, there are plenty of surfactants that won’t be as harsh on your hair and scalp, including cocamidopropyl betaine, which is derived from coconuts.
Additionally, you’ll want to seek out a shampoo that contains ingredients that can help control oil. Our experts all recommend salicylic acid, which you might recognize from your skin-care routine. “Salicylic acid helps exfoliate the skin, decrease inflammation, and decrease oil production,” Sobel says. Evans also suggests ketoconazole and zinc pyrithione, which she says are very helpful for controlling oil production as well as flakes. Lastly, consider looking for ingredients that help remove buildup as well as absorb sebum. Ingredients in this category include resurfacing glycolic acid, purifying muds, clays, and charcoal, and plant extracts like rosemary and sage.
How often should you shampoo if you have oily hair?
If your hair can tolerate it, our experts recommend shampooing daily or every other day to get rid of excess oil, though everyone is different. “Thinner, finer hair gets oily faster, so those hair types may need to shampoo every day,” Sobel says. “Thicker hair can go longer without washing.” He also notes that styling products, especially those for volume, can leave behind greasy residue, which may necessitate more frequent washing.
We get it—the thought of shampooing your hair daily may be overwhelming and tempt you into relying on dry shampoo to extend time between washes. But while the clays and starches in dry shampoo can temporarily mattify the look of hair, you’re ultimately just adding in buildup that makes the hair look greasier in the long run, Rabach says. Product buildup can also inhibit healthy hair growth, making consistent cleansing essential. If you need more incentive to commit to a daily wash, know that cleansing will actually control oil: “Regular washing can help the scalp not to overproduce more oil,” Rabach explains.
What can I do to combat oily hair?
Besides washing your hair more frequently and occasionally relying on dry shampoo to absorb excess oils, you’ll want to eschew products and habits that can make hair greasier. Reszko recommends avoiding heavy moisturizing shampoos, oily leave-in conditioners, and touching your hair too frequently—the natural oils on your fingertips can transfer to your strands, leaving them stringy. If you can’t help yourself, try putting your hair up in a ponytail!
Meet the Experts
- Morgan Rabach, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and cofounder of LM Medical in New York City.
- Tracy Evans, MD, MPH is a board-certified dermatologist and medical director of Pacific Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology in San Francisco.
- Howard Sobel, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and clinical attending cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
- Kenneth Mark, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
- Anetta Reszko, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
- Jae-Manuel Cardenas is a celebrity stylist and senior stylist at Ollin NYC by Johnny Ramirez in New York City.