7 Best Conditioners for Oily Hair

January 02, 2023

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Conditioner can be a sensitive subject for us oily scalps, but these 7 best conditioners for oily hair offer the right amount of hydration. I was told by a hair stylist once while getting a haircut that with fine hair like mine I should only be conditioning every other time I washed my hair! I tried that only once before deciding there had to be a better way.

Conditioner is still necessary even if you are prone to oiliness, but some conditioners (or most) can be heavy on the moisturizing and conditioning ingredients and leave your hair limp and weighed down. But it doesn’t need to be like this! There are lots of conditioner out there that are formulated just for us.

I’ve tried a TON of shampoo and conditioner sets in the past few years, and I’ve gathered a lot of favorites, most of which are meant to help with hair that has too much grease. So these are the tried and tested 7 best conditioners for oily hair.

So how do you decide if a conditioner is right for you?

What to look for in conditioners for oily hair

Let’s start with what conditioner does: conditioner seals the hair cuticle (which has been opened by shampoo to cleanse) to lock in moisture. It makes hair easier to detangle, stronger, shinier and softer.

Lots of conditioners will have ingredients that are meant to provide a deep condition and these work great for dry hair. Coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, avocado oil, and olive oil work well to add oil to the hair. If you have an oily scalp, the ingredients you’ll want to look for in your conditioner will be different.

Ingredients like apple cider vinegar, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, or clay are best for purifying the hair and cleaning away grease while still leaving hair moisturized.

Should I use deep conditioners if I have oily hair?

Oily hair can still benefit from deep conditioning, but you’ll want to make sure it is specially formulated for oily hair so it doesn’t weigh down your strands with too much moisture.

And remember, whether it’s a a deep conditioner or a regular one, keep it to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. Conditioner on your scalp will make your hair oilier, since the scalp is where oil comes from in the first place!

7 Best Conditioners for Oily Hair

I’ve tried a LOT of conditioners over the past few years, and these ones are the best for keeping my hair bouncy and still shiny.

Best-smelling: Ouai Fine Hair Conditioner

Ouai’s shampoo and conditioner sets come in three versions, one each for fine hair, medium hair, and thick hair. This one for fine hair gives hair volume. I do find it a little hard to squeeze out of the bottle, but the nice smell makes up for it.

Best Budget: Neutrogena Healthy Scalp and Shine Conditioner

For an affordable conditioner, this one is a great choice. It’s meant to make your hair easy to detangle with slight moisture and it definitely doesn’t leave my hair feeling heavy. This Neutrogena conditioner, paired with the matching shampoo, is a great set for anyone looking to get on top of an oily scalp.

Best for Super Oily Hair: Amika Reset Clarifying Gel Conditioner

This is a really unique product because the conditioner actually comes out as a foam. I was super weird to use the first time but I felt a tingle while using this with the shampoo that made me feel like it was leaving my hair really clean. You’ll probably run out of this one faster than some of the other conditioners on this list, but this one delivers a super lightweight hydration that you should look into if you are desperate to keep oil at bay.

Best for Thicker Hair: Redken Volume Injection Conditioner

Redken’s Volume Injection Conditioner is formulated with filloxane which is supposed to give the appearance of thicker hair. It’s hard to say if I notice that effect, but my hair does feel strong but still soft after using it which makes it one of my absolute favorites.

Best for Hair Growth: Aveda Rosemary Mint Weightless Conditioner

Aveda’s Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner have instant cred for those looking to get rid of oil because of the rosemary and mint ingredients which are great for cleansing the hair, but they’re also great for hair growth! They smell like rosemary mint too which is a nice pick-me-up in the shower.

Best for Stronger Hair: Nutrafol Strand Defender

Nutrafol is a brand that is known for their hair growth supplements and they take the science behind their products very seriously. So I was excited to try their new shampoo and conditioner which defend the cuticle against

Best for Beginners: L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Conditioner

This is the first shampoo and conditioner set I used when I first learned there were shampoos and conditioners that were specially formulated for oily hair. What a time! :) But this still a great set with both formulated with clay which purifies oily roots without drying out the ends of your hair. When I started using this shampoo and conditioner I was able to extend my hair washes by a whole day. It still outranks some of the other oily hair shampoo and conditioners I’ve tried.