How to Stop Hair From Getting Greasy After One Day
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A few years ago I dreamed of being one of those people who could wash their hair only once a week, but I was just trying to stop my hair from getting greasy after just one day. If I took a shower in the morning, my hair was already getting oily by nighttime. I started by trying to “train” my hair, or the process of gradually washing my hair less and less until my hair could last for at least a couple days. After a few (long) months of this, I read that hair training was actually a myth and I had been wasting my time (cue the tears.)
I changed my approach and started experimenting with different products and techniques and after lots of research, my hair lasts for all of two days (since my hair is pretty fine, it can’t get much better than this!) I’ve learned so much through trial and error, talking to hairstylists, and scouring the web, and I can share what I’ve learned so you can hopefully squeeze another day or two out of your just-washed hair.
Why Your Hair Gets Greasy After One Day
Having an oily scalp isn’t all bad, after all, your hair is less likely to be dry and have lots of breakage! But it’s also not ideal to walk around with an oil slick on your head which happens when you have overactive sebaceous glands that cause too much oil production. Greasy hair is caused when there is too much oil buildup, which means cleaning out that oil buildup is a major key to hair that is less greasy overall.
What to do to Stop Your Hair From Getting Greasy after One Day
These steps can be used all together or you can choose a couple to incorporate into your routine. Even taking a couple of these steps can lead to big changes in how quickly your hair gets oily.
1. Use a scalp scrub once a week
Scalp scrubs remove buildup from products, oil, and dirt from your scalp. Use a scalp scrub once a week before your clarifying shampoo to get your oil production under control, and it will also make your hair shinier!
2. Follow up with a clarifying shampoo one a week
A good clarifying shampoo will finish off the scalp scrub’s work by cleaning your hair from buildup (instead of just your scalp). Don’t use the scalp scrub and clarifying shampoo more than once a week or you risk drying out your hair.
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3. Use a shampoo specific for oily hair
Every time you wash your hair (outside of the once a week where you use the scalp scrub and clarifying shampoo), you’ll want to use a shampoo specifically formulated for oily hair, which often has apple cider vinegar or ingredients like tea tree or peppermint. These types of shampoos will give your hair a much cleaner feeling than using other shampoos. If you’re currently not doing anything to keep your oil at bay, doing this step alone will make a big difference.
4. Shampoo twice for a deeper cleanse
If you want to start today and don’t have products specifically made for oily hair, you can simply use your current shampoo twice in a row. Shampoo your scalp, rinse it out, and then shampoo again. This will give you a deeper clean.
5. Use a light conditioner only on the ends of your hair
Make sure you are not using deep conditioning treatments or heavy conditioner or hair masks, and keep them away from your scalp!
6. Do an apple cider vinegar rinse every other day
An apple cider vinegar rinse done every other day can help control oil, condition your hair, and leave your hair shinier. You can use apple cider vinegar from the grocery store and mix 3 tablespoons with 2 cups of water. Massage it into your scalp and leave it for a few minutes and then rinse out. Use after you’ve shampooed and conditioned your hair.
7. Avoid using hair products for styling, especially on your scalp
Products create more buildup on your scalp and in your hair which needs to be washed out. If you are cleansing deeply enough, that buildup will stay in your hair and cause your hair to get oily faster, so I try to use fewer products when I can!
Best Products for Greasy Hair
Scalp Scrub: dpHue Apple Cider Vinegar Scalp Scrub
dpHue’s products are great for oily hair as they include apple cider vinegar in a lot of their products. This sea salt scrub removes dead skin cells and product buildup and it also rebalances the pH of your scalp.
Clarifying Shampoo: Ouai Detox Shampoo
The Ouai Detox Shampoo has apple cider vinegar in it as well as keratin to help strengthen the hair. I use this once a week and it leaves my hair feeling super clean.
Oil-Controlling Shampoo: Tea Tree Special Shampoo
This is an awesome, decently-priced shampoo for oily hair that’s great for everyday. It has tea tree oil and peppermint which cleanse deeply and soothe your scalp.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: Girl+Hair Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
Though you can use regular apple cider vinegar from the grocery store to make your own rinse, there are also ready-made versions which extra ingredients that are great for your scalp. This one from Girl+Hair leaves my scalp feeling refreshed and it doesn’t smell so strongly of apple cider vinegar.
