I have always had oily hair, but in the last several months the oiliness has just gotten worse and worse--to the point that I could wash it as usual and it would be extremely oily only a few hours later.
When I was younger I stayed with my grandma, due too a bad winter storm we were snowed in and ran out of shampoo. We used the original green Palmolive dish washing liquid, it made our hair soft, clean, and grease free for several days.
We used to do with my bedridden grandmother. Sprinkle a little baby powder or even better, a bit of cornstarch in her hair to refresh it. Then brush it briskly to remove the oils with the powder being brushed out.
This is a page about using dry shampoo. There are times when you can't get your head wet, but it really needs to be cleaned.
To keep oily hair under control, I use a clarifying shampoo every other time I wash my hair. I always follow a thorough rinsing with a mixture of one quart water and 1/4 cup cider vinegar.
A quick temporary fix to greasy hair is to just sprinkle a bit of baby powder or talcum powder in it, and fluff it through. It will buy a bit of time until the hair can be washed!
Hair gets greasy when shampoo is too hard. To solve this problem, just give your hair the oil it needs:
I have a 12 year old daughter with long hair that is greasy the next day after she washes it. We have tried stopping all conditioners and even washing her hair with Head and Shoulders.
My handicapped sister has hair that is far more oily than any I have ever seen or heard of. It's a terrible problem and even washing every day doesn't help much.
Put baby powder in your hair and then brush it out. I suggest brushing it out outside or in your shower for easier clean up.
I was raised partly by a grandmother and she was very thrifty with everthing. She taught me many easy solutions to all kinds of problems.
Instead of baby powder I use scented dusting powder as I don't really like the smell of baby powder! You can also combine using powder to de-grease hair with the modern dry shampoo sprays.
Mix the equivalent of the juice from 1 lemon with 1 cup water. Pour through your hair, and then rinse with warm water.
I take a shower everyday, but my hair always looks greasy/oily. What can I do?
By Marta G.
Try to find a shampoo that has NO added conditioners. Unless your hair is damaged, you do not need a conditioner. Conditioners, (back in the day we called them "cream rinse") just weigh your hair down, and can feel greasy.
Also, don't massage your scalp. This brings oil to the surface. Don't use a brush that stimulates your scalp. Use warm, not hot water, as hot water can stimulate the oil glands as well.
Hats, for some reason, can make the hair feel greasy. Some people just have more oil in their scalp and skin than others. If this is you, be glad, as you won't get wrinkled as fast as others. :)
I have extremely oily hair with dandruff and it is falling out. What can I do?
By suhani from Punjab
Try using Pure Emu Oil. Be sure that it is 100% pure and from Australia as its potency depends upon how it is made. You can massage it into your hair and scalp before bed and wash out in the morning. Good luck to you.
Diet, age, genetics and hot/humid weather have a lot to do with oily hair and dandruff (and oily skin in general). I also want you to know that every single human being looses up to one hundred hairs every day and that is completely normal!
When you wash your hair don't scrub your scalp hard but rather just hard enough to get the scalp and hair clean. Scrubbing the scalp vigorously stimulates the oil glands. Try to avoid foods with saturated fats and sugar as much as possible too. :-)
Chemicals can cause all kinds of problems. You might try using a J R Liggett's shampoo bar. I just discovered these, although they have been around for centuries. These contain no chemicals at all. They do contain lye which simply bonds all soaps, and you can make your own just like body soap if you choose to do so. I wanted to try them before I wanted to make some, so my health food store ordered some in. Saved on S&H from buying from the site.
They have all kinds of them, and while you might not like the way your hair feels, (I didn't) after washing, it will dry beautifully. This is because it does not strip the oils from your hair (result will be no dandruff!). I think you are dealing with a chemical problem which is why I am making this suggestion. There are other chemically made shampoo bars which will simply cause the same problem you are having. Do check them out, and good luck to you!
My husband has extremely oily hair. He can shower and by the end of the day, it is totally oily. Is there any kind of shampoo that can counteract this or any other solution?
By Elaine
