The 12 Best Shampoos for Oily Hair, Vetted by Stylists
PureWow Editors select every item that appears on this page,, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story You can learn more about that process here. Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Read the original article on Purewow.
Does your hair get greasy and matted down quickly? Do you find yourself needing to shampoo every single day? While there are many different reasons why your hair feels oily—from genetics to hormonal changes to a hairbrush that needs cleaning—the solution is a bit more straightforward: Find a shampoo that works for you.
To help you cut through the options (and the grease), we tapped the very people who know a thing or two about healthy, balanced hair: hairstylists and editors who test many (many) products for a living. Ahead, they share the 12 best shampoo for oily hair, including drugstore darling, Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Purifying Shampoo, and celebrity favorite, Virtue Purifying Clarifying Shampoo.
The Best Shampoos for Oily Hair At a Glance
Meet the Experts
How We Chose the Best Shampoos for Oily Hair
To roundup our list, we went straight to our editors and our two hairstylist experts for their product recommendations. We also combed through top retailers like Amazon, Sephora and Ulta Beauty to find the highest rated products. Once we had our top selections, we analyzed each shampoo’s ingredients to see how they could benefit oily hair. Last but not least, we factored in customer reviews to bring you this list of the 12 best shampoos for oily hair, so you can find one that suits your specific preferences, including price, packaging, lather and scent.
Want to know which buzzy products are *really* worth buying? Sign up for our shopping newsletter to uncover our favorite finds.
The 19 Best Conditioners for Thin Hair That Won’t Weigh It Down
1. Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Clarifying Shampoo
"I recommend clarifying shampoos to almost all of my clients with oily hair," says Fitzgerald. "I don't recommend using them all of the time but it's good to swap in every third wash or so to remove buildup from other styling products and daily dust that's sticking to your strands and weighing them down. One of my favorites that immediately comes to mind is Redken's cleansing cream shampoo. Not only does it clear up any product buildup from your hair, but it also removes copper, iron and hard water minerals, which can be dulling. Plus, it has fruit acids in the formula to add shine and refresh your scalp."
2. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo
"It's a common misconception that people with oilier hair should use stronger, more astringent shampoos to make their hair feel clean, but that can actually strip the hair of natural oils and nutrients and leave ends feeling very dry. Instead look for gentle cleansers that remove oil from your scalp without disrupting its natural balance. I love this formula because it gets rid of grease and residue without using any harsh cleansers. It just leaves your hair feeling light and clean and it smells amazing," says Streicher.
3. Shu Uemura Gentle Radiance Clarifying Shampoo
Another go-to for Fitzgerald? Shu Uemura’s cleansing oil shampoo (which is also one of our longtime favorites). Like its name implies, the formula acts similarly to a cleansing oil you’d use for your face in that it has a nice slip to it and is gentle on your skin. "I love this shampoo because it quickly lathers up into a rich foam, which effectively draws out any impurities or buildup from the scalp without stripping it dry," says Fitzgerald. "In fact, it has hydrating ingredients like plant and fruit oils that leave your hair softer after use." (Ed note: Though it’s certainly pricier than most shampoos, the 13.4 oz bottle lasts a long time.)
4. Virtue Refresh Purifying Shampoo
"Virtue’s purifying shampoo is unlike any other," says Fitzgerald. It's a clarifying formula that’s infused with proteins and keratin that actually fills in damaged or weakened areas of hair, while clearing away any oils or impurities that are sitting on your scalp and strands. "I tell my clients to use this once a week and follow up with your favorite conditioner."
5. Davines Solu Shampoo
This is a great shampoo for anyone who processes their hair regularly (i.e., if you keep up with highlights, keratin treatments, or any other chemical services at a salon). It uses buckwheat extract and amino acids to remove any residue from your hair and it feels downright invigorating when you massage it into your scalp. "It's also a great cleanser for swimmers because it pulls the chlorine from your hair," says Fitzgerald.
6. Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo
The formula includes vegetable-derived micro-exfoliators to physically remove dead skin cells and product buildup from the scalp. It not only sounds cool, it feels cool, too, thanks to the soothing tea tree oil, which pulls double duty to eliminate flakes. It also features binchotan charcoal to really clear away any lingering grease from your roots, while coconut oil and panthenol ensures the rest of your hair doesn't get overly stripped.
"This is hands down one of my favorite shampoos. It exfoliates your scalp, which is very helpful if you suffer from a dry/itchy/flaky scalp, and [it’s] great for providing moisture. I also love the scent. They say the scent is coconut, however, with charcoal, mint, and coconut oil as ingredients, to me it smells like mint chocolate chip,” adds one Amazon fan.
7. Christophe Robin Purifying Shampoo
Using a blend of jujube bark and cherry-flower extracts that cut down on grease, thereby boosting volume at the roots, this French shampoo works particularly well on reviving limp hair. Oh, and it's free from sodium laureth sulfate, parabens and silicones.
"What surprised me the most after the first wash, was that I didn't need to wash my hair as often, as the roots remained clean for at least a day longer. I went from washing my hair every other day, to washing it 2-3 times a week! I've been using this shampoo for over a year now and refuse to use any others, so grateful that I've found it," shares one reviewer.
8. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo
If you’re looking for a bit of tingle in your shampoo, you’ll appreciate this potent tea tree oil-based formula that's won countless awards throughout the years and has over 2,500 5-star reviews on Ulta alone. With a dash of peppermint oil (for that aforementioned zing) and lavender oil to help soothe any inflammation on your scalp, the shampoo whisks away excess buildup from your strands, while filling your shower with a nose-clearing crisp scent.
"This shampoo has a deep-cleansing formula that leaves your scalp feeling squeaky clean," writes one reviewer on Ulta. "I have naturally oily hair, so finding a shampoo that can actually remove all the excess oil is a struggle. But Tea Tree Special Shampoo manages to do it without leaving my hair feeling stripped or dry. It's like a miracle in a bottle."
9. Oribe The Cleanse Clarifying Shampoo
This luxe shampoo works for all hair types and textures, but is especially helpful with oily scalps. Formulated with volcanic ash to gently exfoliate the scalp and clear away buildup, it also has green tea extract to strengthen your hair and protect it against damage.
Here's what one Sephora reviewer has to say about it: "I have a lot of hair but it is fine hair and gets greasy quickly. This shampoo gives me body and keeps it clean for days. It also does not diminish my color. I hope they don't discontinue this shampoo. It is the bomb! I am obsessed with it."
10. Jason Thin-to-Thick Extra Volume Shampoo
Sometimes, less is more. If you're looking for a shampoo with fewer chemicals in it, this one uses a simple blend of biotin and panthenol (which comes from vitamin B5) and salicylic acid to clear up greasy residue, while plumping up lank strands.
"I have very thin fine hair. If I went one day without washing my hair, it would be noticeably greasy. This shampoo has allowed my hair to find its equilibrium and I can go two full days without my hair looking oily. Letting it air dry, my hair is noticeably fuller and has more body," shares one reviewer on Amazon.
11. Andalou Naturals Argan Stem Cell Shampoo
Dr. Marisa Garshick, who is a board-certified dermatologist in New York introduced us to this natural shampoo. According to Garshick, the sulfate-free wash helps “to deeply cleanse the scalp without leaving it dry.” This can likely be attributed to the argan oil, aloe vera and grape stem cells in the formula. What it's notably formulated without: parabens, phthalates, sulfates SLS & SLES, petrochemicals, GMOs, synthetic colors and dyes and artificial fragrances
12. Vegamour GRO Dry Shampoo
We'd be remiss not to include a dry shampoo in the mix (a godsend for any oily-haired gal on the go). Streicher swears by this pick because it’s "super lightweight and doesn’t feel gritty on your hair." She recommends using it between shampoos to absorb any excess oils, while still delivering a soft movement to your strands rather than weighing them down like some formulas can.
What to Consider When Buying Shampoo for Oily Hair
The right shampoo for greasy hair is one that has clarifying properties to it. Look for specific ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar on the labels, which help control excess sebum and clear away buildup from the scalp. Conversely, as trichologist Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris shared in a previous story, try to avoid silicones, heavy oils, butters, sulfates and fatty alcohols (i.e., cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol), as they can encourage more oil production and weigh down your locks.
