Trying to figure out which day to wash your hair to coincide with your plans is a challenge to rival quadratic equations.
Planning shampoo sessions between gym classes, nights out and office days is a high-risk, high-reward game. Get it wrong, and leave it just a day too long, and you will have no choice but to slick it back into a bun (no additional hair oil required) and run the risk of resembling a young Victorian boy.
There is, of course, another option. Before you reach for your trusted can of dry shampoo, consider instead its lathering alternative. Invest in the right shampoo and your hair will stay fresher for longer, even if you’re prone to oily locks.
Why does hair get greasy so fast?
Issey Cooke at Larry King in South Kensington explains, “There are lots of misconceptions about greasy hair, that it’s ‘dirty’. It could just be oily glands in the scalp producing large amounts of oil which causes the look of greasy hair”.
She breaks it down. “Hair can become greasy much quicker for lots of reasons such as skin type, age and lifestyle. Some people can have overactive sebaceous glands on the scalp which causes hair to become greasier quicker. It may also be that you're using the wrong product for your hair, causing these problems”.
How do you get rid of greasy hair?
Using the correct formulas, Cooke says, is essential. Look for an ingredient line-up that’s “detoxing and super cleansing on the hair, but still keeps a good healthy balance”. She suggests also putting “conditioner only through your mid-lengths to ends and if you wash your hair every day try to go every other day, it allows the oils to produce but you’re not just stripping the scalp instantly and creating a dryness which then encourages your hair to produce more oil”.
What’s more, even if it’s feeling silky soft, the hair expert stresses “Try not to touch your hair as products or dirt from your hands will make it greasy”. “Use dry shampoo as a last resort” she concludes, “but overuse can block your pores and create dryness and itchiness in the scalp”.
If you’ve tried the above, other tips and tricks include doubling down on your shampoo – the double cleanse works a treat as well as cleaning out your hairbrush and making sure to launder pillowcases regularly.
You can also change up your traditional shampoo for a grease-fighting formula. To that end, we have selected the hard-working wash heroes to keep your locks fresher for longer.
Shop the best shampoos for greasy hair below
Larry King Hair Care City Life Shampoo
The entirety of legendary hair stylist Larry King’s collection has been put through its paces in its London-based salons. The celebrity clientele and roster of talented coiffeurs have deemed this a must-buy and with one use, you’ll see why. The first step in achieving that “effortless” tousled aesthetic that is King’s signature is to eliminate pollution, product build-up and the dulling minerals in hard water.
To do that, you need a product that is packed with moisture yet is able to tackle those salty residues. The cocktail of nourishing vitamin E with oil-controlling zinc PCA is paired with Centella Asiatica extract which is an antibacterial. When you’re finished and need a top-up - and you will want one - a refill is available.
Buy now £40.00, Harvey Nichols
Leonor Greyl Bain TS Balancing Treatment Shampoo
One of the most luxurious haircare brands on the market, each time you lather the Leonor Greyl shampoo into your locks will feel like an opulent experience.
The Balancing Treatment is infused with lime tree oil, yeast and sage which are selected for their thorough cleansing capabilities to wash away dirt, grime and sebum and instead impart nourishing vitamins to restore dry and dehydrated strands. You get effective purification, but it’s set alongside soothing properties so that no matter your hair type or sensitives, it should do its job without irritation.
Buy now £30.50, Sephora
OUAI Detox Shampoo
If you have noticed that your tresses are dry, brittle, brassy or dull, it may not be an entire overhaul of your haircare collection that you need. It could be as little as a simple shampoo switch-up and Jen Atkin’s OUAI label has just the ticket.
The hair styling legend brought this hair wash day essential to market to clear clogged follicles and give your hair a hard reset. Designed to be used once a week, it harnesses the power of apple cider vinegar to stop hard water minerals from interfering with your shine. There’s also hydrolysed keratin to repair, rebuild and fortify your locks.
To top it all off, you will catch a whiff of the lychee, rose, bergamot, cedarwood and white must-enriched fragrance with every swish of your strands.
Buy now £28.00, Amazon
K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo
K18 keeps things minimal with its product line-up. The brand stresses that you don’t need a 12-step hair routine to get the healthy hair that you desire - you just need science. Give limp and lacklustre lengths a helping hand by incorporating this detox shampoo as part of your weekly hair routine.
Just once a week is all that is required to restore shine and counteract the effects of minerals which could cause the likes of hair fall. It’s safe to be used on coloured hair - even if the black colourway is at first quite jarring. This is down to the inclusion of activated charcoal that removes oils, metals and dirt without stripping away the good stuff.
Buy now £29.00, Amazon
Dr. Barbara Sturm Balancing shampoo
Renowned celebrity facialist Dr Barbara Sturm has been in the process of an expansion, extending her line of skincare heroes to include haircare too (and curiously a laundry detergent). The Balancing shampoo was designed to provide an equilibrium to stressed scalps.
This is achieved through the cocktail of soothing ingredients like Japanese camellia, brown and green algae and lavender. While combating the potential grease-inducing effects of external aggressors like pollution and UV rays, this hair wash day essential increases moisture levels with hyaluronic acid and purslane extract.
Buy now £50.00, Dr. Barbara Sturm
Redken Amino Mint Scalp Cleansing Shampoo
As you apply this shampoo from Redken, you will be met with a tingling sensation – a result of the peppermint extract within the formulation. This ingredient sends the senses into overdrive, but it also works to refresh and revive the scalp, paving the way for the strengthening and hydrating amino acid complex that follows. This shampoo was created to nourish the locks of sensitive and oily hair types alike and leave the strands strengthened and invigorated.
Buy now £18.47, Amazon
AMELIORATE Clarifying Shampoo
AMELIORATE is a fixture in the skin, body and haircare routines of sensitive skin types – and this shampoo is no different. It is made up of kind-to-scalp ingredients that are created to nourish and soothe while tackling dryness, flakiness and irritation.
This is made possible by the trio of prebiotics, lactitol and xylitol that are set alongside the brand’s signature LaH6 Skin Hydration Complex. It’s all about restoring the protective barrier with a mild pH so that it doesn’t cause a reaction.
Buy now £16.00, AMELIORATE
Davines MINU Illuminating Shampoo
Italian-born haircare label Davines is a fixture in salons across the capital and boasts formulas to suit specific haircare concerns, types and styles. The MINU protects coloured hair with an advanced ingredient list free from any parabens or sulphates.
Using sustainably sourced, natural components and an emission-free process, dyed locks will have greater vibrancy between salon appointments and silky soft strands. The foaming product dissolves build-up in its wake but does so without stripping the shade of your choosing.
Buy now £22.00, Amazon
Oribe Serene Scalp Balancing Shampoo
Some oily hair shampoos can do their job a little too well and leave you with oil-free but also dry locks. Not Oribe.
A great option if you have a sensitive scalp or just want to gently remove any oil build-up, this balancing shampoo does the job without too much stress on the scalp.
Ridding you of any dandruff, while giving your hair a makeover at the same time, it’s fortified with salicylic acid to ensure a soft, clean scalp with luscious lengths that’ve never looked more hydrated. Its orange and maple extracts give it a brilliant scent, too.
Buy now £46.00, Amazon
HELLO KLEAN Hard Water Shampoo
Dedicated to ensuring that hard water doesn’t steal your hair’s shine, HELLO KLEAN takes a 360 approach. First, it offers a filter that is easily attached to your current shower set-up, then there’s a body wash for skin and, of course, a shampoo and conditioner duo.
Forget the desert-like dryness that mineral build-up can cause by restoring hydrating, softness and shine with the combination of lathering oat protein, liquorice root extract and lactic acid that work in tandem to bring moisture, strengthen the individual strands and encourage growth.
Buy now £18.00, Amazon
Read More: Best shampoo for grey hair
