Best Shampoo For Greasy Hair

Greasy hair is a common problem that can cause your hair to feel limp and heavy. The best shampoo for greasy hair will cleanse your scalp, lift excess oil and remove build-up without stripping your strands.

Seventeen consulted with four experts — a dermatologist, a trichologist, a salon owner and a co-founder of Stryke Club — to get their top picks for a shampoo that’ll detox the scalp and control oil production.

Clarifying shampoos

Whether you’re prone to oily hair, have hard water in your home, or use a lot of styling products, using a clarifying shampoo is an excellent way to keep your scalp and hair healthy. These shampoos contain chelating agents that capture minerals and impurities, making it easy to remove traces of hairspray, waxes, gels, and other residue with just one wash. Today’s best clarifying shampoo brands also contain moisturizing ingredients that ensure your hair stays hydrated and soft.

Clarifying shampoos are formulated with higher concentrations of hair-cleaning surfactants, which act much more aggressively than traditional cleansers to cut through oil and residue. Some are even able to break down the greasy proteins in your hair, which may help reduce protein loss and strengthen your strands. The best clarifying shampoos also come with a range of additional hair-enhancing ingredients, like antioxidants and natural oils, to help keep your hair healthy, shiny, and smooth.

Because of their intense cleansing properties, it’s important to only use a clarifying shampoo no more than once or twice per week. Especially when you have color-treated hair, you should consider consulting with your stylist to determine the best approach for keeping your color vibrant while using a clarifying shampoo. After each clarifying shampoo, be sure to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner to prevent stripping and dehydration.

Sulfate-free shampoos

Sulfates—like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate—are powerful surfactants that work well to create a rich, bubbly lather in shampoo. They’re great at removing dirt and oil from the hair and scalp, but they can also strip your strands of their natural oils. This can cause your hair to become dry, brittle, and more likely to break.

Sulfate-free shampoos are designed to clean your strands without the harsh stripping effects of sulfates, and they’re often gentler on your color. These formulas are typically scented with calming essential oils, like lavender or tea tree, and they may contain ingredients that help to keep your strands healthy.

However, not all sulfate-free shampoos are created equal. The key is to look at the entire formula, and not just the shampoo for greasy hair ingredient list. Make sure that there are no sulfates (like sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate) and no drying surfactants, like ammonium lauryl sulfoacetate or olefin sulfonate, in the formulation.

One sulfate-free shampoo that’s especially gentle on oily and color-treated hair is Redken’s Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo. It uses a complex blend of amino acids and protein to cleanse, while helping to maintain your color vibrancy. Plus, it’s cruelty-free and infused with ethically-sourced bergamot oil to give it a light, nourishing fragrance.

Oil-absorbing shampoos

Greasy hair is a struggle, but with the right shampoo, it doesn’t have to be. These products will deep-clean your strands, remove product buildup and reduce excess oil. Plus, they won’t leave your hair feeling dry and crunchy like traditional shampoos do.

All hair produces oil, but too much of it causes your strands to look limp and oily. Overproduction can be caused by BONDING TREATMENT many factors, including heat and treatment treatments, environmental factors (like humidity), and even hormonal swings. To get rid of the excess oil, you need a shampoo that can regulate sebum production and remove product buildup without stripping your follicles of their natural oils.

Our testers love this clarifying cleanser for greasy hair, which features a natural, plant-based formula that’s free of traditional strong surfactants. Instead, it’s made with ingredients like tea tree oil, peppermint oil and lavender to deeply cleanse and detoxify your scalp without the stripping effects of other shampoos for greasy hair.

It also contains juniper berry extract, which helps to balance your scalp’s oils while removing any product or residue buildup. You’ll see results immediately, and this gentle shampoo for greasy hair is ideal for all hair textures and lengths.

Dry shampoos

If you’re prone to oily hair or simply want to extend the time between your shampoo washes, dry shampoo is an essential. Available in aerosol and non-aerosol spray cans, these powder formulas absorb excess oil and refresh strands. They typically come in a variety of shades, from violet-tinged light to nix brassiness on blondes, to dark tones that seamlessly blend on brunettes.

The best dry shampoos for greasy hair are gentle yet hard-working, and the right one will depend on your hair type, as well as how sensitive you are to scents. For example, if you have fine hair, you’ll want to choose one that doesn’t leave white residue and doesn’t contain talc, which can be dangerous when inhaled.

Our experts reviewed dozens of dry shampoos to find the most effective options. Danusia Wnek, a chemist in the Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab at the GH Institute, led this round of testing with expert input from Madison Barber, an avid product tester and fine-hair specialist who has researched beauty products for seven years.

During our research, this product stood out for its ability to tackle grease and odor while adding texture and volume. It’s formulated with earth-sourced ingredients (like silica and starch) to gently soak up excess oil, and oat milk to soothe the scalp. It also comes in a convenient spray can, which our testers found easy to use and quick to absorb without leaving a chalky residue.