Oily Hair: How To Deal With It Naturally
Do you feel like you have to wash your oily hair every day or it will turn into a greasy mess? Maybe you don’t want to – it can be time consuming, especially if you factor in daily styling and blow drying – but what other choice do you have? It never seems to get any better and you’re sure that if you stopped it would get even worse. Well, don’t give up hope yet.
What not to do
Your daily shampoo routine might actually be contributing to your oily hair woes. If you use conventional hair care products the silicone in them can build up over time, weighing your hair down and attracting dirt. Sulphate detergents can strip your natural oils from your scalp. Your body reacts to this by producing even more sebum, keeping you locked in a vicious circle.
Natural methods to help oily hair
If you want to get off the road of good intentions that leads to oily hair hell, the first thing to do is start using natural hair products. Choose products that are free from silicones. That way you will avoid build up on your hair and the mild cleansing ingredients will gently remove dirt without depriving your scalp of its natural oils.
Put your hair on a training schedule
Second, you’ll need to train your scalp to not produce so much oil. This will mean – bear with me here – not washing it every day. You and your hair will go through an adjustment period at first, but it’s worth it for the naturally luscious locks you’ll end up with. Your scalp is so used to fighting to retain its natural sebum that it’s overproducing to compensate. The result is oily hair. The solution is to increase the time between washes. The first month will be tough, but you don’t have to shove a hat on your head and hope for the best. There are several strategies you can use to keep your hair presentable while your scalp adapts to the new schedule.
Dry shampoo can keep your hair looking good between washes
Try a natural dry shampoo to help absorb the oil and add volume. Shake a little into your roots and massage in. If you’re a brunette, look for a dry shampoo that’s made for dark hair so it doesn’t show.
Brush your hair old school
One of the greatest natural hair care secrets is brushing with a boar-bristle brush. People have been doing it for hundreds of years. Our great grandmothers prided themselves on their long beautiful hair and didn’t have our modern potions to play with. The boar bristles have the same composition and consistency as human hair, so you don’t have to worry about damage. They provide a gentle massage that improves scalp health and circulation. The closely packed bristles pull out dirt and fuzz, and distribute your natural sebum down the hair shaft. Your hair gets clean without shampoo and benefits from your own natural shine, body and texture treatment. It even works for moderately curly hair.
Essential oils can help
When you’re shopping for your natural hair products, look for certain essential oils as ingredients. They have both antibacterial and antifungal properties, as well as helping balance sebum production. You can add a couple of drops of rosemary essential oil onto your hairbrush before brushing. You can also add essential oils to your favourite shampoo, either straight to the bottle or by mixing 3–4 drops into a dollop of shampoo before washing. Great essential oils for oily hair include basil, cedar, tea tree, patchouli, lemongrass and lavender. They will make your hair smell great too! It might seem like you’re doomed to have oily hair, but if you switch to natural hair products and follow these suggestions you’ll have a gorgeous grease-free mane in no time.
Image: BigStock