Oily Hair and Scalp, Part 3: DIY Solutions!

 Part 3: Management

Prefacing this installment with 2 reminders. 

  1. Your scalp is supposed to produce oil. It's nature's way of preventing hair-breakage so our scalps have protection from the sun. Your tolerance for number of days between washing may be different than somebody else's. But your scalp definitely has an opinion about how often it "likes" being washed. That's the opinion you should pay the most attention to.
  2. If you have oily scalp and itching, red patches, flaking, peeling, burning, painful bumps, or if these symptoms are new - see your healthcare provider or a dermatologist. Even if you're a DIY-treatment person - those folks can provide a diagnosis to send you in the right direction.

  • If you have seborrheic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis or eczema, and are otherwise healthy, using a shampoo formulated to manage dandruff may help reduce greasiness. Selenium sulfide shampoos and Tar shampoos sometimes make hair seem greasier. But that doesn't happen to everybody.
  • Wash your hair before your scalp becomes itchy. If you stretch wash days too far apart, you might be creating conditions that provoke future oiliness through irritation (such as increased yeast populations and the low-grade inflammation that may cause).

  • Don't under-cleanse. Foamy shampoos were not designed with malevolent intent to create an addiction to shampoo. (I've read that online!) But they were also not designed for you, the individual. Rather, for some generic person who might need a serious de-greasing. Find a product that cleans your scalp so it is comfortable, and ideally protects your hair too. You can also do oil pre-wash treatments if you have long hair, or dry hair.
  • Lather twice? If you shampoo 1-2 times per week and your roots are oily and stuck together, you may need to lather twice to remove the excess oils. The second lather might be diluted with water to avoid dehydrating your scalp and hair.

  • Surprisingly, one data review plus in-vivo study (of people with mostly straight and wavy, or very short hair) found that people were most comfortable with their scalps and hair-appearance with daily washing. This did not include curly and kinky/coily hair (types 3 and 4). Curlier hair types can experience breakage with frequent washing, which is something important to balance with scalp-health concerns.

Let's look at some ingredients and products that can help manage an oily scalp, that can fit into your usual haircare routine.

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Niacinamide can reduce sebum production for some people, thanks in part to its anti-inflammatory effects. 2% is the amount used in clinical testing. A lower concentration might be useful, too. There are shampoos and scalp serums available.


Mineral Sunscreen Powder as a Dry Shampoo: This idea is a little unconventional, but it makes sense. I have been doing this as a volumizing powder for a while! Powder sunscreens for the scalp (available in “translucent” and tinted) that contain zinc oxide can be a 2-in-1 solution between washes. How?

  1. The product can absorb excess oils and help create a little volume at the crown like a dry shampoo.
  2. The mineral sunscreen ingredient Zinc oxide can provide anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory benefits to discourage yeast growth on your scalp under the “oily” conditions you’re using the product to manage.
  3. A little extra sun protection on your scalp prevents an inflammatory response to sun exposure - something that may increase oil production.

Salicylic acid shampoo (or topical treatments): Salicylic acid can cut through sebum (it’s oil-soluble!) to help exfoliate an oily scalp more effectively. That could help keep your scalp feeling fresh longer, and discourage itching and flaking.

You can find lists of shampoos as well as between-wash treatments here. Scroll down to the "Salicylic Acid" shampoo list, and the "Non-Shampoo, Leave-on" list (near the bottom of the page).


Azelaic acid and Retinol formulated for the scalp: Both retinol (an over-the-counter retinoid) and Azelaic acid can alter sebum composition and reduce inflammation. That may result in a less oily feel. Both these ingredients can be irritating when you begin using them, but with a short contact-time, they may be less likely to irritate. The concentration in these products is also not so high it is likely to cause a lot of irritation. 


Anti-inflammatory/anti-yeast actives (in leave-on products): These could help manage between wash-days if sebum has become part of an obnoxious cycle of yeast proliferation >> mild inflammation >> provoking more oiliness. These contain anti-yeast ingredients or exfoliating ingredients (or both).

  • Briogeo Scalp Revival Spray: Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Gluconolactone, (3 exfoliants - beta, alpha and poly-hydroxy acids), Tea Tree Oil


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