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It sounds like an oxymoron to have both oily hair and dandruff (i.e., dry scalp), but it’s true. These two hair and scalp ailments go hand-in-hand in many cases and can cause quite an issue when trying to cleanse the hair.
The issue lies in the fine balancing act between over-oiling the scalp at the sacrifice of tresses and dissolving residue on the tresses at the sacrifice of an irritated scalp. Tip the scales and you have even worse hair and scalp issues than ever before. What do you do in this situation?
After all, you cannot treat one hair and scalp condition without canceling out the other. Or can you? In the end, it’s all about knowing what both your hair and scalp need to work together to create balance and reinvigorate the scalp and hair.
How? By reintroducing a healthy pH to your hair and scalp. Do this by pairing your hair and skin needs with the right shampoo (and any conditioner that comes with your shampoo of choice). We’ve compiled the best shampoos for oily hair and dandruff together in one helpful list for your consideration.
Make note of the following to help you make your final hair care choice:
- What hair and scalp issues worry you most
- Your hair type and condition
- Whether you color-treat your hair
- Preexisting skin conditions (psoriasis, keratosis, etc.)
- Your budget for hair care products
- What changes you want to be made to your hair and scalp
In creating a note of what you worry about most with your whole head of hair, you can make more educated and thoughtful choices regarding shampoo selections. Our list will help you narrow down your options!
1. Blu Atlas Classic Shampoo
This shampoo is our number one because it’s gentle yet highly effective at balancing the skin and hair to make your scalp less itchy and dry and your hair less oily, all while being a vegan and nearly completely natural, plant-derived product (also available in a pleasant coconut apricot scent).
We love that this shampoo has an ingredient for nearly any hair and scalp woe, from thinning hair issues to an overly stressed scalp. Saw palmetto is a leading ingredient in this shampoo, used to help stop hair loss in its tracks in the first place. Aloe vera targets the scalp and soothes and smooths the skin while helping to balance its overall pH. After all, healthy hair starts at the root, and the root begins at the scalp.
Moving on, we see that jojoba proteins are in this shampoo, which we love because this addition is a terrific way to calm and repair stressed-out strands of hair. Coconut-derived surfactants totally clean the hair, allowing the oiliness in the hair to become a thing of the past.
Use this shampoo if you have an all-around hair and scalp issue and don’t know where to begin repairing and treating your symptoms. From the first use of this classic shampoo, you’ll know you’re on to something great. It’s even ideal for you if you have sensitive skin, so suds up and enjoy healthier hair and scalp all around!
2. Honeydew Lemon Sage Cleansing Shampoo
We’re all about letting Mother Nature help out in the hair and scalp department, and this nature-influenced shampoo is exactly what we’re looking for. With a cleansing tea tree oil and rosemary infusion, this is a shampoo that removes debris from the scalp while balancing its pH at the same time.
It’s also a great calming shampoo, helping your scalp feel relief from irritation and itchiness caused by an imbalance of oils in the hair and scalp. Lemon essential oil works to hydrate the hair while it offers an amazingly tantalizing scent that is hard to ignore.
Rosemary restores your hair as well, and the combination of all the essential oils and other essences in this shampoo will help give your hair an invigorating boost without making your hair feel weighed down and greasy.
Sulfate- and paraben-free, this is a shampoo that will give you gentle relief for your hair and scalp woes while offering plenty of protection and hydration for your hair as well. Use this as your regular daily cleanser or when you need an essential oil boost for a nice pick-me-up at the end of the day.
3. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Dry Shampoo
We get it—sometimes you don’t have all day to address your oily hair and you need to tidy up your tresses ASAP. In this case, dry shampoo can do the trick, but you’ve got to be careful because lots of dry shampoo products contain drying agents like alcohol that can make your condition worse.
That’s why we’ve chosen this dry shampoo for our list of the best shampoos for oily hair and dandruff. This formula will gently absorb your hair’s greasy roots without disturbing your itchy scalp, thus helping to keep your dandruff at bay. We especially love that this is a silicone-free product, which means no powdery residue and less impact on your tresses.
If you need to be out the door fast and don’t have time to wash your hair, this is a great dry shampoo to try. It’s vegan and doesn’t have any animal by-products in it, making it an ideal addition to your hair care routine when you only have a minute to style. Use this dry shampoo when your alternative is greasy hair, and you can help save your hair without sacrificing your scalp in the process.
4. Nutrafol Root Purifier Scalp Microbiome Shampoo
If you have a dry and irritated scalp but your hair is greasy and limp, the reason why you’re not able to manage your condition is that you haven’t tackled the main problem yet: the biome. A healthy microbiome, in this case, your scalp, has to be given the proper nutrients and an ideal pH balance to thrive. Without a healthy microbiome, your scalp will have a buildup and an overgrowth of bacteria.
This results in an overproduction of sebum, which is a natural oil produced by the scalp. The scalp produces this sebum because its biome is not balanced. The result? An itchy, patchy scalp with dandruff and hair that is over oiled.
This shampoo helps to restore the scalp so it has a healthy microbiome and produces a healthier amount of sebum. Normal sebum production means a happy and healthy scalp, which in turn equals healthy and manageable hair with far less oiliness. You have to stick with it to see the results, but with regular use of this shampoo (just a small dab worked into a lather works fine to give you great results), you can see your hair and scalp condition improve.
It’s free of hormones, sulfates, parabens, and lots of other irritating ingredients we don’t like, which means this shampoo not only yields great results but has a gentle way of working. Prebiotics and Australian wild berries work hard to restore your hair and scalp and you’ll see results that last with continued use. It’s on the pricier end, but it’s worth it in our books and you’ll agree from your first use.
5. OUAI Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
If your biggest concern is dandruff, then tackle this issue with the right shampoo. We’ve chosen this one because it’s got a gentle formula that takes on your worst flaky and irritated scalp woes and makes your scalp healthier than ever.
A common ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos is salicylic acid. It’s designed to help break down the plaque and scales that are hard to remove with regular cleansers alone and soothe the scalp as well to prevent future buildup. If you have tried shampoos for dandruff before and found them to be too harsh, don’t give up just yet. This may be just the shampoo you need.
Keep in mind that just because this shampoo doesn’t tackle greasy and oily hair directly doesn’t mean it won’t help with oily hair problems as well. A healthy scalp means healthy hair from root to tip, so you’ll notice healthier and smoother hair as a result of using this shampoo for your dandruff issues. We call that a total win!
To feel the full effect of this shampoo, use it regularly until you feel and see your dandruff and scalp scales disappear. Leave this shampoo on for up to five minutes after massaging your scalp for the best results. Pair this shampoo with a conditioner of the same name for an even better outcome.
6. Sun Bum Revitalizing Shampoo
Did you know that in most cases, hair will look and feel greasy when it’s actually in need of some hydration? If you’re worried about your hair getting greasier by the day and you’re having problems with simply managing your tresses, then this may be the ideal shampoo for you.
It’s got great packaging and we love the coconut scent. But what we love even more is the way this shampoo gently cleanses the hair while restoring greasy tresses with what they need most—moisture. Your greasy tresses may be simply begging for a drink, and this shampoo delivers.
This is a vegan and cruelty-free shampoo, and while it’s a crowd favorite for those who spend a lot of time on the beach and out in the sun, it’s great for sufferers of dandruff and oily hair as well. It’s safe for all hair types and uses a unique combination of oils—sunflower, banana, and coconut—to cleanse the hair and remove impurities (i.e., the oils your hair is producing like crazy).
If you doubt that fighting oily hair with oils will work, give this shampoo a try, and from the first scented suds, you’ll change your mind. There’s a reason this shampoo has made it on our list, and as a bonus, it’s easy on the budget as well. Your hair and scalp will thank you.
7. Neutrogena Healthy Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo
Now here’s a shampoo we haven’t seen before, and we’re intrigued both by how it works to cleanse the hair and scalp and the ingredients it has. If you have major dandruff and seriously oily hair, listen up—this may just be the cleanser for you.
This healthy scalp shampoo uses pink grapefruit to gently slough off the hard skin scales and patches on your scalp to reveal smooth, revitalized skin. The same oils in this citrus fruit then restore shine and health to your tired and limp hair. It not only revitalizes and cleanses your tresses, it smells amazing as well!
It’s a pH-balanced shampoo as well, which means it will help to restore and strengthen your scalp’s microbiome. The more you use this shampoo, the more it can do for your hair, so suds up daily if you want to get the best results. If you have sensitive skin, don’t worry—this gentle formula is free of parabens and sulfated surfactants (among other harsh ingredients), so you can use this shampoo as often as you wish.
8. Raw Sugar The Scalp Restore Shampoo
This shampoo brand is very transparent in telling you everything this shampoo can do right on the bottle. Straightaway we can tell we like this shampoo because it’s got amazing ingredients that work wonders for a dandruff-laden scalp and oily hair: charcoal, moringa oil, and tea tree oil. It’s a concoction we just can’t pass up!
We love a good shampoo that follows through on its promises and combines useful ingredients to completely restore the scalp and hair with every wash. Charcoal is a great clarifier in removing toxins and bacteria from the scalp and soaking up oils from the hair. Moringa oil works to restore the hair and calm it down, all while adding lots of gloss and volume to the hair.
Finally, tea tree oil works to penetrate the scalp and offers instant relief for its itchy and dry symptoms. It also acts as an antibacterial so it restores the pH of your scalp naturally. If you want a shampoo that can really pack a punch when it comes to tackling your hair woes, stop looking—we’ve found the one you need.
You can use this shampoo as your daily cleanser and pair it with its accompanying conditioner or use it as a preventative shampoo every now and then after your hair has been under some extra stress.
9. Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo
Here’s a shampoo that promises to cleanse and refine your hair, even if you have oilier hair than usual. Lots of things can make your hair oily, from stress and the environment to the type of products you put in your hair. Even overwashing your hair (yes, we meant what we said) will cause it to get oily and greasy.
As with other products on our list, this one uses a natural approach to help remove excess oils and help your scalp regain control so it stops producing so much sebum. The ingredients in this shampoo that aid in making your hair healthier include pure oils and botanical extracts that are gentle yet effective at removing excess oils without making the hair dry and brittle.
Citrus oils (namely lemon) are the leading ingredients that work wonders on the hair, and while this shampoo doesn’t have anything super special to add to our list, it does have the benefit of being particularly great for you if you have curly or dense hair. Since thicker hair and textured hair can be especially difficult to treat, it’s great when you can find a product you trust that actually delivers what it says it will.
10. Davines Naturaltech Energizing Shampoo
If you’ve got a stressed scalp and aging hair that is both oily and thinning, we hear you. This is a shampoo that helps to bring vitality and youthfulness back to your hair so you feel better about your tresses from root to tip.
With energy in the name, we had to wonder: how does this shampoo work as far as “energizing” the hair? The same way that lots of beauty products work to perk up the skin—caffeine, of course! You can use this thick and gentle formula to help restore your hair and scalp by giving your scalp a needed boost and helping your strands reach greater thickness and vitality strand by strand.
This is a decadent shampoo that can give you great results if you have super tired strands and you want to not only manage your dandruff and oily tresses, you want to keep your hair as young as you feel. This is an imported shampoo that you can find in specialty stores. Combine this shampoo with other favorites you love for the best approach to hair care.
For maximum hair and scalp revitalization, use this shampoo alongside its accompanying conditioner. This way, you help keep your hair smooth and hydrated as well as super enriched and energized.
11. The Body Shop Tea Tree Purifying & Balancing Shampoo
You may have noticed a trend in this list of the best shampoos for oily hair and dandruff, and if you guessed it’s tea tree oil, you’d be right. We can’t help but love this natural essential oil because it has the antibacterial powers to stop scalp stench and bacteria in their tracks while also helping to restore balance in the scalp. This leads to healthier hair and then fewer oils. As you know by now, the reason we keep mentioning tea tree oil is simply because it works.
Here’s another hair cleanser that uses tea tree oil to work its wonders on a dry and dandruff scalp while also nourishing and hydrating the hair. This vegan shampoo is on our list because over 90% of the ingredients are natural and it’s got a gentle yet practical approach to making the hair and scalp healthy again. If you’re not used to tea tree oil, it might feel extra-tingly the first time you use it, but once you get used to the sensation, it will be the only one you want to feel.
Use this shampoo when you see the first speck of dandruff on your scalp or when your hair starts to feel a little oily and staticky. Use daily if you like the smell and feel of tea tree oil in your tresses or a few times a week for maintenance.
12. Briogeo Scalp Revival Micro-exfoliating Shampoo
We’ve got another shampoo on our list that promises to exfoliate the scalp and leave hair with less residue and oils. This shampoo does so by using charcoal (another trending ingredient in our list) and coconut oil to both cleanse the hair and scalp while restoring the pH balance of the hair and scalp as well.
Coconut oil is about as close to a human’s natural oil and lubrication production as a natural product can get, so we’re not surprised (but also super excited) to see this product in shampoo on our list. Coconut oil works to coat your hair with the oils it does need while also relieving the scalp of dandruff that causes irritation and itching.
Your scalp is smoothed and restored, and charcoal comes in to remove the impurities and unwanted oils from your hair and scalp as well. In combination, these ingredients give your whole head of hair a renovating feel that can last a long time. If you’re worn out and fed up from lackluster locks and a dry and irritated scalp, this may be just the shampoo you need.
It’s not only practical, it’s also a super gentle shampoo that is lacking irritants like dyes and harsh sulfates. You can use this shampoo as your daily cleanser, plus you can invest in the dry shampoo version for those days when you don’t feel like showering so you can keep your hair and scalp progress going strong.
13. Earth Science Volumizing Citress Shampoo
Sometimes the worst part about having oily hair is having to deal with how flat your tresses feel. Imagine a shampoo that not only gently cleanses these oils away, but also adds volume and body and bounce to your hair. This shampoo does just that, using citrus essences and oils to bring life to your hair in whole new ways.
We like this shampoo because it’s targeted at people who have fine and/or oily hair. It’s not an easy hair type to treat without going overboard and weighing tresses down, but this shampoo delivers in big ways—and by big ways, we mean big hair.
The only reason this shampoo doesn’t rank higher on our list is that it does have some ingredients that may be considered harsh, but we do like that it’s vegan and cruelty-free. Whenever you feel like your oily hair could use a boost and your dry scalp needs some citrus care, this shampoo can give you the results you want.
Use this shampoo in between your main dandruff and oily hair treatment shampoo for the best results. This way, you get the benefits of all the shampoos you use.
14. Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Shampoo
Produced in Sweden, this shampoo is like therapy for your scalp and hair. Its main purpose is to heal your hair and scalp from external damage and internal stressors so you can enjoy your hair. You’ll have a scalp that can support happy and healthy hair growth from the root on.
While this shampoo is scented, it’s created with an allergen-free scent so even if you have sensitive skin or allergies, you can use this floral-scented shampoo with ease. It’s designed to help prevent dandruff while treating existing flakes, and you can expect your oily hair to calm down from the first use of this shampoo.
As a bonus, this shampoo helps not only prevent hair damage and loss, it stimulates new hair growth as well. If you have aging hair and super sensitive skin, then this may well be the shampoo you have been looking for. It’s also sulfate- and paraben-free as well as vegan in design.
Use this shampoo along with accompanying hair masques and other sensitive skin products to give your stressed hair and scalp the TLC it needs. In the end, it may be the gentlest product you use on your scalp that gives you the most extreme results.
The key to any hair and scalp regimen is consistency and patience. Give any shampoo you try a few washes to see results and feel free to mix and match the shampoos and cleansers you use to give you custom results for your hair type. If you have color-treated hair, make sure any shampoo you choose will work to protect your hair color as well as your strands.
Here’s to a scalp that is free of dandruff and hair that is free of oils and other unwanted issues! Who knew that all you needed was the right shampoo to give your hair and scalp some much-needed relief? We believe in your hair and scalp, and you should, too.
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