Hoily Moily! Why Is Your Hair So Oily?!

We all know the struggle, coming out of the shower with freshly washed hair, and waking up the next morning with enough oil in your hair to fry an egg?! There's not one quick fix when it comes to oily hair, as the reasoning for the excess oil differs from person to person. Someone may have oily hair because of how they style their hair, while someone else might just have excess oil because of their sebaceous glands producing too much oil. Either way, there are some tips that we've compiled to help you deal with your oily hair, but first, let's take a look at the different reasons why your hair may be oily.

1. Figure Out Your Hair Wash Cycle

Believe it or not, if you are someone with overly oily hair, it's actually best not to wash your hair every day. Washing your hair too often confuses your sebaceous glands. The reason being, your hair will produce more oil to try to compensate for the oil lost in your hair. It will definitely take a little while for your sebaceous glands to get used to your hair washing schedule, but we recommend to only wash your hair twice weekly. When you do decide to wash your hair start off with warm water to cleanse and clean out your pores and then rinse with cold water to close your pores to decrease the amount of oil that will be released. Also, make sure not to condition your roots or use conditioner at all if you have oily hair. Putting conditioner on your roots just creates more oil and will leave your hair looking even more greasy. If you do use conditioner try to use it every other wash.

2. Hands Off

This goes without saying, but stop touching your hair! Your hands are probably the dirtiest place on your body and not only will you make your hair more oily but it will also make it dirtier. But playing with your hair or constantly pushing it back you are transferring the oil and germs from your hands to your hair. This will only contribute to the amount of oil and buildup in your hair.

3. Put Down The Straightener

The flatter your hair lays against your hair, the oilier it will be. The straighter it is the easier the oil can travel down your strands leaving your hair more prone to being greasy. You may notice that if you curl your hair it takes longer for your hair to appear oily and greasy. The curls and coils make it much more difficult for the oil to travel down your hair leaving your hair looking cleaner longer. Maybe even opt for letting your hair go natural and letting it air dry!

4. Use The Right Products

It may be part of your daily routine to use certain hair products to perfect your styles, but pay close attention to the ingredients in the products you use. Using products that contain a lot of oil will only add to the buildup of your hair and make it appear greasy and dirty. Opt for products that say they will not add to the buildup in your hair.

5. You Are What You Eat

It's true what they say, you are what you eat! Keep in mind that the foods that you eat will definitely have a direct effect on the outside of your body, for example, your hair. Foods that are high in carbohydrates or are just processed will increase the amount of oil produced. That being said, we recommend that you steer clear of sugar, processed foods, and fried foods. Remember, the healthier you eat the happier your body will be.

6. Clarifying

A good rule of thumb is to clarify your hair once monthly. The reason that this is a good idea is that it helps to get rid of product buildup and extra oil that was produced in the last month and prepares your hair to be healthy and clean. Don't do it more than once monthly though, as you may damage your hair.

7. Clean Your Brush

This isn't something many people think of doing but think about it. You come out of the shower to brush your hair, and the brush is the same brush you've used to style your hair the day before and has your dirty hair in it. Isn't this something you would want to put through your freshly cleaned hair? Us either! Make sure you clean your brushes daily when you clean your hair. Take the excess hair off of the brush and wash your brush with shampoo to ensure that it will be just as clean as the hair that you are running it through. 

8. Absorb The Oil

There are some products that can be used to help absorb the oil out of your hair and to remove the grime. These two products include cornstarch (or baby powder) and witch hazel. Cornstarch can be great as an oil absorbing machine making your hair appear less oily and adding some texture. Apply the powder and let it sit for five minutes before massaging it in until it disappears. Same goes for witch hazel. The liquid can be applied to grimy and dirty hair, not only does it help clean but it helps relieve itching, closes pores, and reduces inflammation. Witch hazel is also very gentle especially if you have a sensitive scalp!

Remember, oily hair is not the worst thing in the world. It's better for your hair to produce too much oil than not enough. What it comes down to is staying healthy. The healthier you are, the better the outside of your body will look whether it be your hair skin or nails what you take in is what you get out. Let us know below if you have any more tips for oily hair or what you do to combat your oily hair!