14 Best Shampoos for Oily Hair, According to Dermatologists & Hairstylists

Strategizing the ideal hair-wash days is both an art form and a mind-bending puzzle. If you’re someone with oily hair, using the best shampoos for oily hair adds an extra layer of planning. Hair-wash days need to be spaced out a healthy amount, yet somehow magically fall right before that big event and just after your sweatiest workout. Seriously, it’s hard to keep up.

So, what exactly causes oily hair? Excessive oil production from the sebaceous glands on the scalp can cause greasy hair. Normally the oil, or sebum, from these glands helps moisturize your hair follicles and protects them from infection, but overactivity can weigh hair down and lead to the appearance of day-old hair, Michele Green, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in New York City, previously told Glamour.

You may be inclined to wash your hair almost daily or pile on the dry shampoo, to keep it from appearing excessively slick. However, excessive washing won’t do you much good if you’re not using the right shampoo—and it may be making things worse. “There are so many factors that can cause oily hair such as stress, dietary choices, and hormones,” says Tylor Johnson, expert hair colorist, “but the most common are simple things like over washing your hair, constantly touching your hair, and using the wrong hair products for your hair type.”

The bottom line: “If your hair tends to get oily quickly, it’s time to change up your hair-care routine,” says Bradley Leake, a professional hairstylist based in Los Angeles. “Your shampoo and conditioner may be leaving residue and buildup on your hair, as well as your scalp, which could be the reason for an oily appearance.”

To help you find the best shampoos to reach for if you have oily hair, we polled dermatologists for their favorites, tapped Glamour staffers to find out what they swear by, and even chatted with our friends about what products they’ve tried and loved.

The best shampoos for oily hair, at a glanceBest Overall: Garnier Pure Clean Shampoo, $4Best for Deep Clean: K18 Peptide Prep Color-Safe Detox Clarifying Shampoo, $38Best for Dry Ends: Kerastase Bain Divalent Balancing Shampoo For Oily Hair, $42Best for Curly Hair: Hairstory New Wash Rich, $54Best Custom Formula: Prose Custom Shampoo, $34All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Garnier Pure Clean Shampoo

This clarifying shampoo comes highly recommended by Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in NYC. She loves that it removes residue and gently exfoliates with the help of salicylic acid, which is oil-soluble and can penetrate into pores ​to gently exfoliate and remove excess sebum. “It’s a nice choice for oily hair because it removes 100% of residue and is very lightweight, so it won’t weigh down strands,” says Dr. King. “And although there’s no residue, it won’t cause a dry scalp or strip the hair of moisture because it contains glycerin, aloe vera, and vitamins B3 and B6—these ingredients help to support scalp health.”

Expert tip: If you’re prone to acne on the scalp and/or body areas adjacent to the scalp, King recommends trying shampoo with salicylic acid, like this one.

Ingredient highlights: Salicylic acid, aloe, vitamins B3 and B6Smells like: CitrusSafe for color-treated hair: NoSize: 12.5 fl oz.Hair Type: All types & texturesSave on the best shampoos for oily hair with these Amazon promo codes.

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Redken Hair Cleansing Cream

While this product is great for all hair types and textures, Glamour tester Adina Lewis calls it a lifesaver for her thin, brown hair, which gets greasy pretty easily. “I’ve tried everything, from drugstore to high-end products, but nothing ever checked all my boxes,” she says. “Some shampoos left my hair looking greasy the same day I washed it, while others helped but didn’t give me the healthy shine I desired.” Now, Lewis can go more than three days between washes, and her hair feels glossy and healthy.

Ingredient highlights: AHA fruit acid, pH-balanced formulaSmells like: CitrusSafe for color-treated hair: YesSize: 8.5 fl oz.Hair Type: All types & texturesSave on the best shampoos for oily hair with these Amazon and Ulta promo codes.