How to Refresh Oily Hair – For Radiance Without Build-Up
How Do I Know If My Hair is Oily?
Simply put, oily hair is when the natural sebum from your scalp is in overdrive. The oils produced by your scalp are actually important for protection of your hair follicles and ensuring a natural, healthy shine to hair. But overproduction of oils can actually be detrimental to your hair health, promoting overgrowth of harmful bacteria, fungi and causing widespread inflammation and itch. If you struggle with dandruff, a sensitive scalp or dermatitis – this can be due to overproduction of oils.
Oily hair looks like shiny, wet hair (especially at the scalp). Oily hair is more likely (not all) to be straight and flat, as oils travel far better along straight hair, than along curls (which have a kinked shape). Also note if your hair is ‘clumping’ at the root, rather than being separated into fine, soft strands. The best way to tell is by running your fingers through your hair and note a shiny residue on your fingertips. If you note build-up quickly after washing (within a day) – you likely have oily hair.
Why is Oily Haircare Important?
Caring for your oily hair can make a massive difference to both your hair health and the look of your hair. It can provide lift, relief to your scalp, give a natural radiance and provide clarity from the root to tip of your hair. Not only that, if you struggle with acne, oily hair can be an important cause! It can brush against your cheeks, cause irritation and lead to spots.
What is “Training” Oily Hair?
This was a myth designed by individuals who probably don’t have oily hair and scoff at the thought of daily washing. The idea of ‘training’ believes that washing your hair ‘too much’ will lead to increased production of oils – as your follicles ‘react’ to the washing. This has not been shown to be the case in any scientific literature. In fact, instead there’s been data to show washing as much as you want is actually fine, as long as you follow with a good conditioner to maintain hydration of skin.
You cannot ‘train’ oily hair by washing less, in fact, it actually leads to poor health outcomes for your scalp – including bacterial growth, irritation and poor health perception.
How Often to Wash Oily Hair?
Ok, so if you can wash it whenever you want – when is the right time? A study done on oily hair found it takes about 24 hours post washing for oils to spread through the scalp enough to note ‘clumping’ or hair strands starting to stick together and for there to be enough oil for dust and fluff to begin sticking to it. This continues on for about a 48 hour period. This is not the same for everyone (of course), but means for a standard oily hair type you will begin to notice build-up in a 24-48 hour period. This means, for comfort, most oily hair types will need a good cleanse every day or every other day.
Remembering that you can’t over wash, really you should feel comfy washing hair when you notice ‘build up.’ If you see clumping at your scalp, dandruff, irritation – consider washing your hair more frequently. You are far more likely to see benefits, rather than detriment.
Cleansing Routine for Oily Hair
It’s best to wash your hair daily (or every other day), but keep focus on your scalp. If you have dandruff, consider a dandruff shampoo to help cool and refresh your scalp and prevent growth of harmful agents. Consider picking up a ‘clarifying’ shampoo once a week, which helps dig deeper into your scalp and provide a deep refresh (like a weekly hair treatment that will help you notice an immediate change to hair texture).
Best Oily Hair Shampoos in K-Beauty
(1) Benton Beer Yeast Shampoo
(2) Nine Less Root-Biome Caffeine Scalp Shampoo
(3) Kundal Caffeine Shampoo (Hair Care+)
Best Clarifying Shampoos in K-Beauty
(1) Dr Ceuracle Scalp Dx Scaling Shampoo
(2) Aromatica Rosemary Scalp Scaling Shampoo
(3) Some By Mi Cica Peptide Anti Hair Loss Derma Scalp Shampoo
Overdoing the clarifying shampoo can lead to ‘dryness’ on your scalp, but otherwise using more frequently is not damaging to hair strands or follicles. It just becomes important to follow care with a hydrating and refreshing conditioner. Conditioner should not be thick, should be applied mostly to ends (rather than scalp) and carefully rinsed.
Hair Treatments to Balance Oils
Similar to their skincare, Korean beauty specializes in hair treatments that help balance oils from the scalp and keep you feeling fresher for longer. After cleansing and drying hair, adding a topical treatment or tonic can help reduce build-up from being noticeable and prevent you from feeling oily again at the 24-hour mark.
(1) Aromatica Tea Tree Purifying Tonic
(2) Seapuri Scalpy Hair Serum
(3) Kundal Head Spa & Scalp Scaling Caffeine Water Treatment
Providing treatment to your hair will help exfoliate away dead skin cells from your scalp, improve circulation and genuinely increase hair thickness and growth, whilst caring for your scalp. It’s an important step to keep your hair healthy and radiant. Pick treatments that contain stimulating ingredients (such as menthol or caffeine) for circulation as well as exfoliating acids (salicylic acid or AHA).
Proper Drying Technique is Important
After putting in all that effort to get your hair feeling fresh, drying is the last and most important step. Use a towel to gently squeeze out the excess water from your hair and use a hair dryer on your scalp, carefully drying hair downwards and helping clear your follicles. This helps style your hair, keep strands clear and prevents early clumping so your hair will look fresher for longer.
Oily hair can be a frustrating balance between cleansing and styling, feeling like you have to constantly maintain it. But don't be afraid of washing if you feel build-up (it's not imaginary, it's just your hair type) and be sure to dry thoroughly from the scalp down so you get the most out of your refreshed new style. Although frustrating, once you get your scalp care down - you'll feel a major difference in your hair health, from thickness to shine to reduced flaking.
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Looking for more fabulous haircare tips? Check out our guide to reducing hair fall for thicker, fuller locks. Or check out our review of the new Nine Less Caffeine Hair Line:
