While you’ve probably seen thousands of products designed especially for dry hair, how often have you actually seen products for greasy hair? Before digging into the different ways you can treat your hair, let’s start off by answering the question why your hair is greasy in the first place.

 

WHAT CAUSES GREASY HAIR

This might come as a surprise, but greasy strands are actually nothing more than the result of a natural process. Your scalp, like the rest of your skin, is full of pores connected to sebaceous glands, which secrete a natural oily substance called sebum. Sebum benefits your hair in various ways: it keeps it healthy and soft, and protects it from excess heat and breakage. However, if your glands produce too much sebum, it can clog your hair roots and lead to oily-looking hair, or in the worse cases, dandruff or hair loss. 

There are plenty of reasons for excessive sebum production and oily hair:

 

• YOUR HAIR TYPE. Your natural hair type has a lot to do with how oily your hair looks. Naturally curly hair for example has the advantage of only being oily at the roots, as curly locks keep oil from traveling down the hair shaft. On the other hand, straight hair allows sebum to easily travel to the tips. Fine hair can also be problematic as there is not enough hair to absorb the oil being secreted by the scalp, making hair look greasy quickly.

• PLAYING WITH YOUR HAIR. Are you one of those people who loves running your hands through your locks? Then you are also responsible for distributing oil from your scalp throughout your hair. The same logic applies to brushing your hair various times a day.

• INADEQUATE HAIR CARE. While you might feel like shampooing every day can help reduce oiliness, it actually encourages your scalp to produce more sebum in order to compensate for the oils that have been washed away by shampoo. If you’re using too much conditioner or other hair products on top of that, these products are contributing to a build-up on your scalp and disturbing your sebaceous glands. In particular, alcohol-based products are known to weigh your hair down. When washing your hair, try not to use boiling hot water, which stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

• PRE-EXISTING SKIN CONDITIONS. Eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis are not only uncomfortable but can also result in an oily scalp.

• WEATHER CHANGES. Summer heat is increasing day by day, and humid weather speeds up not only oily hair, but also oily skin.

• HORMONE FLUCTUATIONS OR MEDICATIONS. Every once in a while, hormonal levels can get out of balance, be it because of stress, puberty, pregnancies or medications like birth control pills. These have a knock on effect on your hair and body.

• WEARING A PONYTAIL TOO OFTEN. Keeping your hair tied up too often can result in unevenly oily hair as sebum tends to build up on one section of your scalp.

 

HOW TO GET RID OF OILY HAIR

Now that you’ve fully understood which of your current habits could be responsible for your greasy locks, it’s time to take matters into your own hands and get rid of this problem once and for all! Here’s what you need to do:

 

• EAT A BALANCED DIET. Certain foods can affect how much sebum is excreted by our sebaceous glands. Carbohydrates and dietary fats increase sebum production, so try choosing healthy fats (like coconut oil and avocados) and carbs instead. This will not only help you solve your oily hair problem, but also improve your skin! Studies have also shown that increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids through a diet rich in fish and seafood can help reduce sebum production.

• CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRODUCTS. When washing your hair, make sure to choose sulphate-free shampoos and light conditioners like ViTA’s hair care duo (link). All of your products should be free of silicones, as these tend to coat your hair and make dirt and oil cling to it. Brands should be transparent in providing ingredient information to you so you know what’s going on your hair.

• LOOK FOR NATURAL INGREDIENTS IN YOUR SHAMPOO. When it comes to improving hair texture and greasiness, nature knows best! Natural ingredients like aloe vera and fruit extracts contain enzymes which are ideal for detoxifying the scalp and controlling oil-secretion. Ideally your shampoo should also include vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B5, as these are extremely beneficial in controlling excess oil production. To make it easy for you, ViTA’s has included all of nature’s finest plants, fruits and vitamins in its hair care duo (link)!

• LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR. Here’s the most important rule you need to keep in mind: when applying conditioner, NEVER apply it to your scalp. This will only cause the conditioner to build up and block your pores. By applying conditioner from the mid-section to the ends of your hair you’ll be able to moisturize those parts of your hair that need it the most without causing build up on your scalp. Also, you should always rinse thoroughly - preferably with cold water as it closes your cuticles and keeps your glands from producing too much sebum - to make sure all product is removed. After washing, try to never brush your hair more than 2-3 times a day to avoid distributing oil.

• STAY AWAY FROM THE HEAT. If possible, let your hair air dry and avoid blow dryers and curling irons that dry out your hair, in order not to encourage your sebaceous glands to work in overdrive. If you don’t like letting your hair air dry, use your blow dryer’s cool setting.
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• CLEAN YOUR BRUSH. Do you regularly clean your brushes? If not, you should! Your brushes are full of oil, product build up and dirt which can make your hair look dirty even right after washing.

 

WHAT NEXT? 

Now that you know all about what you need to do to prevent your hair from becoming too oily and greasy, how about starting your hair journey with ViTA’s super plant powered hair care duo? Free of toxic ingredients like sulphates, parabens and synthetic fragrance, ViTA’s award-winning hair care products are ideal for those seeking formulas that will protect your scalp and hair pores. ViTA knows natural solutions are the best solutions and has made it its mission to use futuristic plant science and to get the most out of nature’s finest botanical ingredients from around the world. Experience a better future today, with proven results inspired by nature here.