How to care for greasy hair

Do you find your hair always gets greasy really easily? You wash it and within 24 hours already feels oily again – and don’t get us started on working your social life around your frequent washing routine. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

If your hair gets greasy fast there are a handful of tips and tricks to take back control of your hair and help it become less of a nightmare for you. The answers on how to not get greasy hair are out there; keep reading for the best ways to take care of hair that gets oily quickly and achieve clean, shiny and voluminous hair.

What Causes greasy hair?

Knowledge is power, so first you need to know the root causes of your hair problem to be able to solve it. Rest assured, by the end of this article you’ll be equipped with the tools you need to know how to make your hair less greasy.

Greasy hair is essentially a mix of debris and your scalp’s natural oils that accumulate over time. All sorts of things build up on your hair between washing – pollution, scalp flakes, dirt, sebum… and this is what’s giving your hair that greasy look and feel between washes.

It doesn’t matter whether your hair is thick, fine, curly or straight; people of all hair types are exposed to environmental aggressors and produce sebum. It’s just that it’s more visible and easily accumulated in fine hair, compared with your thick or curly-haired friend, say.

It probably doesn’t feel fair that your hair is feeling greasy so quickly, but with a few small changes you can take back charge of your washing routine. That’s what we’re here for! Read on to arm yourself against hair that gets greasy too quickly and achieve shiny, happy hair.

How to care for greasy hair

Notice that your hair gets greasy fast? If you’re left wondering what you did wrong to be landed with hair that gets greasy every 24 hours, the good news is there are as many solutions as there are problems. Seeking volume, cleanliness and shininess? Behold, a few things you can do to stop overly oily hair in its tracks.

Look for the lightweight option

This is the basis of any good hair routine; a washing system that suits you and your hair type. The right shampoo for oily hair might not be the one you think.

You could argue all shampoos are good for greasy hair as, after all, their primary purpose is to clean. Shampoo works by loosening the bonds between dirt or oil and your hair, removing 99% of surface debris for a cleaner, shinier finish.

But shampoo for greasy hair, or hair that gets greasy quickly, should be lightweight and not leave your hair with that dreaded heavy and flat feeling after washing. Rather than shampoo combining two or more benefits – such as clean and volume – look out for clear formulas. They are typically equipped with lots of cleansing surfactants that remove the excess oil effectively without adding any unwanted, heavy ingredients.

We know how much of a burden greasy hair can be on day-to-day life, so our expert scientist designed Classic Clean Shampoo, a clarifying shampoo with a clear formula that works for anyone whose hair is already greasy by day 2 post-wash. The perfect cleansing shampoo for greasy hair.

Of course, super fine hair may need something that’s even lighter. If this is you, grab yourself our Micellar Water Shampoo that deeply (but gently) lifts dirt and impurities from your scalp. It also doses your hair up with essential nutrients leaving it feeling healthy, lightweight and free-flowing.

Be mindful when picking conditioner

Not all conditioners are going to be right for you, but, your hair still needs one to get the nutrients and smoothness. So, it’s about finding the one that perfectly matches your hair needs. Regular conditioners and thicker hair masks are very intense and it might sound like a good intake for your hair but when your hair tends to be greasy quickly, such conditioners create a moisture imbalance. Instead, look out for lighter options, like a foam for free-flowing hair! Pantene Foam Conditioners cover 100% of conditioning space with 0% of the weight.

The hydrating microbubbles melt into your hair and rinse for a smooth finish and can be used from root to tip with no fear of residue You can rest easy knowing your hair got a balanced moisturization that will not weight it down.

Train your hair to need less washing

Greasy hair after washing? It might sound like a bit of an old wives’ tale, but hear us out, as you really can reclaim some of those hours you spend washing your hair. By skipping a wash and leaving your hair for a few days, you’ll encourage it to produce sebum less quickly and not feel the urge to wash it every day or two. So, if your hair gets greasy fast, try using a dry shampoo in between washes: it absorbs excess oil without the rewet.

Go light all the way with your styling products

After washing, keep your styling products to a minimum; for hair that is easily weighed down or gets greasy quickly, it’s essential you swap heavy hair oils and thick styling creams for products that are super lightweight. While hair that’s dry and thirsty will soak these up like nobody’s business, in the case of fine hair that’s prone to greasiness, you’ll soon feel like it’s time to wash your hair again. If you don’t know how to spot a lightweight or non-oily styling product, rest assured that our Pantene Hairspray will seal in your style without heaviness and keeps that all important style in place for that fresh hair feeling.

Hands off! (Your hair)

Want to know how to make your hair less greasy? Too much touching and brushing your hair can actually encourage your scalp to produce more sebum – which, you guessed it, means greasier hair for yours truly. If you play with your hair a lot, you’ll also be transferring any oil or germs from your hands on to your hair, but also distributing scalp oil through the hair. This speeds up how quickly it looks or feels dirty – not so ideal.

So, you see, it only takes a few simple changes to your routine to grab control of your hair with both hands and swap greasiness for hair that’s the envy of all your friends. Wave goodbye to grease and say hello to shiny, happy and beautiful hair.