The 12 Best Shampoos For Greasy Hair In 2025

Although it’s not essential, it is a good idea to keep a clarifying shampoo on hand for those days when your hair needs a thorough deep clean. “Bad bacteria on our scalp love feeding off excess oil; if this is not controlled, it can lead to an imbalance of the scalp microbiome, which shows up as dandruff, itchiness and inflammation,” explains Este Tchung, global product manager at Straand. “A clarifying shampoo will help to balance the scalp microbiome and reduce sebum and oil production.”

Trichologist Anabel Kingsley gets into the details, “All hair textures can become oily; however, hair that is considered fine tends to get greasier than other hair textures as it has the smallest strand diameter. Every hair follicle has an oil gland attached to it, and those with fine hair generally have many more hairs on their head than someone with a thicker hair texture, which equals more oil glands and therefore more oil production. Combined with the small strand diameter, this means fine hair is more easily weighed down by oils looking and feeling greasier quicker. Those with fine hair should opt for a deep cleansing shampoo to effectively cleanse away oils, but without heavy nourishing ingredients, which can contribute to weighing fine strands down.”

“There are many factors that go into excess sebum and oil production,” says Tchung. “Things like genetics, stress, diet, and over-washing all play a part in tipping the balance, leaving your scalp oily and out of whack.” But Kingsley wants to stress “all hair gets greasy.” She continues, “Those with fine hair often find they need to wash their hair daily to avoid hair looking and feeling limp because they have many more oil glands on their scalp. However, someone with thick or coily hair won’t produce as much sebum daily, but also due to the strand diameter and curl, it won’t be weighed down as much as fine hair, meaning they can often go longer before their hair feels or looks greasy.”

The expert advises that, “If your hair is getting greasy so quickly after washing, it could be that you aren’t using the correct shampoo and conditioner for your hair texture. It could also be due to applying conditioner too near the root or scalp area. Remember shampoo is for your scalp and conditioner is for your hair (mostly mid-lengths to ends) where nourishment is required.”

According to trichologist Chelcey Salinger, the most important thing is shampooing frequently and ensuring you’re washing it after things like sweaty workout sessions. “Using a shampoo with the right pH helps maintain a happy scalp microbiome and keep the acid mantle in check,” she adds.

Kingsley wants to bust a common myth. “Shampooing will not make your hair oiler.” Contrary to what is often said, “Your scalp is oil rich, and your sebaceous glands continually produce new sebum, so you are not at risk or stripping natural oils. Shampooing regularly is a good thing and as a rule of thumb you should be shampooing more often than not, but how regularly you feel you need to shampoo will be dependent on your hair texture.”

“The most important thing is what not to look for,” says Tchung. “Silicones, sulphates and parabens can contribute to product build-up or over-strip the scalp, therefore making your scalp feel and look greasier. [Instead, look for] shampoos that contain prebiotics to help balance the scalp microbiome and that have lots of antioxidants are ideal to reduce inflammation.” According to Kingsley, “It is about striking a balance between cleansing and nourishing, moisturising ingredients at the correct level for your hair texture.”

While many regular shampoos will cleanse your hair of the usual dirt and debris that’s accumulated over a couple of days, many will also contain additional, aggravating ingredients that cause an imbalance in the scalp and accelerate oiliness. “The biggest difference between normal shampoo is that it may contain sulphates and heavy fragrances which strip the natural oils on the scalp, our body compensates by producing even more oil to protect itself, leading to a greasy scalp and hair,” says Tchung.

“In a way, yes”, reveals Kingsley. “If you shampoo in the evening your scalp would have been producing sebum all night, therefore if you want your hair to last longer, or not get as oily throughout the day, washing in the morning would be a better option.”

“Most people do not shampoo for long enough,” the expert trichologist tells us. “You should use approximately a 10 pence size of shampoo on average – we all roughly have a similar size scalp.” She then breaks it down:

• “Focus on massaging your scalp for at least 60 seconds. Avoid using a scalp brush as most can cause more damage than good and contribute to microtears on the scalp or tangling of the hair. With your fingers, you can actually feel what you are doing, and the pads of your fingers are much more gentle.
• Rinse with warm water. I am not a fan of a cold rinse, although it has been said to make hair shinier, it can actually constrict blood flow and we want our follicles to have good blood flow.
• Double shampooing isn’t always a necessity. But, if you have heavily applied styling products or have not cleansed your hair for a few days, a double shampoo may be beneficial or necessary, but if you are shampooing frequently a single shampoo should suffice.”

The long-established technique of applying conditioner solely to the ends of the hair is best, says Kingsley. It can otherwise make hair greasier if, “you are applying it too close to the root or scalp, using a conditioner that is too heavy for your hair texture or if you’re not washing it out properly.”

Use a scalp scrub or apply exfoliating ingredients with caution, Kingsley advises. “A scalp scrub isn’t that necessary unless your scalp requires exfoliating”. This is when the scalp is dry or you’re noticing dandruff. She recommends a chemical exfoliator like scalp masks instead.

“As a rule of thumb, ensure that your choice of shampooing method is actually removing oils, but is gentle and does not disrupt the scalp’s microflora and provides adequate hydration for your hair texture,” she stresses. “I’d rather opt for a well formulated shampoo that has been tried, tested and regulated.”

In our guide on shampoos for greasy hair, all the aforementioned formulas were tried by our three testers; Hannah Coates, Georgia Day and Ellie Davis, all of which have been reviewing products for 10 to 20 years. The shampoos above were selected for their effectiveness, quality, choice of ingredients and that often underestimated sensorial aspect.