- According to Laurel Vukovic in "1001 Natural Remedies", shampoo your oily hair every day. This is the simplest home remedy for oily hair. Don't worry about overdoing it, because shampooing every day is recommended for excessively oily hair. Use a no-frills shampoo like Prell or some of the Suave shampoos. Oily hair requires a more alkaline base than normal hair, so look for shampoos with an pH that is higher than 6.7. There are many commercially available shampoos that are labeled for use with oily hair. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and skip the conditioner. Add conditioner to your ends if they are dried out, then rinse out completely.
- Another option for treating oily hair at home is to make your own shampoo. Combine 1/2 cup of water with 1 tsp. dried yarrow, 1 tsp. dried peppermint, 1 tsp. chopped fresh lemon peel, and 2 tbsp. of unscented natural shampoo base. Bring the water, herbs and lemon to a boil in a covered pot. Remove from the heat and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture and pour into a clean sterilized bottle, combine with the shampoo base and shake well. Use this mixture in one week or store for four weeks in the refrigerator.
- Some common home remedies for treating oily hair are rinsing the hair in vinegar or lemon juice. Make your own herbal vinegar rinse at home with 1 tbsp. dried peppermint, 1 tbsp. dried lavender, 1 tbsp. crushed juniper berries and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Combine all ingredients and place in a covered glass jar and let steep for two weeks. Strain the mixture and pour into a clean, sterilized bottle. To rinse your hair with this mixture, take 1 tbsp. of the mixture and add to 1 cup of water, and pour through your hair after rinsing out your shampoo. Rinse the vinegar mixture completely from your hair.
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Another thing to keep in mind when caring for your oily hair is to avoid brushing the hair too much. Each pass of the brush through your hair distributes more oil from the roots down to the ends. Cut back on the constant brushing and touching of your oily hair.
Rinse your hair with tea to eliminate the oil. Brew a pot of tea, let cool and dilute slightly. Pour the tea through your hair, then rinse well. Tea contains tannic acid, which has astringent qualities and can reduce the amount of oil in your hair.
Mix about 1 cup of lemon juice with 1 cup of water and rinse your hair with this mixture. Rinse with warm water. Along with reducing oil, the lemon juice will add some subtle highlights to brown or blond hair. -
Cleaning the hair with beer is also another option for treating oily hair. This is an old-fashioned remedy, but really works, as it dries out the hair.
Make a fragrant aromatherapy shampoo if you don't want to smell like beer. Take 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 20 drops cypress essential oil, 10 drops juniper essential oil, 1/4 cup unscented natural shampoo base and 1/4 cup spring water. Mix the vinegar and essential oils, then add the shampoo and water. Pour into a clean, sterilized bottle and shake well. This is a lovely smelling shampoo that will scent and counteract the oil in your hair.
