Are you struggling to space out your shampoos because your hair gets greasy quickly? You're not alone. Every day, we receive messages from people who battle oily hair and ask us for advice. So today, LAO is sharing 3 tips to purify the scalp and, in this way, fight oily hair, at least in part! But first, let's try to understand together how this oil forms at the roots of your hair…
“Why is my hair oily?”
Contrary to popular belief, it isn't the hair that produces this oily layer, but the scalp! The oil is actually the sebum secreted by your scalp, at the base of your hair. This sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands at the root of the hair and flows down toward the lengths. That's why the longer you wait to wash your hair, and the more you brush it, the more the sebum spreads over your lengths.
But what is this sebum for? Sebum is secreted by your scalp to protect the hair fiber and, above all, the scalp. Yes, it isn't there to annoy us, but to protect us from external aggressions! Your scalp will also adapt its sebum secretion depending on how much your hair is exposed to aggressions such as pollution, a poor diet or even unsuitable hair care, according to a study carried out by QIMA. Hormones can also play a role in variations in the scalp's sebum secretion.
So here are 3 tips for caring for hair that tends to be oily.
Protect your hair
This tip will probably seem logical to you after we've explained the cause of a scalp that gets greasy quickly. The first thing to do before taking action is to find the cause of your oily hair: do you live in a polluted environment? Do you regularly expose your hair to heat? Is your diet too rich? Are your hair care products suited to your hair type and scalp type?
They say it's better to be safe than sorry! So let's ask ourselves the right questions, try to find the cause of this oily scalp, and find a solution to reduce what it may see as an aggression!
Use a purifying shampoo
When your scalp gets greasy quickly, you should avoid using a shampoo that is too rich, which could amplify this greasy or heavy effect because of oils or silicones. You should also avoid shampoos that are too harsh on the scalp, especially those containing sulfates, because they can encourage the scalp to produce more sebum to protect itself.
If your hair gets greasy quickly, the ideal is therefore to use a purifying shampoo that is gentle on your scalp and free of sulfates, fatty oils and silicones. LAO's 100% natural origin purifying shampoo contains nettle hydrosol, an active ingredient well known for its sebum-regulating properties, which can help fight oily hair, and even oily dandruff.
Tip : Apply your shampoo only to your scalp to cleanse it, then massage it in without leaving it on. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of a shampoo is not to cleanse the lengths. Start by applying a first shampoo to cleanse the scalp, then rinse. Then do a second shampoo, which will lather significantly more than the first!
Avoid oils and products that are too rich
You're probably going to ask us: “But if I have oily hair and dry ends, what should I do?”
You should avoid overloading your scalp with products that are too rich, such as oils and hair masks, as this can weigh the hair down and be hard to wash out. If it already produces sebum, it won't need it.
On the other hand, you can absolutely coat your lengths and ends by applying a suitable mask or an oil, if your ends are dry or brittle. This will coat your hair without making your scalp greasy or weighing your hair down!
One last thing: just because you've often read that you absolutely must space out your shampoos doesn't mean you should hold back from washing your hair! Sebum buildup isn't good for the scalp either; it smothers it and can even cause problems. Wash your hair when you feel you need to!
Did you enjoy these tips? Also check out the “All About Hair” episodes on the Hair Library, and on the account Instagram @lao.care 🌿
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