by Snow Vandemore

Created on: July 28, 2009

If you have oily hair, it likely has very little to do with your personal grooming habits, but actually more to do with your ethnic background.

The truth is, people with naturally straight hair, such as persons of Asian, Scandinavian or Latino decent, are much more likely to have an oily scalp than someone who is African American. Straight hair transports the oil from the scalp to the hair much more quickly than curly, coarse hair. That's the scientific explanation why - no matter how hard you try - you look and feel grungy most of the day, because of an oily scalp.

But the "why" of oily hair really doesn't matter when it's your problem. If you find it's a daily exercise in futility just trying to keep your hair looking fresh and clean - it's time to take some action.

Fortunately, there are some at-home natural treatments you can try, as well as a few commercial products on the market, that offer real solutions to controlling an oily scalp.

Natural Treatments for Oily Hair

- Gently massage the scalp with your fingertips while shampooing.

- Shampoo with an oil-control product twice each day, taking care to leave the shampoo on the scalp and hair for 5 minutes each time.

- Always use cool or cold water as your final rinse after shampooing.

- Mix one cup apple cider vinegar with one cup water and use this as your final rinse.

- Boil mint leaves in a quart of water for 20 minutes. Let cool completely and strain out the leaves. Add this mixture to your shampoo as a natural oil inhibitor.

- Massage your scalp with mashed papaya and rinse with cool water.

- Apply the juice from one cut lemon to the scalp and massage thoroughly for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Repeat this process three times a week.

- Massage the scalp with a mixture of 1/8 teaspoon salt and one tablespoon malt vinegar and leave in for one hour. Rinse with cold water.

Commercial Hair Care Products for Oily Hair

Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo

Aubrey Organics Green Tea Finishing Cream Rinse

Biolage by Matrix Normalizing Shampoo

Modern Organic Products Basil Mint Shampoo

Desert Essence Lemon Shampoo for Oily Hair

Desert Essence Lemon Conditioner for Oily Hair

Suave Clarifying Shampoo for Oily Hair

Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure for Men Shampoo for Oily Hair

The best defense against oily hair is attacking it at the source. Once you find the treatment(s) that work best for you, bad hair days will be a thing of the past.

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