The Easiest Night Care Routine for Oily Hair

First things first - it’s not really your hair that’s oily. It’s your scalp that’s susceptible to greasiness and shampooing every day is far from the solution. It can be so annoying, right? Waking up to greasy strands almost every other day?

While all hair types - wavy, straight or curly are prone to oiliness, the grease shows up the most in straight, fine hair because the natural oils move fast across the strands, making the entire length feel oily and heavy.

The grease on the scalp is a mixture of your natural oils and the buildup of other stuff like dirt, pollution and dead skin from your scalp. A lot of factors can dictate how oily your hair becomes - like your diet, genetics, stress level and the hair care routine you follow.

While you can’t change your genetic makeup, you can surely follow a hair care routine which can keep your locks looking healthy and non-greasy. And, what better time to care for your hair than at night? Because as you sleep, your hair and scalp automatically heal and rejuvenate!

But before we jump into that, let’s take a look at why your hair is getting oily in the first place!

What may be causing your hair to become oily?

Your hair can become oily due to several factors.

• Your genetics - Your genes play a big role in determining the type of hair and sebaceous glands you develop. If just one or both of your parents have oily hair, chances are, you’ll inherit the same.

• You’re styling too much - Using hair care products like setting sprays and serums between washes needs to be minimized if you have oily hair - especially if you’re applying them to your scalp as well. These products can settle and weigh your hair down and make it more greasy.

• You’re over washing your hair - Washing your hair daily may seem like the perfect solution to oily hair, but you’re actually stripping away all the natural oils in the process. As a result, your scalp produces more sebum to compensate for the natural oils you lose during your wash and end up making your hair more greasy in the process. Don’t wash your hair more than 2-3 times a week, even if you have greasy hair.

• You’re brushing your hair too much - If you brush your hair too often, you end up pulling the oil buildup down to your strands from your scalp, making your hair appear more greasy. Also, you may be using the wrong brush for your hair type, aggravating the entire process.

• You’re working out with open hair - Working out with open hair is not just inconvenient. It also makes you more prone to oily hair because the sweat can easily travel down your strands and distribute the oil throughout. Always keep your hair tied during exercise and use some dry shampoo post-workout to soak up the sweat.

• You’re using the wrong shampoo and conditioner - One of the major reasons for having oily hair is using the wrong shampoo and conditioner, which are too heavy for your hair. Use a lighter formula specially made for an oily scalp and this can help reduce the excess oil.

The easiest night care routine for oily hair

Follow this night care routine for amazing results with your oily hair.

• Don’t oil regularly - It’s a given that if your hair is prone to getting oily, it’s not a good idea to add to it by oiling your hair every day. You can still choose to oil if you wish, but make sure you do it only once or twice a week and use lightweight, non-greasy hair oils. Coconut oil is also a good choice since it lifts the oil off the scalp and distributes it across the ends of your strands. Try and avoid keeping the oil overnight because this may end up irritating the oily scalp and making it feel even more greasy.

• Shampoo at night - Shampooing your hair at night gives your scalp a clean canvas to work on overnight. It distributes the natural oils evenly as you sleep and you wake up with healthy hair in the morning.

• Don’t forget to condition - Having oily hair is no excuse for skipping conditioner. You should instead opt for a lighter formula that will not make your hair greasy but still keep it moisturized to prevent over-production of natural oils.

• Go to sleep with a powder dry shampoo - Aerosol dry shampoos have a little bit of oil in them and can make your scalp really oily. Using a powder dry shampoo can help you soak up the excess oil and keep your hair feeling non-greasy. You can use it every night before going to bed if you want.

• Or opt for a leave-in treatment - Using lightweight leave-in treatments can give your hair the extra hydration boost without making it oily. You will wake up with soft, bouncy hair that does not feel greasy.

• Brush your hair with the right comb - Using the right comb according to your hair makes all the difference in maintaining hair health and appearance. For oily hair, the best brush to use is one with boar bristles because they distribute the oil evenly across the scalp and make your hair appear less greasy.

• Refrain from touching your hair - Touching your hair too often can end up transferring the grease from your fingers to your hair, making it more oily. And, if you touch your scalp too often, this may end up activating the oil glands and making them produce more oil.

• Braid your hair before bed - It’s always better to braid your hair while sleeping so that your hair doesn’t come into contact with your pillowcase or sheets too much. The dirt buildup is minimised in the process and it will also protect your hair from damage.