I Wash My Hair Once a Week: How to Stop Your Hair from Getting Greasy in 2022

I have been on a hair journey for a few years now, and one of my biggest problems was how oily my hair was. I used to wash my hair every day or at the latest every other day, and now I wash it just once a week. If you want to know how to stop your hair from getting greasy overnight and without washing it, then you need to keep reading for these easy and practical oily hair tips I used for less greasy hair fast!

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• The Ultimate Winter Hair Care Routine for Better Hair Fast
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How to Stop Your Hair From Getting Greasy

1. Dry Shampoo

This is the ultimate greasy hair hack that has completely changed how often I wash my hair. I have tried all the tips in this list, and they all worked, but using a good dry shampoo is the best way I have found to stop my hair from looking greasy.

Using dry shampoo makes your hair look like you just washed it, without actually washing it!

Dry shampoo absorbs the excess oil in your scalp that makes your hair look oily and greasy and leaves the hair looking refreshed. It also serves as a waterless cleanser that will get rid of dirt, grease, and excess oil from the hair, AND it’s a great way to give your hair some extra volume and texture.

If you’re prone to greasy hair, then try not washing your hair so much and instead try a great dry shampoo that will absorb any excess oil.

Best Dry Shampoos for Oily Hair

I’m constantly trying out new hair products for oily hair and these are some of my favorite dry shampoos currently!

• Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal Biotin
• R+Co Shampoo Paste
• IGK Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo
• Eva NYC Freshen Up Invisible

2. DIY Dry Shampoo

If you can’t get your hands on dry shampoo, a great DIY dry shampoo idea is using baby powder.

Just sprinkle a bit of baby powder on your scalp, let it sit for about 3 minutes, and then blend it in thoroughly. Make sure you rub it in well though, because otherwise your hair will look white and gray.

I used to use this trick before I started using dry shampoo and it worked it really well!

3. Wash Less Often

The sebaceous gland in our scalp produces oil and this buildup of oil can make our hair feel greasy.

A way to train these glands is by changing how often your shampoo your hair. If normally you wash your hair 4 times a week, try cutting it back to thrice a week, then twice a week after a few more weeks, and then maybe eventually reaching once a week, like I have.

Washing your hair too often may strip it of its natural oils, which would trigger your sebaceous glands to produce more oil, leaving your hair oilier and greasier to begin with.

Training your hair to be washed less might not work for everyone, especially people with thin or straight hair, but it’s worth giving a try!

I used to wash my hair every other day and now I wash it about once a week, all through training my hair. Try this tip out for a few weeks and if you still don’t see any results, then just switch back to your old hair care routine.

4. Use a Scalp Scrub

I am such a big advocate of scalp scrubs because they remove dirt, excess oil, product buildup, and dead skin that’s been collecting on your scalp. If you have dandruff, eczema or psoriasis, a scalp scrub is a must for your hair.

Why is this important for greasy hair? Product buildup can actually cause your hair to get oilier, so the more buildup you have, the greasier your hair will get.

Using a scalp scrub once a week will remove excess product and oil and leave your hair refreshed and squeaky clean, which will mean your hair will be able to go more days before it gets greasy.

Best Scalp Scrubs for Hair

I’m always trying out new scalp scrubs to see which is best and these are the best products for oily scalp I’ve tried lately!

• Briogeo Scalp Revival Treatment
• OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub
• Nexxus Sulfate-Free Scalp Scrub
• BosleyMD Rejuvenating Gentle Scalp Scrub

5. Switch to Shampoos for Oily Hair (Clarifying Shampoos)

A really easy way to get rid of greasy hair is by switching to shampoos meant for greasy hair and trying clarifying shampoos.

Clarifying shampoos are similar to scalp scrubs because the shampoo is specifically designed to remove product buildup that has collected in the hair and scalp from the last time you washed your hair. This buildup could be anything from dirt and hair gels to hairspray and dry shampoo.

If you have a scalp scrub you don’t need a clarifying shampoo. Personally, what worked best for me was using a scalp scrub once a week and switching to shampoos meant for greasy hair. But if you would rather use a clarifying shampoo instead of a scalp scrub, you can try that!

Washing your hair is one of the most important parts of your hair care routine, so make sure you’re using the right shampoo for you.

Best Shampoos for Oily Hair and Scalp

• Biolage Cooling Mint Shampoo for Greasy Hair & Scalp
• Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

Best Clarifying Shampoos for Greasy Hair

• Nexxus Clarifying Shampoo
• Tea Tree Clarifying Shampoo

6. Try Shampoos for Dandruff

Wondering how to get rid of greasy hair? Try using dandruff shampoos!

One of the biggest causes of dandruff is the overproduction of sebum, or oil. This ends up making your hair super oily and greasy, so if you use dandruff shampoos, it will control your natural sebum production and your hair won’t be as greasy.

If you want to know how to stop your hair from getting greasy and oily fast, then make sure to try a dandruff shampoo for washing your hair!

Best Shampoos for Dandruff

• Biolage Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
• Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

7. Shampoo Twice

Is your hair getting greasy fast? Then try shampooing twice!

This is a simple trick that hair stylists swear by because of how much your hair looks after doing this.

It’s super simple: just shampoo your hair twice. Wash, lather, and rinse your hair with shampoo the first time to remove dirt, and then shampoo again to cleanse the scalp. Make sure to wait a minute or two between the first and second time you shampoo.

Shampooing twice makes sure your hair and scalp is super clean, and this will make such a difference in how long it takes for your hair to get greasy.

8. Don’t Let Conditioner Touch Your Roots

I saw a Tiktok about a girl swearing that conditioning her hair from root to tip transformed her hair, so I tried it out for a few weeks and it was such a MISTAKE.

Conditioning your roots might make your hair feel super soft and hydrated, but your hair will get SO oily and greasy, that even dry shampoo won’t do the trick.

Wondering how to stop your hair from getting greasy? Keep your conditioner strictly to the ends and shaft of your hair and do NOT bring it up to your roots.

Best Conditioners for Oily Hair

Here are some of my favorite conditioners, I think you’ll love them, too!

• Rahua Voluminous Conditioner
• OUAI Fine Hair Conditioner
• Briogeo Banana + Coconut Conditioner
• RYO Damage Care & Nourishing Conditioner

9. Wear Silk to Bed

I have very oily skin that’s led to a very oily scalp, which means that my hair gets very greasy, very fast.

That’s why I know from personal experience how important this tip is!

When I switched from cotton pillowcases to silk ones, I noticed a HUGE difference in my hair and skin.

My skin was breaking out less and my hair wasn’t get nearly as greasy as it used to.

Silk pillowcases are so much better than cotton ones for your hair because cotton absorbs more bacteria, dirt, and dead skin cells that can all contribute to making your hair greasier and oilier, faster.

If you want to go one step further, use a silk bonnet to protect your hairstyle and prevent it from getting greasy.

If you’re trying to figure out how to stop greasy hair, this a very simple and effective trick that won’t just be amazing for your hair, but your skin, too!

10. Make Sure Your Hair Brush is Clean

This simple hair care tip will make your hair a lot less oily INSTANTLY.

Most people forget to clean their hair brushes, and this means that there’s a lot of product buildup on your brush. This also means that your hair brush is oily because of the oil from our scalp that you’ve never gotten around to cleaning.

Soaking your hair brushes in a water and vinegar mix for about half an hour once a week for clean brushes and less greasy hair.

11. Use the Right Kind of Hair Brush

If you’re looking for oily hair tips and want to know how to get rid of greasy hair without washing it, then make sure you’re using the right kind of brush!

For greasy scalps, use a boar bristle brush because it’s natural fibers help distribute the oils on your scalp and hair. Start from the roots of your scalp and brush all the way down to your ends.

I’ve been using this boar bristle brush for years and love it!

12. Don’t Touch it So Much

Stuck on how to stop your hair from getting greasy? You might not realize it, but just touching your hair can make it greasy.

When you touch your hair, your transfer the oils from your fingers to your hair and this will make your hair SO greasy SO fast.

So rule of thumb: if you don’t need to touch your hair, don’t!

13. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is great for scalp health. It helps with product buildup, is used for dandruff, and gently cleanses the scalp.

If you want to do a DIY hair cleanse, try using a ACV and water mixture that you can rinse your hair with, or try hair products with apple cider vinegar in them.

If you want to know how to get rid of greasy hair fast and naturally, then ACV is an amazing ingredient for your scalp.

Important tip: don’t use apple cider vinegar on your hair after using a scalp scrub because it may irritate the scalp, UNLESS the scalp scrub is specifically formulated with it. I’ve tried ACV scalp scrubs like this one and it was great!

Best Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Products

• dpHUE ACV and Himalayan Sea Salt Scalp Scrub
• dpHUE ACV Hair Rinse

14. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera does wonders for your skin and hair!

The main reason you need aloe vera in your hair routine if you have greasy hair is because aloe vera is great at removing extra sebum oil and residue without leaving your hair feeling dry and brittle.

It’s gentle and keeps your hair shiny, soft, and hydrated but super effective at controlling extra oil production in your hair.

I love this aloe vera gel – put on a thick layer from root to tip for a nourishing hair mask at home.

15. Don’t Brush Your Hair Too Often

When your hair is greasy, if you brush it, it spreads the oils from your scalp to the shaft and ends of your hair, and this can make all your hair greasy and oily.

Even though it’s super important to brush your hair everyday (make sure to brush at least every night), if you brush it too much, you’re going to make spread the oils on your hair and make it worse.

Try to limit brushing your hair once or maximum twice a day if you have naturally oilier an greasy hair.

16. Try to Wear Your Hair Down

This tip is really important for when your hair is already starting to get oily and you want to control.

Sometimes it might feel like the best way to control your greasy hair is to just through it up in a ponytail or bun, but this might actually make it worse because you’re trapping the hair in a confined space where the oils will spread and end up making your hair look a lot greasier.

To make your hair look less greasy, try wearing it down! Some of my favorite greasy hairstyles is clipping the front pieces of my hair to the back and wearing a headband to hide my greasy scalp while still letting my hair breathe.

Oily Hair FAQs

Why Does My Hair Get Greasy So Fast? Why is My Hair Greasy After 1 Day?

Our scalps produce natural oils and though this a normal process, some people are more prone to produce more oil (sebum oil) and this can make your hair oily and greasy. If your hair is naturally more oily – you can tell if your hair is like this if after just 24 hours there is visible oil buildup and your hair is starting to get greasy – then simple tasks like exercising, brushing your hair too often, and humidity can make your hair get greasy fast.

Another reason your hair might be getting greasy so fast is because you’re washing it too much. When you wash your hair with shampoo, it’s a signal to your scalp to produce more sebum oil since the shampoo strips it of its natural oils. So if you wash your hair too often, your scalp might be producing too much oil and making your hair greasy.

Another common reason for why your hair is getting greasy so fast might be because of your hair type. Straight hair is a lot more prone to getting oily because there’s no texture in it so the oils move down to the shaft of the hair and make it a lot more oily.

If you want to know how to get rid of oily scalp and hair naturally and at home, then keep reading for the ultimate oily hair treatment!

Is it OK to Wash Your Hair Every Day if it’s Oily?

Of course! If you have very oily and greasy hair, then washing it every day is okay if you use a mild shampoo that won’t strip your hair. This is very important because if you strip your hair of its natural oils, then your hair will end up producing more sebum and oil, which will only make your hair greasier.

To ensure that your hair isn’t stripped of hydration from daily washing, make sure to use a hydrating conditioner to seal in hydration and keep your hair from feeling stringy and dry.

What is the Best Brush for Greasy Hair?

The best brush for greasy hair is a boar bristle brush that will help evenly distribute the oils in your hair and make your scalp feel less greasy and oily.

If you were wondering how to stop your hair from getting greasy and how to get rid of greasy hair, I hope these easy and practical oily hair hacks help you get the hair of your dreams!