The 10 Best Shampoos for Oily Hair

The CeraVe Oil Control shampoo comes from a skin care brand, and the formula reads like one. Made for a normal-to-oily scalp, it pairs salicylic acid and zinc to work on the roots, with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide meant to keep the lengths from drying out. It has no sulfates, fragrance, dyes or parabens, so it suits sensitive scalps and color-treated hair. It's new, and anyone who likes a scented, squeaky rinse can find it plain.

Greasy roots with dry, thirsty ends are the target of the L'Oreal Elvive Hyaluron + Pure shampoo. Salicylic acid handles the scalp and hyaluronic acid the lengths, and L'Oreal's own marketing claims up to 72 hours of fresher roots. The big pump bottle lasts a long time and costs little per wash, and there's a matching conditioner and scalp serum. The sweet berry and vanilla scent won't suit everyone, and L'Oreal doesn't say whether it's sulfate-free.

Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two is a long-running salon clarifier, often used before a deep conditioning treatment. It's meant to strip styling residue and the dull film that builds up on oily hair, leaving it squeaky clean. A strong clarifier like this works best as a weekly reset, and a dermatologist and a stylist suggest clarifying once a week at most, less on colored hair. Used daily, it can dry out and tangle the ends and fade color faster.

The OUAI Detox shampoo is a sulfate-free clarifier for oily hair weighed down by hard water. It uses chelating agents, which grab minerals and chlorine from tap water, plus apple cider vinegar to lift flakes and residue. OUAI suggests it once or twice a week, though a stylist interviewed by NBC Select called it mild enough for every other wash. It's pricey per ounce, and a sulfate-free cleanser can be slower on heavy grease.

For oily scalps and styling buildup, the Neutrogena Clarify & Shine shampoo is a non-medicated clarifier. Neutrogena says it's pH-balanced, safe on color-treated hair and made without parabens, phthalates or harsh sulfates, which suits dyed hair that still needs a deeper clean than a gentle daily shampoo gives. It works with any conditioner. The pink grapefruit scent is noticeable, so it isn't the pick for a fragrance-sensitive scalp.

An oily scalp that also flakes and itches often points to dandruff, and the Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength Advanced Oil Control shampoo is made for it. Its selenium sulfide is one of the active ingredients the American Academy of Dermatology lists for dandruff. Procter & Gamble says its own trial beat ketoconazole shampoos at reducing flakes, a claim no outside lab has checked. Follow the label's directions. Without flakes, a regular shampoo makes more sense.

Made for hair that's oily at the roots and dry at the ends, the Kerastase Bain Divalent is a very light salon shampoo. Amino acids cleanse the scalp and condition the lengths, vitamin B6 is added, and there are no silicones. The directions call for two washes, the second on the ends, so the bottle goes faster than its size suggests. The price is steep, and the support for it comes from Kerastase's own consumer survey.

Gentle enough for daily use, the Aveda Rosemary Mint purifying shampoo is a salon wash best on normal to oily hair that's fine to medium in texture. Plant-based cleansers and white vinegar lift oil and residue, and it's vegan and certified cruelty-free. The rosemary and mint scent is strong and lingers, and essential oils can bother a sensitive scalp, so try a little first. The packaging changed recently, but Aveda says the formula didn't.

Priced low, the Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Clarify & Shine shampoo is a sulfate-free clarifier for oily hair that looks flat and dull. Apple cider vinegar helps remove excess oil and residue, and there are no parabens or dyes. It's meant to add shine while cutting grease. The maker calls it mild enough for regular washing, but vinegar-based cleansers can be drying, so watch the ends if you use it every day.

For mildly oily hair and a tight budget, the Garnier Fructis Pure Clean shampoo is a light, no-fuss wash with a citrus scent. It's free of silicones and parabens, so it won't coat fine hair, and it adds aloe and B vitamins. It's vegan and certified cruelty-free, in a recycled plastic bottle. It isn't made for oily scalps specifically or sold as sulfate-free, so very greasy roots or color-treated hair need something more targeted.