Why: Thought you could never use a leave-in conditioner on your oily hair? Think again -- oily-haired readers say "this stuff is really good!" One reader says it doesn't make her hair look greasy, even when she uses "quite a bit of spray." Another reader loves how it "goes on lightly" and doesn't weigh hair down. One reader with "baby fine hair" says she has oily roots and dry ends, and this "detangles hair like a leave-in conditioner, but doesn't give you that weighed down greasy feeling." The best part about this leave-in? "The smell," they say.
Why: Readers with oily or "pin thin" hair agree: not only is this spray "good for giving volume," it "holds while still being run-your-fingers-through-it flexible and soft." One reader whose thin and oily hair "falls very easily" says this hairspray "is light, doesn't weigh my hair down, and keeps my style." Another reader says, "I can spray this all day without it actually weighing my hair down or it feeling like there's so much on my head!" A third reader says it "smells delicious" and "perks up [her] roots."
Why: "This is THE shampoo to use if you have oily hair," readers rave. "It is definitely purifying, cleansing and absolutely wonderful for greasy hair!" One reader loves that "the formula does not contain moisturizers that can weigh hair down," and another reader says it is "truly clarifying, washes clean and leaves no residue." Readers say "most of Pantene's shampoos are wonderful for people with oily hair, but this is the absolute best to use when the oil gets really bad." Not only does it "clean away the oil without leaving hair dry," it "even adds a bit of volume," readers claim.
Why: Readers call this "the gold standard" for oily hair, because it "gets hair squeaky clean" and leaves it "full of body without over-drying [it]." "I've tried many shampoos over the years and I always wind up coming back to this one," says one reader. "Since I've been using it, my hair stays oil-free all day long." And while it leaves hair "feeling clean," it also allows strands to stay "super soft and shiny," which unusual, says another reader. Readers also love its "light fresh citrus scent," which they describe as "delightful."
Why: For "stringy" or oily hair that is "so difficult to style," this thickening mousse "is magic," readers claim. It "gave my hair tons of volume and some hold and thickness without any crunch," says one reader. It "truly did make my fine hair feel thicker, while making it more manageable," says another reader. "I have been searching for a mousse that will give my fine, straight hair some oompf. This is IT!" raves another reader. This will "give your hair structure" so "you can do what you want with it," say readers. And while it "has hold and adds body," readers love that "you can still run your hands through" your hair.
Oily skin is easy to deal with -- blot with some oil-blotting paper thingies, tap on some powder and voila! A shine-free face. (If controlling oil on your face still isn't that easy for you, check out these top products for keeping oily skin under control.) But what about oily hair? That's not nearly as easy to fix, right?
If you have oily hair, you most likely fall into one (or both) of these categories -- one: you're sick of seeing the words "for dry or damaged hair" on every bottle of shampoo you came across because they never apply to you, and two: you stay away from using any kind of hair product due to the fear of walking around with an oil slick on top of your head (god forbid your hair catches fire the next time you get too close to a flame).
Luckily, we're here to help. We asked our readers to share which products help keep their oily hair under control. They raved about everything from shampoos that got rid of oily build-up to thickening mousse that helped their thin, oily hair look fuller. Now you can actually style your oily hair without worrying about spontaneously combusting the second you step outside.
Want some simple tips? Use a clarifying shampoo once a week, carry around some hair powder for those midday oil invasions, and only use conditioner on your ends.