We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
The best shampoos for oily hair, tested by 500 women
Some top-scorers cost as little as £4 a bottle, so why not stock up?
Tested by Orla BadgerFormer Senior Beauty and Grooming Tester
If you find you’re having to wash your hair on a daily basis to ensure your scalp remains grease-free, it may be time to switch up your shampoo routine. And we've found the best shampoos for oily hair to stop the endless wash-day cycle.
Having oily hair means you need specific products to target the issue, rather than constantly jumping in the shower (which could actually be making things worse – more on that below).
So, we tested shampoos that specifically claim to detoxify the scalp and control oil production in the Good Housekeeping Institute lab and with our panel and analysed the results to find the formulas that really work.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
To find our winners, we asked over 500 of our panel members to try out the latest and greatest shampoos for oily hair over a two-week period. They had a wide range of hair textures and needs, so we received a rich and varied response.
We've also rounded up the best shampoos for every hair type if you're looking to target a different concern. But these are the ones we recommend to put an end to daily hair washes.
Score: 91/100
Put down the dry shampoo – you won’t need it as a lifeline between washes anymore after using OUAI’s detox shampoo. It lifts dirt, impurities, and a buildup of grease and styling products, without stripping the hair of its natural moisture. So, your ‘do will stay fresher for longer, without getting dry and crispy. Our testers told us they were able to postpone hair wash night for an additional day or two when using this.
Apple cider vinegar is the scalp-saving ingredient here, as it polishes away dead skin cells and residue to leave hair free from visible build up. Hydrolysed keratin then steps in to tame frizz and coat the hair in a shiny gloss.
A little goes a very long way with this one too, with many testers telling us they only needed a small amount to get a generous lather.
Key specifications
| Volume | 300ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free | Yes |
| Silicone free | Yes |
| Sulphate free | Yes |
Score: 90/100
We shouldn’t judge a shampoo by its bottle, but if we did, then on appearance alone this one from Oribe is seriously dazzling. Thankfully, it’s both pretty and practical. It exudes goodness from the inside out, with its health-enhancing formula that’s enriched with probiotics and green marine algae to help rebalance the scalp’s microbiome and reduce excess grease. It also includes the brand’s signature watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower complex, which protects hair against damaging and colour-draining environmental aggressors.
One tester who’d previously washed their hair every day, said they managed to break the pattern with this one, and can now go “a day or two” without. Another, who had experienced an itchy, dry scalp due to menopause, said that since using this shampoo, they’d noticed a significant decrease in irritation, dandruff and even hair loss. Brains and looks.
Key specifications
| Volume | 250ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free | Yes |
| Silicone free | Yes |
| Sulphate free | Yes |
Redken Amino-Mint Scalp Shampoo
Score: 90/100
Brimming with peppermint extract, this top-scoring shampoo aims to balance out your pH to leave scalps feeling fresh.
Its gentle, irritation-free formula sloughed away product build-up and grease for all testers, leaving shinier, smoother strands in its wake. In fact, it was such a powerful cleaner that many testers found they could go an extra day or two between washes.
Key specifications
| Volume: | 300ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | No |
Kérastase Specifique Bain Divalent Shampoo
Score: 89/100
This bottle left our entire panel with glossier ends and minty-fresh scalps. Our lab test backed this up, confirming it as a top performer when it came to removing artificial sebum. Better still, despite its thorough clean, it still managed to leave strands more hydrated after washing.
Key specifications
| Volume: | 250ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | No |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | No |
OGX Clarify & Shine+ Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Score: 88/100
Apple cider vinegar is known in the beauty world for preventing dandruff and boosting shine, as well as boasting antibacterial properties.
This clever cleanser scored highly across the board for its ability to banish oil and product build-up. Overall, our testers agreed that their hair looked smoother, and reported hair looking softer and more nourished after the trial.
Key specifications
| Size: | 385ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | No |
| Sulphate free: | Yes |
Score: 86/100
If you go through hair products quickly, this super-sized shampoo is guaranteed to keep you going for longer.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute lab, we found it helped reduce oiliness in hair, with the majority of testers agreeing that hair felt deeply cleansed and softer after use, too.
Key specifications
| Size: | 800ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | No |
| Sulphate free: | No |
Head & Shoulders Citrus Fresh Anti Dandruff Shampoo
Score: 85/100
You might think dandruff is a telltale sign of a dry scalp but it can often plague those on the oilier side too.
All our testers noted how well this shampoo cleaned hair, which they said left their scalps feeling refreshed. Those who suffer from dandruff also agreed that it helped eradicate it.
Key specifications
| Size: | 500ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | No |
| Sulphate free: | No |
Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo
Score: 84/100
Acting as a weekly treat for tresses, this shampoo is designed to remove product build-up, pollutants and any residue to give hair a spring clean, year round.
Testers agreed with those claims, with the majority left impressed by how well it purified their hair and scalp. In the lab, it managed to rid hair of over almost all oiliness in one wash.
Key specifications
| Size: | 250ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | No |
Score: 83/100
This is the highest-scoring shampoo on our list that's also designed for colour-treated hair. Our panel reported deeply cleansed hair and some also noticed added bounce and volume.
Key specifications
| Size: | 330ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | Yes |
Score: 82/100
Another Oribe entry, this is for those who are looking for relief from an itchy scalp. This pH-balancing shampoo banished product build-up and unwanted oil for nearly everyone, while the formula itself was irritation-free. Scalps were left refreshed, and it helped to eliminate dandruff for some testers.
Key specifications
| Size: | 250ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | No |
| Sulphate free: | Yes |
Virtue Purifying Shampoo
Score: 81/100
What this shampoo lacks in size, it makes up for in detoxing power. Despite the deep clean it offered, it didn't cause irritation for any of our testers, leaving many with added smoothness and softness. Our lab test gave it a thumbs up for removing artificial sebum too.
Key specifications
| Size: | 20ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | No |
| Sulphate free: | Yes |
Aussie Shampoo Mega For Everyday Cleaning
Score: 81/100
Not only is this shampoo good value for money, but it also cleansed everyone's scalps of dirt and oil, all while providing long-lasting oil control.
It was so effective that all testers found that they could wash their hair less, with everybody left with softer, smoother and more hydrated strands.
Key specifications
| Size: | 300ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | No |
Score: 80/100
Looking to zhush up your roots? This shampoo delivered impressive volume for nearly everyone, all while its thermal mud soaked up any excess oil.
Scalps felt refreshed, while lengths were left with some mirror-esque shine and iron smoothness.
Key specifications
| Size: | 250ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | Yes |
Score: 80/100
We're not going to preach about the damage excess heat styling can do to fragile strands, but if beachy waves or poker-straight tresses are on your agenda, this shampoo is great at prepping hair.
Many testers found it blitzed product residue that clung to roots, while boosting shine and volume. Hair was easier to detangle after washing, with many enjoying added bounce.
Key specifications
| Size: | 250ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free: | Yes |
| Silicone free: | Yes |
| Sulphate free: | Yes |
Score: 79/100
The health benefits of apple cider vinegar are well established in the beauty and wellness industry, and its clarifying and shine-inducing acidic properties make it an excellent addition to any deep cleaning shampoo. Here, it’s combined with the brand’s signature colloidal oats, which are extremely hydrating, moisture-locking and gentle on sensitive scalps.
In testing, our panel members were happy with how well it cleaned their roots, though they found it could be slightly drying on the ends. Be sure to pair it with a replenishing conditioner for the best results.
Key specifications
| Volume | 300ml |
|---|---|
| Paraben free | Yes |
| Silicone free | Yes |
| Sulphate free | Yes |
These also passed...
- L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Pure Resource Shampoo, £18.59; Score: 78/100 – This rich shampoo added softness and a lovely scent to testers' hair.
- The Body Shop Tea Tree Purifying and Balancing shampoo, £16.57; Score: 76/100 – This vegan, tea tree-infused shampoo impressed our testers with its ability to gently lift sebum.
- Aldi Lacura Professional Colour Shampoo, £1.19; Score: 75/100 – Testers praised how well this shampoo balanced removing oil and maintaining softness. Not bad for a real budget buy.
- HairBurst Shampoo for Oily Roots & Scalp, £15; Score; 70/100 – A little went a long way for our testers when using this shampoo. It extended the time between washes by 2-3 days for some.
How we test
Our panel of over 500 testers – with hair textures ranging from straight to afro – tried 38 brands of shampoo for a minimum of two weeks.
They fed back on how effectively the products cleaned oily hair, how well they lathered up and whether they noticed any long-lasting benefits. They also reported back on how their hair felt after use, focusing on hydration, smoothness, shine and volume.
Back in the Good Housekeeping Institute lab, our experts applied artificial sebum to hair switches before using a Sebumeter to measure oil and sebum levels after cleaning with each shampoo, to judge how effective they were.
What causes oily hair?
We spoke to Darren Bain, International Artist at Taylor Taylor London's Liberty salon for the low-down on how to keep grease at bay. According to him, oily hair is caused by various lifestyle habits as well as how we shampoo and condition our hair. “Oily hair can often be caused by too much washing, which in turn overstimulates the sebaceous glands,” he tells us.
“Another culprit is using too much conditioner or using products that are too heavy for your hair to absorb, so they sit on the outside of the hair shaft and make it look greasy or weighed down.
“At the salon, we always recommend applying shampoo to your scalp and roots, massaging thoroughly and letting the suds run down your mid lengths and ends. Unless you have a large amount of styling product on your hair, it really is all it needs, or else you begin to dry out your ends and your roots aren’t cleaned properly… hey presto, oily roots and dry ends.
“Applying conditioner to your roots will also create instant greasy-feeling hair. Remember, your scalp is where the sebum production is at its most concentrated and it rarely needs conditioning. So, apply one of our reader panel's best conditioners to mid lengths only and your hair will thank you for it.” Think about the products you use, too.
“It may sound simple but check when you last washed your hairbrush as well, as the dirt, bacteria and products transfer easily onto your brushes,” adds Bain. “The same is true of your pillowcases, which are in direct contact with your hair for seven to eight hours a night.”
“Overproduction of sebum can also be down to changes in hormone levels, or deficiency in certain vitamins such as vitamin D, which plays a key role in the regulation of sebum production.”
Vitamin D synthesis is triggered by the UVB rays in sunlight, and it’s perhaps unsurprising that here in the (not-so) sunny UK, one in five UK adults are deficient. Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a vitamin D supplement in the autumn and winter months when we have reduced hours of sunlight.
Can you train your hair to be less greasy?
“You can try gradually reducing how frequently you wash your hair to help train your scalp to produce less oil – because sometimes, over-washing can cause the scalp and hair to dry out, meaning more oil is produced to try to make up for the lack of moisture,” says Bain.
“Even if you try and move your regular morning shower to the evening of the same day, or from the evening to the next morning, you’ll should reap the benefits long-term. The longer you train your hair to regulate itself between washes, the less you’ll need to wash it.”
However, this may not work for everyone, he warns, and not washing your hair often enough can also cause it to look greasier, so it’s about finding the right frequency for you. It’s also tricky if you’re planning a trip to the gym on a non-wash day, or your social schedule doesn't match up to your hair-wash one, but that’s where the best dry shampoos can step in as a quick and easy solution. Just make sure you don’t over-use the product as it can cause build-up and irritation.
How often should I wash my hair a week?
“The general rule of thumb is every two to three days, but if you have curly or particularly dry hair, you may find that once or twice a week is enough,” advises Bain. “I suggest using a clarifying detox shampoo up to once a week.”
Why trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Every year, we test hundreds of beauty products at the Good Housekeeping Institute, from the best hair straighteners to the top electric toothbrushes.
Maria Kumar, our beauty and grooming testing manager, has a background in cosmetic science and has worked as a formulation scientist, so she knows a thing or two about what ingredients to look out for in an effective shampoo. She ensures products are tested against strict protocols in the lab and collates all feedback from our panel members.
Our lifestyle writer, Madeleine Evans, then takes all these results and uses them to inform her product reviews, pulling out all the need-to-know feedback to help you make an informed purchase.
The verdict on shampoos for oily hair
Solve your greasy hair dilemma with our winner, the OUAI Detox Shampoo. It works hard to lift grime and grease, without drying out your hair. If your scalp is prone to both greasiness and dandruff (lucky you), then the Head & Shoulders Citrus Fresh Shampoo will help to deeply cleanse and eliminates dry scalp residue.
TRESemmé’s Deep Cleansing shampoo proved to be a budget-friendly option that actually works. The large bottle lasts a while, costs under £5, and managed to significantly reduce oil levels in our testers’ hair. Tick, tick, tick.
Oribe’s Serene Scalp Oil Control Shampoo increased time between washes for our panellists and will be a real treat when you do get round to hair wash night.
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
Madeleine is our Lifestyle Writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and round-ups on the latest beauty Beauty and Health & Wellness products. From skincare to protein powders, Maddie is committed to providing honest and helpful reviews to help guide readers to the best product for them. Maddie has a BA in English Literature and Language, which stemmed from her lifelong interest in reading and writing. She started her post graduate life at Hearst UK within a marketing capacity, which quickly turned into a desire to fulfil a writing career.
When she is not writing about the latest expert reviewed products, you can find her rifling through vintage shops or car boots, reading a print magazine, or capturing portraits on her film camera.
Orla was our Former Senior Beauty and Grooming Tester.
18 best hair-loss shampoos to promote growth
The best sulphate-free shampoos in 2025
The best hair dryers for every hair type
The best frizzy hair products, tried and tested
