Monitoring diet and hygiene habits can help improve symptoms of oily hair. In addition, we share with you some natural remedies to which antiseborrheic properties are attributed. However, not all of them have scientific endorsement.
Hair significantly influences good personal appearance, something that is required of us daily at work and in society. There are many people who suffer from having oily hair since it prevents them from showing clean and hygienic hair.
In the following article, we will share with you some of the most used natural measures for seborrhea or fat in the hair. It is worth noting that these tricks belong to natural medicine and not in all cases have the scientific endorsement.
Excess fat in the hair can be due to factors such as stress, excessive fat intake, biotin deficiency or hormonal changes, the use of irritating shampoos that cause excessive secretion of fat and the lack of certain vitamins, in addition, of course, to be of said natural way.
Natural medicine
The American Academy of Dermatology suggests considering hair and scalp types before making a decision on the use of certain shampoos. In addition, it gives indications on the number of times you should wash your hair according to your characteristics. In the case of oily hair, they recommend a daily wash.
Among the natural remedies that are usually recommended to improve the symptoms of a scalp or oily hair, we can find:
- preparations for external use
- lotions to apply to the scalp
- making a homemade grease shampoo
- corn flour-based cleaning
- and vinegar and lemon rinses.
We clarify that most of these natural remedies for oily hair pass from mouth to mouth but do not have scientific justifications for their use. If you have any questions, consult your trusted doctor.
External use:
- Cypress: Grandmothers usually recommend washing hair with an infusion of the dried plant, mixed with vinegar. We have not found scientific evidence to support this natural remedy.
- Licorice: it has antioxidant and astringent properties that would help improve symptoms. It is advisable to use a decoction of three tablespoons of crushed dry twigs per liter of water. Make friction on the scalp with the resulting liquid.
Lotion:
The lotion to apply would be a mixture of rosemary essential oil, lavender essential oil, and sunflower oil.
To lavender oil, for example, various studies attribute antibacterial effects that could help improve the symptoms of oily hair, acting on the bacteria that populate it. For its part, rosemary oil would benefit hair growth, according to an article published in Skinmed.
- Preparation: Mix 11 drops of rosemary essential oil and 11 drops of lavender essential oil. Lastly, add 50 ml of sunflower oil.
- Application: Apply the mixture to the scalp using gentle friction. Leave on for a couple of hours and wash with the natural shampoo that we will explain below.
Natural shampoo for oily hair:
We will use to prepare it the essential oil of rosemary, which we talked about earlier, and children’s shampoo. We choose this kind of shampoo since we need a neutral and little abrasive substance.
- Preparation: A tablespoon of baby shampoo and egg yolk with 4 drops of the essence. Once the ingredients are mixed, wash the hair normally.
- Another remedy would be to apply a tablespoon of cornmeal to the scalp and gently rub it with your fingertips. The flour would be left to work for a quarter of an hour and then the excess would be removed with a brush.
These recommendations are based on natural medicine and do not have quality scientific research to support its effectiveness.
Apple cider vinegar rinse
Apple cider vinegar has been used for many years to alleviate different symptoms. Although scientific studies have failed to endorse its properties, those who have used it maintain that it would be effective in reducing sebum in hair. To do this, dilute a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar in two cups of water and apply massaging the scalp.
Lemon rinse
Lemon, meanwhile, is attributed “drying” properties, that is, it could reduce hair fat. However, there is no evidence in this regard. To use it, mix a cup of warm water and the juice of one lemon. Apply by massaging the scalp.
Feeding
A study by the International Journal of Trichology indicates that diet would play an important role in this situation. Therefore, foods rich in fats should be avoided and those containing selenium, biotin and zinc should be consumed, such as:
- Biotin: barley, corn, oats, soy
- Zinc: borage, figs, walnuts, aubergines
- Selenium: garlic, cabbage, apples, pumpkins
Other tips
- Avoid touching your hair all the time. It only makes the situation worse. At least once a week, clean your brush with soap and water. If you take cream baths, just apply it from the middle part of your hair to the ends; never at the roots. Then you must rinse all the hair.
- Don’t wash your hair with hot water; warm or natural water is preferred. Hot water stimulates the secretion of sebum or fat through the sebaceous glands.
- Avoid styling it too much. This extends the fat to all the hair. Don’t wash it every day. Although it seems ironic, that can irritate your scalp and promote the secretion of fat.
- When you apply moisturizing cream to your face, try not to reach the hairline, as it could reach the hair. Do not use the hairdryer at very high temperatures.
If the greasy hair problem persists, consult a doctor or dermatologist to see which treatment best suits your situation. Remember that natural remedies can cause allergies and in no way replace the treatment prescribed by a professional.