The Best Shampoos For Oily, Color-Treated Hair
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Though it may seem highly specific, shampoos for oily, color-treated hair do exist. They might not announce it right on the label, though, so you do have to know what to look for. Generally, the best shampoos for oily, color-treated hair are free of sulfates (that’s generally recommended when looking for any shampoo for dyed and/or chemically treated hair) and formulated with refreshing, oil-absorbing ingredients like apple cider vinegar, tea tree, clay, and salicylic acid. They should still contain moisturizing ingredients, too, since even oily hair needs nourishment and hydration — you just don’t want your shampoo to be so rich in oils that it winds up making your hair look greasy.
If you find that your scalp gets oily sooner than the rest of your hair, which is quite common, then when you’re showering, concentrate your shampoo on your scalp and only apply conditioner to your ends. Or, copy one Elite Daily beauty editor’s routine, which is to use a purifying or volumizing shampoo on the top of your head, and a richer, moisturizing shampoo everywhere else.
Below, you’ll find five of the best sulfate-free shampoos for oily, color-treated hair. They all contain purifying ingredients that will give your scalp the refresh it needs, without being too harsh on the rest of your hair or stripping away your color.
1. Best Clarifying Shampoo
Along with soothing colloidal oatmeal extract, apple cider vinegar is the key ingredient in this Aveeno clarifying shampoo. ACV is known to help eliminate unwanted frizz, reduce itching of the scalp, and calm inflammation while also promoting squeaky-clean, super-shiny hair. For a clarifying shampoo, though, it’s still pretty gentle, so while it will help remove product buildup, it won’t mess with your gorgeous color.
2. Best Detoxifying Shampoo
Similar to a clarifying shampoo, coconut charcoal and kaolin clay go to town to absorb excess oil and remove product product in this detoxifying shampoo from OGX. Note that it’s quite impressive in its deep-cleaning, grease-busting abilities, so this isn’t for anyone with combination (aka half dry, half oily) hair. If your hair gets oily quickly from root to tip, this will be a great option for you. Or, if you do have combination hair, use this just once a week and use a milder shampoo on other wash days.
3. Best Volumizing Shampoo
Volumizing shampoos, like Pureology’s Pure Volume Shampoo, are particularly great for fine, limp hair that’s in need of a boost. And not only is this shampoo great for that, but it also comes from a brand that’s known for making some of the best shampoos for color-treated hair out there (that’s thanks to the Pureology’s signature AntiFade complex, which can be found in all their products). In other words: If you have oily, color-treated hair that often looks weighed down and limp, this is the ideal shampoo for you.
4. Best Invigorating Shampoo
Oars + Alps Invigorating Shampoo is, as its name implies, a refreshing shampoo that makes your head feel clean and tingly. That’s thanks to the menthol in the formula, though tea tree oil, which, like apple cider vinegar, is a natural ingredient that’s known for its antifungal benefits, also contributes to that invigorating feel. This shampoo is also made with the astringent witch hazel to gently remove excess oil, as well as nutrient-rich spirulina to keep your scalp balanced. Instead of sulfates, Oars + Alps uses a vegetable-derived cleansing agent to give your hair a less harsh, but still powerful clean.
5. Best Dandruff Shampoo
Though not all people with dandruff have oily scalps, and not all people with oily scalps have dandruff, there’s certainly some overlap here, so if this common scalp condition is giving you itching or flakes, use L'Oreal’s EverPure Scalp Care + Detox Shampoo. It’s made with the over-the-counter anti-dandruff ingredient pyrithione zinc to help control flaking and reduce scalp inflammation, though, unlike most other dandruff shampoos, it doesn’t contain any harsh sulfates. Best of all, it costs just $7 for a generously sized bottle.
6. Best Shampoo Bar
Shampoo bars are long-lasting and environmentally friendly, so it’s worth considering this hair and body cleansing bar if you’re looking to make more economical/eco-friendly lifestyle changes. The soap-free formula is made with caffeine, biotin, and charcoal to deep clean your hair and body, eliminating any excess oil in the process. Though the bar is small, it lasts: The company says it’s the equivalent of about two to three bottles of regular shampoo.
One caveat: The natural charcoal in here can stain surfaces when it’s placed on them wet, so use a soap dish to hold this bar, which will also help make it last longer.
7. Honorable Mention
ACURE’s Daily Workout Watermelon & Blood Orange Shampoo is a nice, lightweight daily shampoo with all sorts of fresh and fruity ingredients, including watermelon seed oil, blackberry, and orange, as well as nourishing avocado and hydrating aloe to keep your hair moisturized. Designed specifically with oily, “workout-heavy” hair in mind, it’s fine to use this shampoo daily to remove excess oil and sweat from your scalp without causing your color to fade.
