Everyone wants soft, touchable hair with no greasy residue. Some of the most beloved curly hair products contain high amounts of oils and butters to ensure that our hair receives the best nourishing benefits possible. In addition to using cleansers, conditioners, and moisturizers, there are practices that many curlies do to further combat dryness that may not be applicable to everyone. When unsure about expanding your regimen, consider these characteristics of your texture:
- Do you have fine strands?
- Is your hair low porosity?
- Are your curls looser than 3b or 3c?
All of these aspects will affect how your hair responds to certain products and ingredients. Low porosity strands have an intact cuticle layer, making them less tolerant to thick products, heavy applications, or frequent product layering between washes. Fine strands maintain more movement with lighter, thinner products like milks, lotions, and liquid moisturizers or refreshers. Similar to finer strands, using thicker products on a looser curl pattern can cause the hair to be weighed down, especially when applied too often and too close to the scalp.
Here are four things in your regimen you may want to reconsider to put this greasy situation at bay.
Pre-poo
You may want to discontinue your pre-poo sessions. If you find shampoo too stripping for your texture, consider a gentler one. It is easy to think all shampoos yield the same, drying results, and most do, but there are a few gems that are worth searching for. Here are some of my favorite cleansers that leave my low porosity, 4a coils tangle free and clean:
- Soultanicals Honey, I Shrunk the Frizz Poo Bar
- Jessicurl Cleansing Hair Cream (this is not a co-wash“>
- Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo
- Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo
Oiling your scalp
Sometimes a dry scalp is the result of cleansing too often or a response to a certain ingredient or not using the right shampoo for your hair and scalp needs. Again, finding the right cleanser can take time, especially with textured hair. If you are still experiencing a dry scalp, try using lighter carrier oils blended with peppermint oil, rosemary oil, or tea tree oil. If that does not work, consider seeing a trichologist for professional guidance.
Read more: Ask Dr. Kari: Should You Grease and Oil Your Scalp?
Co-washing
Co-washing is not for everyone. Hair that is prone to accumulating buildup relatively quickly and oily scalps benefit from more thorough cleansing that co-washing will not provide. Again, gentle cleansers are essential but co-washing and cleansing conditioners may be exacerbating your oily problem.
Read more: Does Too Much Shampoo Cause an Oily Scalp?
Switch oils
Sometimes the solution is not ruling out oils altogether. If you are using butters and heavy oils like castor oil and olive oil to seal your ends, consider lighter oils like sweet almond oil and jojoba oil. Remember, you want to seal your ends. It is not always necessary to apply oil along the entire hair shaft, so generous applications may not be the best for you.
Read more: 5 Best Oils for Fine Hair (Yes, Fine Hair”>
How do you prevent your hair and scalp from being greasy?
