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The 8 Best Hair Masks For Oily Hair
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If you have an oily scalp and oily hair, it can be difficult to create a haircare routine that will balance the need to remove extra scalp oils and retain essential moisture so your scalp doesn't turn into a flaky, dry mess. But the best hair masks for oily hair are designed to do just that. Most of the time when we think of hair masks, we picture masks for damaged hair that contain nourishing, but oil-heavy ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and macadamia seed oil — all wonderful add-ins that will seal split ends, soften hair, and make it shine — but that can weigh down oily hair and make it look limp.
We might think that only dry, brittle hair is in need of a targeted treatment, but that's not true. If you have oily skin, you may already know about the amazing powers of charcoal masks that can unclog pores, sap up excess sebum that leads to blackheads, and give skin a thoroughly deep cleanse. But if your scalp is overproducing oil, it may surprise you that it has similar needs — the skin on our heads is still skin after all. Tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lavender essential oils are just some of the amazing ingredients used in hair masks for oily hair that can balance your scalp's natural oils and even relieve dandruff and itching for healthier hair.
These products for oily hair are highly rated and work wonders to make your hair soft but not weighed down.
1This Top-Selling Argan Oil Mask That’s Lightweight
No matter what type of hair you have, Artnaturals argan oil mask aims to balance and nourish it from the scalp to the tips. It keeps hair hydrated using argan oil — but it remains lightweight, even on particularly fine strands. It's free of sulfates and parabens and reviewers say that, with regular use, they even noticed a big reduction in dandruff. No wonder it has over 4,400 five-star reviews.
One reviewer wrote: “The softness and shine my hair has is incredible. My hair is naturally very oily so I was [skeptical] at first if it would make it worse but it really didn’t. I always get asked how it’s so shiny now and what I use.”
2An Editor-Recommended Hair Mask
“My hair tends towards the oily side, and I love how this hair mask makes my hair feel moisturized and glossy without feeling weighed down,” Carina Finn, Associate Commerce Editor at BDG, wrote about Gloss Moderne’s Clean Luxury hair masque. “The application is super flexible — you can leave it on for a few minutes in the shower, or for half an hour if you want deeper hydration. It also smells really nice!” Since it’s safe to use with color-treated and keratin-treated hair, and it has an overall rating of 4.7 stars, it’s well worth the splurge.
One reviewer wrote: “I love this product. I got it in my FabFitFun box and used it all and wanted more. It makes my hair feel so soft. Once it dries it seems to help my wavy hair frizz less. It has a sweet, vanilla birthday cake type of smell. It’s expensive but worth it.”
3A Multitasking Bentonite Clay Mask For Hair And Skin
Why invest in two separate masks for skin and hair when you can get everything you need in this bentonite clay mask? This beloved ingredient is known for its detoxifying and clarifying properties and, when used on the scalp, it can impurities and improve blood circulation, which will keep your hair looking and feeling soft and healthy. It helps perk up limp hair and removes hair product buildup, which contributes to an oily appearance. And the best part is that, while you're treating yourself to your weekly hair mask, you can spread the wealth and give yourself a facial at the same time.
One reviewer wrote: “My hair gets oily quickly and this makes my hair shiny and soft! It worked wonders for my husband as a face mask, he has oily acne-prone skin and it made his skin look and feel soft. Will definitely buy again.”
4A Powerful Tea Tree Oil Treatment For Flaky Scalps
This non-medicated conditioning treatment with tea tree oil is one of the most effective tools you can use to address dry scalp issues and strengthen and condition hair. Along with tea tree, which has anti-microbial compounds and has been used to treat dandruff, this rinse-out mask contains goodies like peppermint and lavender oils, vitamin E, and shea butter. One reviewer who has alopecia areata says that, after using this treatment for two years, her easily irritated scalp no longer has flakes and her soreness has "decreased drastically."
One reviewer wrote: “I have a strange combination of hair foes-if I don't use the right shampoo my hair gets oily very quickly, but I also get a really dry painful scalp in the wintertime. [...] It does not leave hair greasy at all. I only really put it on the scalp. I found this last winter and I will be using this every winter from now on.”
5A Detoxifying Mask With Clay & Charcoal To Remove Buildup
A buildup of leftover product can weigh down your hair and make it much more oily — but this Creme of Nature mask helps to cleanse and detoxify strands when used before your shampooing routine. Thanks to the absorbent clay and charcoal, you're left with ultra voluminous and bouncy hair that is soft and smells great. It’s recommended for all hair types, but reviewers with natural curls wrote that it helps to revive hair's curl pattern and make it super manageable.
One reviewer wrote: “Great product. My hair was nice and bouncy after I used the product. Definitely added it to my wash day routine.”
6An Impurity-Absorbing Mask For Lightweight Roots
Using ingredients like eucalyptus, burdock extraction, and ghassoul clay, this PHYTO Phytodetox purifying mask aims to absorb impurities like pollution and leftover residue from styling products. As a result, it restores body to your hair starting at the scalp, so you can tackle unwanted oil from the source. Once a week, just apply it to your scalp and leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing it out. Then shampoo as usual.
One reviewer wrote: “Fantastic product from every point of view, leaves the skin really hydrated and performs a deep cleansing. An intoxicating scent, which accompanies you pleasantly even for several days as a result of treatment.”
7A Thickening Conditioner That Stimulates New Growth
“My hair is thin and gets oily fast, but it’s also pretty damaged from heat-styling,” wrote BDG e-commerce writer Maria Cassano. “As a result, it can be difficult to find a healing conditioner that does it all. I recently started using this biotin thickening conditioner, and I’m in love with it.” It has castor oil and biotin saw palmetto to stimulate new growth, plus vitamin E, keratin, and aloe vera for healing hydration — but it also makes hair look and feel thicker in the meantime. “Most importantly, it doesn’t weigh my hair down like so many other conditioners,” Cassano wrote.
One reviewer wrote: “My hair is extremely thin, fine, and oily, which makes it hard to find products that are not too heavy. This one left my hair light, fluffy, and shiny. I also noticed after using for a few weeks, my hair had stopped falling out. I was truly amazed!”
8This Hair Mask To Tackle Both Frizz & Oil
If you struggle with both frizz and unwanted oil, Verb’s Ghost hair mask can help. Using moringa oil (which is lightweight and healing at the same time), it promotes shine, repairs damage, and minimizes frizz, but without contributing to oil production or making your hair feel heavy and greasy. It’s also vegan and works on any hair texture, plus you only need to use it once a week in the shower to see results.
One reviewer wrote: “This product is amazing for softening and detangling very fine hair. My hair tends to be weighed down by most conditioners, but this one is really miraculous. It makes my hair feel like silk, and very shiny, but not even remotely oily at the roots. Excellent stuff.”
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