Many of us are well-versed in treating oily skin on our face, but an oily scalp can be a struggle, too. It’s not that surprising, given there are hundreds more oil glands on your head, but if you’re finding your hair gets greasy very quickly, your hair washing routine may need rethinking.

Excess oil production can leave your strands lacking the shine and gloss we often associate with optimal hair health, and one of the best places to treat this is with one of the best shampoos for oily hair.

I spoke to Dr Anastasia Therianou, consultant dermatologist and hair-loss expert, who revealed that oily hair is typically genetic, but it can also be influenced by stress, the use of the wrong products, excessive sweating, temperature changes, or environmental pollutants.

Given that your shampoo is the first step in any haircare routine, I’ve spent the last few months testing products to narrow it down to the very best luxury, mid-range, and budget brands that made a difference.

The way you wash your hair is important, too, says Dr Therianou: “Rather than simply giving the hair a quick lather then rinsing, leave the shampoo in for a few minutes to give it enough time to work.” She also advises steering clear of even the best sulphate-free shampoos as “sulphates are the ingredients that help clean the scalp properly.”

Armed with this information, I tried and tested the best shampoos for oily hair.

Read more: **24 best shampoos and conditioners, reviewed **

The best shampoos for oily hair 2026 are:

  • Best overall– L’Oréal Professionnel scalp advanced shampoo: £22.50, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best budget buy– Monday Haircare clarify shampoo: £4.99, Superdrug.com
  • Best for dandruff– Vichy Dercos anti-dandruff shampoo for normal to oily hair: £16.50, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best for exfoliation– Lush squeak shampoo: £10, Lush.com

Read more: Best shower filters, tested

  • Bestclarifying shampoo for oily hair
  • Why we love it- Gentle
  • Effective at removing dry shampoo build-up

This L’Oreal Professionnel shampoo treats an oily scalp at its source, using gentle AHA exfoliants and carbonic acid to slough off dead skin cells, reduce sebum production, and remove sweat and product residue.

It’s a shampoo I reach for when I’ve relied on dry shampoo for a couple days too long and need a product to make my scalp and hair feel refreshed, clean and lighter. There’s no tingling sensation, just a nice-smelling shampoo that lathers well, rinses out quickly and gets to work fast.

Key specifications:

  • Size:300ml

  • Key ingredients:Carbonic acid, alpha-hydroxy acids

  • Bestbudget shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Tackles product build-up and oiliness
  • Adds shine to dull strands

  • Great price

  • Take note- Pump could be more effective

Monday Haircare’s clarify shampoo an excellent everyday shampoo that covers all the basics – it’s affordable, comes in a generous 340ml bottle and gets rid of excessive grease. The bottle is pretty, too, and feels more luxurious than the price tag suggests. I have been using this shampoo for months, multiple times a week, and it has lasted a lot longer than most shampoos I’ve used.

Grapefruit extract is the star ingredient for tackling product build-up and oiliness, while the addition of vitamin E and coconut oil helps inject shine back into dull, limp strands.

My only gripe is that I wish the pump distributed a bit more product with each push, but I can look past that, given how affordable and hard-working the formula is.

Key specifications:

  • Size:354ml

  • Key ingredients:Grapefruit extract, vitamin E and coconut oil

  • Bestscalp exfoliating shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Gently exfoliates
  • Cuts through excess sebum
  • Smells zesty

  • Adds volume

  • Take note- As it’s a pot, it can be messier if you’re not careful

If you enjoy a manual exfoliating salt scrub, and hair that’s squeaky clean, soft and shiny, this Lush’s squeak shampoo is for you. It’s made with sea salt, but don’t worry, it’s not abrasive, instead it's a luminous, creamy balm texture with salt crystals that you can scoop out with your hand.

It’s accompanied by a fruit cocktail of juices from lemon, papaya, and pineapple, along with seaweed and mango, which help reduce dullness and add a bit of volume. For flat, naturally straight hair like mine, it’s an easy, low-effort way to add lift, remove grease, and make it feel healthier with just one product.

Key specifications:

  • Size:280g

  • Key ingredients:Nutritive mango, carrageenan extract, sea salt, papaya, pineapple and lemon juice

  • Bestshampoo for oily hair to add shine

  • Why we love it- Balances oil production

  • Adds shine and bounce

  • Take note- Pricey for the amount of product

Sometimes an oily scalp can feel itchy and your hair constantly looks and feels limp. If that’s you, Davines rebalancing is an excellent shampoo that can revive strands while adding bounce, fullness and hydration, without weighing it down.

Formulated with sustainably farmed ingredients, including lemon leaf, cassia bark and ginger root extract, it has a zesty, refreshing scent that wakes you up in the morning, and works quickly to clean hair.

I used it every day for some weeks, other times I used it twice weekly, and found it worked equally well. It doesn’t lather as much as the other shampoos on your list, but that doesn’t mean you need to use more; just make sure you’re thoroughly coating each section before rinsing.

Key specifications:

  • Size:250ml

  • Key ingredients:Lemon leaf, cassia bark and ginger root extracts

  • Bestvalue shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Very reasonably priced for the amount of product
  • Rich, creamy lather

  • Good everyday option

  • Take note- Very fine hair may be weighed down by the shea butter

Being’s everyday shampoo contains the largest amount of product compared to everything else we tried - 54ml more in fact, making it the best value shampoo for oily hair at less than a tenner. While the formula is sulphate-free, which Dr Therianou typically advises against, it’s a good option for everyday use if you want something simple that won’t break the bank.

It lathers into a rich, creamy foam that’s easy to distribute and visible on each strand, leaving behind a delicious, clean scent. It doesn’t leave hair feeling heavy, nor so soft it cannot hold a style, and one bottle has lasted us ages. It’s an excellent all-rounder that will suit most hair types, cause no irritation and come in under budget.

Key specifications:

  • Size:354ml

  • Key ingredients:Shea butter, aloe extract

  • Bestweekly shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Great for regular users of dry shampoo
  • Lasts a long time

  • Leaves hair feeling soft

  • Take note- Pricey

While Living Proof’s clarifying detox shampoo is one of the more luxury shampoos I tested, it’s designed for use once a week, rather than for every hair wash, so I found it outlasted most of my shower hair products. I have repeatedly gone back to it since it launched.

It’s dark grey in colour, so be careful when applying it or it can get all over your bathroom, but it lathers nicely and spreads easily through your strands. If regularly using dry shampoo, texturising spray, hairspray and mousse leaves your locks feeling ladened, you’ll be pleased by this charcoal powder, which not only reduces oil production but helps leave your hair silky soft.

Key specifications:

  • Size:236ml

  • Key ingredients:Witch hazel and charcoal powder

  • Bestanti-dandruff shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Leaves hair soft and soothed

  • Quick results

  • Take note- Less suitable for dry hair

Oily hair and scalp can also be prone to dandruff and itching, and the Vichy Dercos shampoo ticks every box to combat them. It’s a neon shade of orange, lathers well, and rinses out easily after a few minutes, leaving a very mild, fresh scent that doesn’t linger.

The formula is made with 1 per cent selenium disulphide (commonly found in haircare to treat dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis) and 1 per cent salicylic acid, which you may recognise from skincare products designed to treat oiliness and acne. With regular use, my scalp felt more soothed, was less itchy, and required fewer wash days.

Key specifications:

  • Size:200ml

  • Key ingredients:Salicylic acid and selenium disulfide

  • Bestweekly treatment shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Doesn’t irritate a sensitive scalp
  • Smart packaging allows you to see how much is left

  • Scented with the brand’s Melrose Place fragrance

  • Take note- An expensive upfront cost

Ouai detox is a clarifying shampoo that’s formulated with chelating agents, hydrolysed keratin and apple cider vinegar, which work together to cleanse away excess oil and minimise frizz.

It’s not designed for everyday use; instead, it’s recommended once to twice a week. I found it particularly helpful at combating the hard water effect on my hair (besides investing in a dedicated hard water shower head filter), which often leaves it looking dull.

Given that it’s recommended for biweekly use rather than daily, it helps manage costs, as it’s not cheap. I also discovered it didn’t disrupt my freshly highlighted hair, nor did it leave it a knotty mess.

Key specifications:

  • Size:300ml

  • Key ingredients:Chelating agents, hydrolysed keratin, apple cider vinegar

  • Bestluxury shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Balances an oily scalp
  • Reduces oil production

  • Leaves skin and hair feeling clean

  • Take note- Very expensive

If you have a bigger budget, Oribe serene scalp oil control is a beautiful shampoo with luxury packaging that matches its price tag. It’s part of Oribe’s oil-control range and is a good-quality first step in your haircare routine.

Utilising probiotics and green amrine algae, it works by rebalancing your scalp’s microbiome, so achieves the perfect equilibrium of hydrated but not too oily or dry. I noticed with regular use, three times a week, that it extended the time in between washes, and my scalp felt noticeably less greasy, meaning I wasn’t relying on dry shampoo as much.

Key specifications:

  • Size:250ml

  • Key ingredients:Sugar-derived probiotics, green marine algae, watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower

  • Bestsensitive shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Hydrating
  • Doesn’t affect bleached colour

  • Soothes sensitivities

  • Take note- Expensive

Sensitive scalps can be irritated in many ways, and this Kérastase shampoo is designed to be a tonic for itchiness, inflammation and dehydration. If you’re struggling with a combination scalp/hair, with excess oil on your hair follicles but dry ends in need of moisture, this is the solution – especially if you have fine hair that gets easily weighed down with product.

My scalp was left lighter, cleaner and grease-free after every use, and the shampoo worked well with my blond bleach highlights without affecting the colour. If you have an oily scalp but are conscious of how often you wash your bleached strands, this is a great option.

Key specifications:

  • Size:250ml

  • Key ingredients:Calophyllum oil, glycerin

  • Bestshampoo for oily long hair

  • Why we love it- Smells lovely
  • Lovely lather

  • Rinses out easily

  • Take note- Packaging is a bit leaky

I was left impressed by Typebea’s g2 strength + length shampoo shampoo, which is rich in salicylic acid. This helps to gently exfoliate your scalp, removing product build-up from hairsprays and dry shampoos alike. Meanwhile, argan oil and provitamin B5 help to hydrate strands. However, it is a sulphate-free formula, so while I enjoyed using it, loved the clean, fresh scent, and found it worked well at keeping my strands feeling soft but not greasy after a couple of days, keep in mind it may not be a preventative measure long-term.

Typebea is the haircare brand co-created by beauty entrepreneur Anna Lahey (who is also the founder of Vida Glow supplements) and singer Rita Ora. The lineup features this shampoo, a conditioner, a peptide serum and a glossy hair mask, with a focus on hair growth.

Key specifications:

  • Size:250ml

  • Key ingredients:Salicylic acid and provitamin B5

  • Bestshampoo for oily, colour-treated hair

  • Why we love it- Lightweight
  • Aesthetic packaging
  • Great if you live/work in a city

Hello Klean was first founded in 2019 to specifically tackle hair problems created by washing with hard water. London and Oxford (for example) have some of the hardest water in the UK, which can lead to dullness, discolouration, increased breakage and even hair loss. This gel formula – which has a fun tangerine orange colour – combats it all while also minimising product build-up (which can make hair greasier and more prone to excess oil production).

The shampoo is packed with alpha hydroxy acids and amino acids to balance your scalp, as well as biotin to make hair more resistant to breakage. I found it worked particularly well on my bleached and highlighted hair, keeping it soft after every wash but helping increase the time between washes, too.

Key specifications:

  • Size:380ml

  • Key ingredients:Astaxanthin, biotin and aminexil

  • Bestsmelling shampoo for oily hair

  • Why we love it- Can be used on dry or wet hair
  • Fast results

  • Fresh scent

  • Take note- Takes a while to come out of the bottle

  • Expensive

This Oway shampoo – aptly named hair bath – is aromatic and fast to deliver results, for clean hair that doesn’t accumulate as much grease after just one use. It’s a clear, thick gel that can be applied to dry hair by massaging into your scalp, adding water until it lathers then rinsing off, or you can apply it to wet hair, as per a traditional shampoo.

It’s designed to regulate sebum production from your sebaceous glands (where the oil in your hair follicle is produced), which reduces greasiness and any irritation that comes with it, such as itchiness.

It doesn’t lather as much as a typical shampoo, and it does take a little longer to come out of the bottle, as there’s no pump, but overall this is a great shampoo that improved my greasy-prone hair very quickly. Scented with sage and star anise, it’s an uplifting fragrant blend and I loved using it.

Key specifications:

  • Size:240ml
  • Key ingredients:Tectona drandis wood extract, cimicifuga racemosa root extract and zinc