17 best shampoos for oily hair 2024, tested on 450 women (original) (raw)

1

Best shampoo for oily hair

Redken Amino-Mint Scalp Shampoo

Score: 90/100

Brimming with peppermint extract, our winning shampoo aims to balance out your pH to leave scalps feeling fresh.

Its gentle, irritation-free formula sloughed away product build-up and grease for all testers, leaving shinier, smoother strands in its wake. In fact, it was such a powerful cleaner that many testers found they could go an extra day or two between washes.

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2

Best shampoo for shine

Kérastase Specifique Bain Divalent Shampoo

Score: 89/100

This bottle left our entire panel with glossy ends and minty-fresh scalps. Our lab test backed this up, confirming it as a top performer when it came to removing artificial sebum. Better still, despite its thorough clean, it still managed to leave strands more hydrated after washing.

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3

Best smoothing shampoo

OGX Clarify & Shine+ Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo

Score: 88/100

Apple cider vinegar is known in the beauty world for preventing dandruff and boosting shine, as well as containing antibacterial properties.

This clever cleanser scored best across the board for its ability to banish oil and product build-up. Overall, our testers agreed that their hair looked smoother, and reported hair looking softer and more nourished after the trial.

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4

Best value shampoo

TRESemmé Deep Cleansing Shampoo

Score: 86/100

If you go through hair products quickly, this supersized shampoo is guaranteed to keep you going for longer.

In the GHI lab, we found it helped reduce oiliness in hair, with the majority of testers agreeing that hair felt deeply cleansed and softer after use, too.

Key specifications

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5

Best anti-dandruff shampoo

Head & Shoulders Citrus Fresh Anti Dandruff Shampoo

Score: 85/100

You might think dandruff is a telltale sign of a dry scalp but it can often plague those on the oilier side too.

All our testers noted how well this shampoo cleaned hair, which they said left their scalps felt refreshed. Those who suffered from dandruff also agreed that it made a huge difference in eradicating it.

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6

Best shampoo for a deep clean

Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo

Score: 84/100

Acting as a weekly treat for tresses, this shampoo is designed to remove product build-up, pollutants and any residue to give hair a spring clean.

Testers agreed, with the majority appreciating how purified their hair and scalp felt. In the lab, it managed to cleanse hair of over 95% of oiliness.

Key specifications

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7

Best for irritated scalps

Oribe Serene Scalp Balancing Shampoo

Score: 82/100

If you're looking for relief from an itchy scalp, look no further. This pH-balancing shampoo banished product build-up and unwanted oil for nearly everyone, while the formula itself was irritation-free. Scalps were left refreshed, and it helped to eliminate dandruff for some testers.

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8

Best for dry ends

Kevin Murphy Balancing Wash Shampoo

Score: 82/100

Aiming to hit the refresh button on claggy scalps, this daily shampoo uses lavender oil and grapefruit extract to clean deeply while boosting shine.

It removed product build-up brilliantly and smoothed frazzled ends, making it easier for our entire panel to detangle their manes. The formula didn't upset anyone's scalps, and it left strands feather-soft too.

Key specifications

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9

Best for a gentle cleanse

Virtue Purifying Shampoo

Score: 81/100

What this shampoo lacks in size, it makes up for in detoxing power. Despite the deep clean it offered, it didn't cause irritation for any of our testers, leaving many with added smoothness and softness. Our lab test gave it a thumbs up for removing artificial sebum too.

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10

Best for long-lasting oil control

Aussie Shampoo Mega For Everyday Cleaning

Score: 81/100

Not only is this shampoo great value for money, but it also cleansed everyone's scalps of dirt and oil, all while providing long-lasting oil control.

It was so effective that all testers found that they could wash their hair less, with everybody left with softer, smoother and more hydrated manes.

Key specifications

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11

Best for adding volume

Christophe Robin Purifying Shampoo with Thermal Mud

Score: 80/100

Looking to zhush up your roots? This shampoo delivered impressive volume for nearly everyone, all while its thermal mud soaked up any excess oil.

Scalps felt refreshed, while lengths were left with some mirror-esque shine and iron smoothness.

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12

Best for pre-styling

Davines SOLU Shampoo

Score: 80/100

We're not going to preach about the damage excess heat styling can do to fragile strands, but if beachy waves or poker-straight tresses are on your agenda, this shampoo is great at prepping hair.

Many testers found it blitzed product residue that clung to roots, while boosting shine and volume. Hair was easier to detangle after washing, with many enjoying added bounce.

Key specifications

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13

Best budget buy shampoo

Aldi Lacura Apple Shampoo

Score: 79/100

One of the highest-scoring shampoos in our lab test, this value buy eliminated most oiliness from hair. Testers also appreciated the fresh scent, while almost everyone said it did a great job at cleansing. Our panel didn't report any irritation either, with testers loving how bouncy it left lengths.

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14

Best shampoo for combination hair

L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-Balancing Shampoo

Score: 79/100

Having combination hair — where the ends feel dry but the scalp oily — can be tricky to manage. This shampoo claims to leave roots feeling purified for up to 72 hours, while hydrating lengths.

Testers with combination hair said it worked particularly well, leaving scalps fresh and ends shiny and soft. The majority of our panel also said their strands looked more nourished and smoother, and agreed the shampoo was gentle on hair.

Key specifications

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15

Best shampoo for softer hair

L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Pure Resource Shampoo

Score: 78/100

Our panel appreciated this gel formula, which managed to produce a rich lather without using much product. Testers were left with softer, smoother ends, and said hair felt clean after use.

The “luxurious” scent was also a hit with the panel and, in the lab, we found it reduced oiliness by 89%.

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16

Best vegan shampoo

The Body Shop Tea Tree Purifying & Balancing Shampoo

Score: 76/100

Tea tree oil is well known in the beauty world for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory powers, so we had high hopes for the impact this ‘purifying’ shampoo would have on clammy scalps.

Sure enough, its vegan formula scored top marks in our lab test for removing sebum, while our panel rated it for its gentle approach to lifting dirt and sweat.

Key specifications

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17

Best for curly hair

Pattern Cleansing Shampoo

Score: 70/100

Emmy-nominated actress, Tracee Ellis Ross, is the brain behind this curl-friendly brand. Specifically designed to cater to type 3 and 4 curls, its lightweight texture lathered up impressively to give many testers a gentle yet thorough cleanse.

It banished excess oil like a champ and left most of our panel delighted with their freshened up hair.

Key specifications

Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.

With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.

When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites

Orla is our Senior Beauty and Grooming Tester and has extensive knowledge of skin and hair composition thanks to her first class bachelor's degree in cosmetic science from the Universy of the Arts London. She also spent time as a Formulation Chemist intern at Amelia Knight Cosmetics.