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The Best Hair Mask for Oily Hair (EASY, 3 Ingredients)

If you struggle with an oily scalp dry hair or oily hair overall, this easy hair mask for oily hair is a must try!

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

We’ve all been there.

You wake up one morning and your hair just isn’t what it was last night.

You curse the beauty gods from above and wonder why bad things happen to good people.

And the worst part?

Now you’ve got to shower and restyle your hair all before starting your day.

As someone who’s always had thin hair (read my best trips and tricks for thin hair here), this has been a common issue for me for years.

Even though I wash my hair regularly, there’s always a risk of it becoming oily overnight (especially if I use any styling products).

For years, I’ve washed my hair every day despite the common knowledge that this isn’t really what’s best for our hair health.

After all, what other choice is there? Who wants to look like a total greaseball?!

Luckily, there are some tips I’ve discovered over the years that can help combat oily hair and prevent it before it even happens.

I’ve found that by following a combination of the below guidelines as well as incorporating a hair mask into my beauty routine, I’m able to avoid oily hair altogether.

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

If you’ve ever struggled with oily hair, you know this is quite the feat.

There aren’t many of products on the market that target thin and oily hair, and lots of drugstore products I’ve bought in the past have only contributed to the problem by causing product buildup.

My three ingredient hair mask for oily hair is one of my favorite ways to help prevent oily hair though, simply because it uses all natural ingredients.

There’s nothing like making your own beauty products, because it means you know exactly what ingredients you’re using on your body.

Odds are you already have all the ingredients you need in your pantry as well, which make this a cheap and effective treatment for all your oily hair probs.

Before we jump into that though, here a few other things that have helped me manage my hair type.

Tips for Oily Hair

1. Use the Right Shampoo/Conditioner

This has hands down been the biggest culprit behind oily hair for me personally.

Some products are heavier than others and contain ingredients that can weigh down thin hair (see my 12 favorite silicone free shampoos here).

For example, you don’t need a shampoo with moisturizing oils if you have lightweight locks like me.

Know your hair type and then look for which products are best suited for what you’re working with.

Also consider checking out reviews of a product before investing, even if it’s inexpensive.

There are some brands that are known for causing buildup and even creating a coating on your hair, so it’s best to do your research before purchasing.

You can learn a lot just by looking at what other people have experienced!

Related: DIY Shaving Cream — How to Make Your Own in Minutes

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

2. Prevent Buildup

Just like your body, your hair can benefit from a detox too.

There are so many hair products that, while they serve their purpose, aren’t exactly great for our hair health.

I remember in college the product buildup got so bad on my hair that it actually looked greasy even after I washed it.

I had no idea what to do at first, because I had never dealt with this issue before.

Now though, I use this shampoo once a week to clear out all of the junk that can be a major villain when it comes to beautiful roots.

I swear it is a total lifesaver and has also helped me detox from some of the hair products that have caused issues for me in the past.

3. Wash Your Hair Less

According to this InStyle, “…washing too often can do more harm than good, and strip your strands of essential oils. Like your favorite silk blouse, hair tends to lose its shine and dimension when given a run through the rinse cycle one too many times.”

And what comes next?

An overproduction of oils to overcompensate for what you’ve lost from washing too much.

For thin hair, experts actually recommend only washing three times a week!

I know firsthand how difficult it can be to adjust to this routine, but it is possible when you’re using the right products.

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

4. Take Advantage of Certain Hairstyles

Since your hair is most likely to get oily the longer you’re waiting in between washes, take advantage of certain hairstyles to conceal any buildup of excess oils on days you’re not washing it.

Believe it or not, this is the perfect time to whip out a curling iron.

Since curls hold better in slightly dirty locks, beach waves/curls are a great look to rock for second or third day hair.

A volumized style also is the best way to get rid of any hint of excess oils.

Break out with the dry shampoo (see the 25 best dry shampoos for blonde hair here), curling iron, and just a bit of hairspray to make the most out it.

Also try to avoid any tight updos or flat styles (such as using a straightening iron), as this tends to amplify slightly oily roots and add to a slick, matted down look.

5. Do a Hair Mask to Get Rid of Buildup

Hair masks are an ideal way to target certain issues with your hair and complement the products you’re already using.

Try an all natural hair mask like the below three ingredient hair mask for oily hair to get rid of buildup that can accumulate over time.

Check out the FAQ and instructions below to get started!

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

How Often Should You Do a Hair Mask

Wondering how often should you do a hair mask?

Experts recommend doing a hair mask once a week.

If your hair needs additional care, you can boost that number to two or three times a week.

I wouldn’t recommend doing this hair mask for oily hair more than once per week however, as you don’t want to strip your hair down too much by overusing it.

How to Use a Hair Mask

While every hair mask is different, the great thing about this three ingredient DIY hair mask is that you only need to leave it on for 15 minutes.

No overnight hair mask needed here to reap the benefits of these natural ingredients!

Simply use the recipe below and apply the mixture below to your hair from root to tip.

Leave it sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

3 Ingredient Hair Mask for Oily Hair: Ingredient Breakdown

Before we jump into the how-to for this DIY hair mask, let’s review the three key ingredients and why they work.

Lemon Juice

Remember the days of using lemon juice (or even the nostalgic product Sun-In) to lighten your hair?

Well it turns out, lemon is good for a lot more than just giving a sun kissed look to your locks.

Due to its acidic properties, lemon also has the ability to detoxify hair and provide a deep clean.

This is why lemon is a key ingredient in my favorite hair mask for oily hair, as I find it helps to strip away the excess oils that make my hair appear greasy.

Related: Honey Sugar Scrub — The Easiest, 3 Ingredient DIY

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

Raw Honey

Honey is a natural moisturizer, so you may be wondering why it’s used here in this DIY hair mask recipe for oily hair.

While the goal of this DIY hair mask is of course to get rid of excess oils, we also don’t want to dry it out completely.

It’s important to balance cleansing ingredients with moisturizing ones, which makes raw honey the perfect complement to the lemon and apple cider vinegar in this hair mask.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a hot ingredient in beauty products for good reason.

For starters, apple cider vinegar is acidic, which helps hair to maintain a healthy pH when used as part of a hair treatment or DIY hair mask.

Due to its acidity, apple cider vinegar is also clarifying.

That being said, ACV is actually gentler than most clarifying shampoos and other products so you can use it without the fear of stripping away healthy oils from your scalp as well.

Disclaimer: Before you try any skincare product, store bought or homemade, I ALWAYS recommend doing a patch text on a small section of your skin to make sure you don’t have a reaction (because having a reaction is always a risk you take with new skincare products!). You should also discontinue use of any of the DIY beauty recipes on this site if you experience any redness, irritation, etc.

Hair Mask for Oily Hair
Yield: 1 Mask

Hair Mask for Oily Hair

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Combat oily hair with this easy, three ingredient DIY hair mask for oily hair.

Ingredients

  • 1 small lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small container.
  2. Shake thoroughly, and apply immediately to hair from scalp to ends.
  3. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, and rinse out hair with cool water until clean.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

And there you have it — your three ingredient DIY hair mask for oily hair.

Pair that with the above tips and tricks for thin hair, and you can say goodbye to oily hair forever!

Have you ever tried a DIY hair mask?

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Holly Habeck

Holly is a millennial travel and lifestyle writer based in New York. With ten years of experience in digital publishing and photography starting with her work writing for College Fashionista and Her Campus at Ithaca College, Holly has been featured in publications such as Southern Living and Lonely Planet. She enjoys sharing her travel expertise as well as lifestyle inspiration in categories such as home décor, DIY beauty, and fashion. More importantly though, Holly is a true Hufflepuff, and her Starbucks order forever remains a grande Iced Sweet Cream Cold Brew. When she's not writing or editing photos for this site, you can find her reading anything in the Sarah J. Maas universe or cuddling with her chihuahua x pomeranian pup Pixie.
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