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Have you decided to switch to solid shampoo to find healthy and natural hair? However, after trying, the disappointment is there ... Your new cosmetic darling makes your hair greasy! Do you just want to take out your old liquid shampoo and get those shiny hair out of your sight? However, your discouragement often stems from your incomprehension of how your hair reacts when you switch to this new hair routine.

In this article, we will help you understand why your solid shampoo gives you oily hair. Then in a second step, we will see the solutions against the problem of oily hair with the use of your solid shampoo. 

Why does solid shampoo make my hair look greasy?

A recurring problem for many women arises when they decide to switch to solid shampoo: It leaves lfeeling that the hair is greasy. To understand why you have oily hair with solid shampoo, it is important to understand the process that your hair is going through life.

• The sensation of greasy hair is caused by an imbalance of sebum

It is an excessive production of sebum (natural oil produced by the scalp) which gives you oily hair. Basically, it acts as a protective barrier for the scalp and to hydrate the hair. You should know that to get rid of sebum and therefore the greasy effect, liquid shampoos are composed of sulphates which have a stripping effect. They dry out the scalp and disrupt the pH of the scalp.

Since sulphates have always attacked your scalp and your hair, they have surely left traces: the sebum no longer being able to fulfill its role, your body had become accustomed to producing more than necessary. It is therefore sometimes difficult to pass over a hair routine non-stripping and simply washing as with solid shampoos. Indeed, the latter have a much softer washing base. At first, it is therefore normal for your solid shampoo to leave your hair greasy.. Your hair will have to understand and resume the habit of normal regulation.

• A hair transition period to go through to no longer have oily hair with your solid shampoo

The hair will take time to get used to this change. This adaptation time is very important to take into account, because the hair needs to undergo a detoxification of all chemicals before regaining its health. Then she'll need to get used to the new gentler, more natural formulation of solid shampoos. This process is what we call the capillary transition period. This transition causes inconvenience, and among them, we find the problem of oily hair. This transition can sometimes be long, it can range from a few weeks to several months. Patience will therefore be your best weapon. But it's worth it!

IN SUMMARY : At first, your solid shampoo is therefore likely to make your hair greasy. However, if this phenomenon lasts, it is not normal. You need to be vigilant and conduct an analysis to be sure that the problem of oily hair with your solid shampoo does not come from a bad choice of the latter. If using your solid shampoo continues to give you oily hair after more than a month, it probably isn't right for you. It will then have to be changed.

Solutions for the problem of solid shampoo that leaves hair greasy

« I have one solid shampoo problem that leaves my hair oily. What do I have to do?« 

To remedy this, you must first try to space your washes, then respect as much as possible the nature of your hair with suitable products and procedures. This way you will avoid having greasy hair with your solid shampoo. How do we work more precisely?

How to use your solid shampoo to avoid the impression of oily hair?

First of all, here are some tips and tricks to make the best use of your solid shampoo and prevent greasy hair. These actions will allow you to better manage the hair transition to the natural one.

• Apply less shampoo in your next wash to avoid leaving that oily hair feeling. Indeed, the solid shampoo is very concentrated in component and practically does not foam. The mistake is to want to put more than necessary because we have the impression of not having distributed it well over the hair or of not having put enough. Therefore, if you do not rinse sufficiently or well enough, residues can remain on the hair and give the impression that it is greasy. If you want to learn more about good rinsing methods, read this article on how to rinse your solid shampoo well.

• If your solid shampoo is making your hair greasy, use only one shampoo and not 2 or 3 in a row! Apart from attacking your scalp, doing several shampoos in a row is of no interest. The first wash is enough to purify and wash your hair. It is enough to distribute well and to massage your scalp well. Try to leave it on for a few seconds or even a few minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with circular massages. This will help remove all the shampoo residue.

• Brush your hair regularly. If your hair type allows it, brush your hair on wet hair with a boar bristle brush, just after using your shampoo. Indeed, this makes it possible not to leave any solid shampoo residue and thus to prevent your solid shampoo from giving you oily hair.

• Never apply your conditioner or mask to the roots. Indeed, they are too rich and consequently they make the roots oily.

How to choose a solid shampoo to prevent greasy hair

If you have the oily hair with your solid shampoo, here are some tips for choosing it and using the correct components.

• Choose a solid shampoo that matches your hair type. This is because if your hair is oily just after using your solid shampoo, the shampoo you have chosen may not be suitable for your hair. The washing base is surely not suitable, it may contain too much oil or butter. Or the surfactant (which allows washing) does not have a positive effect on your scalp.

•  When your solid shampoo gives you oily hair, avoid attacking it with stripping products as much as possible. Preferably apply a mild shampoo, for normal hair or for oily hair. However, be careful, these are often more aggressive and more stripping. Only use solid shampoos for oily hair if that is your hair type. If your hair does not usually have a tendency to become oily, use shampoos for normal hair.

• To avoid having the impression of oily hair with the use of your natural shampoo, choose washing bases with mild surfactants, such as :
  • Sodium Coco Sulphate
  • Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine
  • Disodium Cocomamphodiacetate
  • Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
  • Coco Glucoside 
  • Decyl Glucoside 
  • Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate 
  • sodium lauryl methyl isethionate
  • Lauryl Glucoside 

• Avoid solid, over-greasy shampoos. They tend to make the hair more oily. It always comes back to the same point: respect the nature of your hair. If you don't usually have oily hair, avoid taking solid shampoos that contain too much vegetable oil (coconut, jojoba, argan, castor, avocado, cocoa, etc.). Avoid those too supplied with vegetable butters (shea, coconut, mango etc.). Due to their naturally oily composition, they can be responsible for your oily hair problem. These shampoos are especially suitable for frizzy, thick, and very dry hair. So pay attention to the composition. Very often, on the product sheets you can see the oil or butter content of the shampoos. Take a low dose of fat. 

• Prefer solid shampoos based on mineral, vegetable or Ayurvedic powders (Neutral henna, Shikakai, nettle, clay etc) if your solid shampoo makes your hair greasy. These powders allow to clean your hair in depth. Some even use it as a pure shampoo, mixed with a little water. These powders are not greasy and will not give your hair an oily appearance.

• Use essential oils to prevent your solid shampoo from leaving your hair greasy. If you tolerate essential oils well, choose a solid shampoo with EO that helps the sebum to regulate well. As a result, your hair will grease less quickly. The essential oils to avoid the problem of oily hair are: Lemon, Cypress, Lavender, Rosemary, Sage, Tea Tree, Scots pine, Bay Saint Thomas.

• Use rhassoul in addition. You can alternate your shampoos with Rhassoul or lavish it as a treatment before your shampoo. This Ayurvedic powder, allows to wash and degrease the hair without attacking it. Rhassoul is a mineral clay: it has the virtues of absorbing impurities and toxins. He fixes them to his material to eliminate them from the scalp. In this way, it helps to regulate the sebum on the scalp. The scalp is therefore detoxified and tends to be less oily. 

A strong shampoo that makes your hair greasy can be quite normal as it is in the midst of hair transition. Correct use of solid shampoo and appropriate actions can reduce this sensation. However, if the phenomenon lasts over time, it will have to be changed and a more suitable shampoo. Tip: Do not hesitate to read the customer reviews on the product sheets. A lot of times you will find comments like “this shampoo does not give me oily hair”. Useful to be sure to make the right choice!