People with oily hair probably like the look right after washing and styling. As the day continues, however, greasy hair starts to look limp and lifeless. By day’s end, people may feel completely frustrated by the flat, dull appearance of their oily hair. Using a shampoo designed for oily hair may be the answer. These special shampoos include ingredients that are meant to stop the cycle that creates oily locks.
Surfactant Detergent
Surfactants are water soluble chemicals that have the ability to clean grease, dirt, oil, and debris from surfaces. Surfactants are also able to keep debris particles suspended away from the material being cleaned, so that it can be rinsed away completely. A common surfactant used in many oily hair shampoos is cocamidopropyl betaine. Cocamidopropyl betaine is a mild surfactant used in many cosmetic products to reduce chances of irritation to skin and mucous membranes. Cocamidopropyl betaine is also specifically known for its antibiotic, anti-static and humectant properties, and is used in oily hair shampoos because of its ability to strip excess oils away from the hair while simultaneously conditioning the strands.
Oils
Surprisingly, most shampoos designed for oily hair also contain one or more oils. These oils can include Jojoba, Coconut Oil, or Tocopheryl Acetate—better known as Vitamin E. To understand why oil is included you have to understand why your hair becomes oily. At the base of each hair follicle is a sebaceous gland which secrets sebum, a type of natural oil substance that protects the scalp and coats the hair shaft. This gland naturally responds to scalp conditions to release enough oil to keep the scalp from being dry; for people with oily hair, your scalp is continually signaling to your sebaceous glands that you need more oil production. Oils in shampoos designed for oily hair add a light coating of oil to your scalp as the detergent removes excess oil from your hair strands. This layer of oil signals to your glands that your scalp is moisturized, signaling that they can stop producing oil. This is what breaks the cycling of excess oil production.
Herbal Extracts
Shampoos designed for oily hair may also include herbal extracts and essential oils like tea tree oil, lemon peel oil, nettle, green tea, rosemary or thyme. These extracts and essential oils are added based on herbal and folk medicine traditions indicating their ability to provide beneficial results to hair. Green tea and rosemary, for example, are both thought to promote hair growth. Tea tree and lemon oils, on the other hand, are thought to act as clarifying agents.
Preservatives
All shampoos include one or more preservative chemicals included to increase shelf life by preventing the development of fungus or bacteria that would cause the shampoo to spoil. Two common preservatives found in oil controlling shampoos are methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone. These are known specifically for their excellent ability to control microbial growth in water-based solutions.
