When choosing a shampoo, prioritize one that helps bring an oily scalp back into balance. Seek ingredients like salicylic acid, apple cider vinegar, rosemary oil, lavender oil, and peppermint. These are great for cleansing and rubbing off sebum buildup, says Dr. Sarbaziha.
Use a clarifying shampoo: Clarifying shampoos are designed to deep-clean your hair and scalp, removing buildup and impurities. Look for a clarifying shampoo that contains salicylic acid, which helps to break down sebum plugs.
At-Home Remedies to Help Manage Scalp Sebum
For those who prefer natural remedies, try rinsing with apple cider vinegar (diluted with water), applying aloe vera, or using tea tree oil to reduce sebum. These remedies can gently clarify and soothe the scalp without stripping essential oils.
This old-fashioned home remedy relies on vinegar's properties as an astringent, which constricts or closes oil glands. Mix in 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) of vinegar with 1 cup water and massage the mixture into your scalp, removing oils and dirt. Never use straight vinegar, as the acidity can damage your skin.
Exfoliating your scalp can also help remove buildup and promote healthier hair. Scalp massage is a simple and effective way to encourage circulation and loosen buildup. Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar can also help remove buildup and restore your scalp's pH balance.
Not only does your scalp have a plethora of sweat glands, but it also has an abundance of sebaceous (oil) glands, which produce oily sebum. Have you ever scratched your scalp and noticed white, waxy buildup under your nails? That's sebum mixed with dead skin cells.
In order to create this natural scalp scrub, simply mix 2 parts sugar and 1 part honey together in a bowl. Apply to your hair and leave on for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Make sure to rinse thoroughly as you wouldn't want to leave any sugar residue behind!
ACV is a soother, which means it can actually help prevent dirt from growing and accumulating on the scalp. It can also reduce sensitivity, balance your hair's pH levels and exfoliate your scalp, freeing it of any itchy product buildup and dead skin.
White piedra is a superficial fungal infection of the hair. Several species of fungus that live in soil or dirty water can cause it. Piedra is the Spanish word for stone. White piedra appears as white or light brown depositions that loosely attach to the tip of a hair shaft and may group to form clusters.
Regular use of a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) exfoliant for sebaceous filaments can really help, because BHA is oil-soluble and can dissolve sebum and other substances crowding the pore lining. Use of a well-formulated clay face mask for sebaceous filaments might also help due to the clay's oil-absorbing properties.
Scalp detoxing is achieved through chemical exfoliation (AHAs or enzymes) or manual exfoliation via brushing, scrubbing, and physical exfoliators like salt.
Causes of Excess Sebum on the Scalp
Hypothyroidism: Low thyroid function can cause significant increases in testosterone, the hormone that directly influences sebum production. Metabolic disorders: Unhealthy fats (namely saturated or trans fats) can affect your metabolism and trigger an increase in sebum production.
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Both Rubin and Shirazi recommend using a clarifying shampoo to tackle buildup. There are many kinds of formulations, with certain ingredients being better for curly or damaged hair. No matter which one you select, Shirazi says to use clarifying shampoo on wet hair focusing on the scalp.
Try an apple cider rinse or shampoo once a week to help get rid of buildup and oily scalp, and reset your scalp's pH level. Sulfate-free clarifying shampoo with apple cider vinegar that soothes scalp and removes buildup.
1 Consider taking a vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplement, which can help combat greasy hair by regulating sebum production. Luckily, vitamin B is found in a lot of foods including beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables.
For better absorption, a steam or warm towel treatment can give amazing results. Either give your hair steam or wrap a wet and warm towel around your head to allow the hair oil to do its work.
Additionally, a diluted ACV solution can help to remove residual product build-up, as well as excess dirt and sebum.
Chemical exfoliants.
Shampoos labeled for relief of dandruff and itchy scalp usually contain ingredients that dissolve dead skin cells. Salicylic acid, coal or wood tar, zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, and ketoconazole are all approved for over-the-counter use on your scalp.