Best Conditioner for Greasy Hair

Best Conditioner for Greasy Hair

The best conditioner for greasy hair is a light one: it softens your lengths, rinses out clean and doesn't leave anything heavy sitting at the roots. This collection brings together lightweight conditioners for hair that gets oily fast, so you can compare textures and pick one that suits your wash routine.

Oily hair still needs conditioner

Oil starts at the scalp and rarely makes it all the way down, especially on longer hair. That's why so many people have greasy roots and dry, tangly ends at the same time. Skipping conditioner won't stop your roots getting oily. It just leaves your ends rough, knotty and harder to brush. The fix is the right formula in the right place, not none at all.

What to look for

  • A light texture. Thinner, more fluid conditioners rinse out faster than thick creams and leave less behind.
  • The right words on the label. Volumising, lightweight and balancing formulas are usually made with fine or oily hair in mind.
  • Not too many rich oils or butters. They suit very dry hair, but they're too much for a scalp that already makes plenty of its own oil.
  • A clean rinse. If your hair still feels coated after rinsing, the formula is too heavy for you.

Match it to your hair

Fine hair shows oil first and goes flat quickly. Stick to the lightest formula you can find and use less than you think you need. If your hair is fine and curly, a conditioner for thin curly hair is the better place to look, since curls need more slip than straight hair.

Oily roots with dry or damaged ends is a very common mix. Use a light conditioner through the lengths, or keep a richer conditioner for dry damaged hair for the bottom few centimetres only.

Thick or coarse hair that gets oily at the roots can usually handle a medium-weight conditioner, as long as it stays below ear level.

Pair it with the right shampoo

Conditioner can't fix an oily scalp on its own. Shampoo does the cleaning, so start there. Pick a shampoo for greasy hair to wash the scalp, and add a clarifying shampoo once a week if styling products build up. If you'd rather not match them yourself, the best shampoo and conditioner for oily hair puts matching pairs side by side.

How to use it

The best conditioner for oily hair still won't behave if it goes on the scalp. Squeeze the water out first, apply from mid-lengths to ends, comb it through and leave it for a minute or two. Rinse until your hair stops feeling slippery. Anything left behind sits on the hair and shows up as flat, oily-looking roots by the next day.

When you can skip it

Short hair that's oily from root to tip may not need conditioner every wash. Try every second wash and see how it feels. And if your hair goes flat by lunchtime even with a light conditioner, look at what else you're using. A leave-in, serum or hair oil on top is often the real cause.

Compare the range

Want to see every texture and brand in one place? Browse all conditioner at AMR, or shop oily hair products for shampoos, scalp care and styling picked for oily hair.

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Your Questions Answered

Yes, it can, especially on fine or oily hair or when you use too much. A leave-in stays on the hair, so anything heavy sits there until your next wash. Use a pea-sized amount on damp ends only and keep it well away from the roots. If your hair still goes flat, try a lighter spray from our leave-in conditioner range, or skip it on days you don't need it.

A lightweight, clear-rinsing conditioner that you keep on the lengths and ends. Texture matters more than brand when you're choosing the best conditioner for greasy hair. Look for volumising, lightweight or balancing on the label, and go easy on rich oils and butters. For fine hair that goes flat fast, volumising conditioner is a good place to start. Dry ends can take a richer formula on the bottom half only.

Apply it from the middle of your hair down to the ends, never at the roots. Squeeze out the excess water first, use about a 20-cent piece amount (more for long hair), comb it through and leave it for a minute or two. Rinse until your hair stops feeling slippery. If roots still feel heavy, a clarifying shampoo once a week clears out build-up.