Hair Care Routine for an Oily Scalp and Dry Ends

Today I wanted to share my hair care routine. I have fine combination hair (oily scalp and dry ends). For as long as I can remember, I have always been extremely frustrated with my hair and the products I was using at that time.

I would use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner one day and wake up the following morning with smooth ends, but also an extremely oily scalp.

Then next time I would use a clarifying and invigorating shampoo, and the following morning I would wake up with a great-looking scalp, but also extremely dry ends.

I remember thinking to myself if I was the only one that had this type of hair and how frustrated I was in trying to care of it, so I decided to research if anyone else has this issue and what their solutions are. After some extensive research, I found out that I wasn’t the only one that had this issue and that there are many ways to care for an oily scalp and dry ends properly.

Here are the steps for how I care for my hair each week:

Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Single Day

I know that you’ve probably heard this just about everywhere, but here it is again: do not wash your hair every single day. Not washing your hair every day is very critical for healthy hair. If you continuously strip your hair of its natural oils it will start to lose its shine, become dry, or if you have combination hair like myself, your scalp will produce even more oil, and your ends will become extra dry, which is not a cute look for anyone!

​Wash Your Roots More Than Your Ends

With a combination hair type, you don’t have to wash your hair from root to end each time for it to look clean and refreshed. I usually wash my hair every three to four days, and I will most of the time wash my roots with a balancing shampoo and use a conditioner or hair mask on my ends.

One of my favorite shampoos is the Giovanni Balancing Shampoo – this product great because it is gentle enough on your scalp without stripping it of all of its oils, but it also leaves your hair perfectly pH balanced and clean. This product is a new find for me, and I have to say that I’m impressed with this product especially since it contains mostly natural ingredients, and it does not contain any harsh sulfates such as lauryl and laureth that dry out your hair. This product is also safe for color treated hair, which is another great plus!

On to my next favorite shampoo, this next shampoo is also a balancing shampoo. It is the Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal and Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo. The charcoal in this product detoxifies and exfoliates the scalp while the coconut oil soothes and brings moisture to the scalp. This product is very gentle, and it almost doesn’t even lather when you rub it into your roots which is a sign of natural and gentle shampoo. While I do enjoy this product, I can only use it about once a week because the coconut oil in this is too much for my fine hair and it will weigh it down if I wash my hair with it more than once a week. Regardless, I love how shiny and healthy my hair looks after I wash it; it’s worth trying! 

Condition Well

It is essential to keep the ends as hydrated as possible with combination hair. Not only is the appearance of dry, brittle ends unappealing, it is also not good for the overall health of your hair. When you have extremely dry ends your hair is a lot of the time bound to become tangled throughout the day, and have more breakage as well as split ends.

To combat dry and brittle ends, I usually use a hair mask on my ends instead of a conditioner. You can certainly use a moisturizing conditioner on your ends if you feel like a mask might be too much on your hair. I would suggest leaving the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes in the shower so it can have more time to soak into your hair before washing it out. Personally, I prefer a hair mask for my hair.

I use two different hair masks which are the Briogeo Rosarco Hair Mask, and the Macadamia Professional Nourishing Moisture Masque. The Rosarco mask is a lightweight mask that I mostly use in the spring and summer months, and I usually use the Macadamia mask throughout the fall and winter months; I find that this mask helps my extremely dry ends in the winter months, but is a little too heavy for me in the spring/summer months.

Brush Your Hair From End To Root First

Thorough brushing like this might seem backward for some, but it’s the best way to brush your hair especially if you have hair that gets easily tangled. It is essential to brush your ends first to get any tangles out without the risk of pulling out an entire hair follicle or causing any further breakage as you move your brush down your hair. The brush that I use after getting out of the shower and on the daily is the Wet Brush. This brush is mostly meant for wet hair, but I enjoy using it regularly because the bristles of the brush are very gentle on my fine hair

Scalp Time

After detangling, I brush my hair from root to end to distribute the natural oils from my scalp throughout my hair. Now you might be thinking that this sounds like an oily hair disaster, but the natural oils from your scalp will not weigh your hair down, and these oils will actually strength your hair.

Again, currently I use my Wet Brush to brush wet and dry hair, but there are a few brushes out there that were designed specifically for the scalp. One brush in particular that there’s been a lot of hype about it is the Mason Pearson Nylon and Boar Bristles Brush. Benefits of boar bristles include: they are extra gentle on hair, they exfoliate the scalp and stimulate the hair follicles which in turn encourages hair growth! How awesome is that?! The only downfall of this brush is the high price. It’s an investment, and a majority of people think that this brush is worth it because it has lasted them for years! If you’re not ready for such an investment and want to try out an affordable brush with boar bristles here are a couple of more affordable options: Wigo Cushion 100% Boar Bristle Brush and the 1907 by FROMM Glosser Paddle brush. 

Dry Shampoo is Your Friend, But Don’t Overdo It

I usually can go about three to four days without washing my hair, but I’m only able to do this with a little dry shampoo help. Although I do think dry shampoo does help with my oily roots, I don’t overuse it. I only use it 1 to 2 days out of three to four days that I go without washing my hair. The reason I do this is that dry shampoo can quickly clog your hair follicles and also dry up the natural oils in your scalp. You’re probably wondering, “well isn’t this the whole point of dry shampoo?” While yes this is its ultimate purpose it is still important to not use it every day because clogged hair follicles and a very dry scalp can decrease hair growth.

Now that we have that covered, I wanted to share the dry shampoo I use which is the Batiste Hint of Color Dry Shampoo in Brilliant Blonde. What I love the most about this product is the color of the dry shampoo closely matches my dirty blonde hair. It blends in seamlessly with leaving a white cast. This product also comes in a brunette and dark shade for those of you with darker hair colors. Also, this product works! My hair always feels so refreshed after spraying this on my roots in the morning, and it even adds a little volume to my fine hair, which is a big plus in my book as I always have such flat hair! 

Silky Beauty Sleep

About a year ago I was reading a blog post from one of my favorite bloggers on how a silk pillowcase has changed her hair completely. I was intrigued by this and decided to research more about silk pillowcases, and I found that silk fibers are great for your hair because they are less absorbent than many other fibers, such as cotton, which can draw out the moisture from your hair and face.

 Silk pillows cases are also anti-aging and very gentle not only on hair but also your skin; no more bedhead and face creases when you wake up in the morning! After reading all of these claims, I immediately bought a silk pillowcase. I was still skeptical about all the fantastic claims of this product, but to be honest, I noticed a big difference in my hair and skin after one night of sleeping on it. For the first time in a while, I did not wake up with bedhead and face creases. My silk pillowcase has been one of my favorite and useful finds for both my hair and skin in a while.

Get a Trim More Frequently

I know this is simple, but it wasn’t for me a few years back when I was trying so hard to hold on to my long hair that wasn’t growing because my ends were so dry and damaged. It took me a while to see my hairdresser and get an inch off my hair, but when I finally did my hair looked so refreshed and healthy.

Now, I usually get a trim every two months or so, and my hair is in a much healthier state than it ever was before. Please note that cutting your hair will not make your hair grow faster since hair growth starts at the hair follicles, but trimming will keep your hair healthy as it grows. I think trimming is vital for combination hair types because it not only keeps your hair healthy, but it also makes you look more presentable since dry and brittle ends are usually very noticeable. 

Please comment below with any suggestions for keeping combination hair healthy. I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions!