Natural Treatments to Rinse Away Oily Hair.

You've been told by health experts to eat a low-fat diet for lots of reasons, but probably never to solve the problem of oily hair.
"Oily hair is caused by an overly oily scalp," says Mary Beth Janssen, a beauty and wellness consultant and aroma therapist in Chicago. "One common cause of an oily scalp is a high-fat diet."

Just as the bulb of a tulip feeds the flower, so hair is fed through hair bulbs in the scalp. These bulbs are intertwined with sebaceous glands, which produce sebum, or oil. A diet loaded with fried foods and saturated fats from red meat and dairy products can trigger overproduction of sebum, Janssen explains, leading to an oily scalp and oily hair.
"To decrease the oil production from your scalp and reduce the oiliness of your hair, 1 think you should lower the amount of fried food and saturated tat in your diet," says Janssen. Then, once you're treating your oily hair internally, she believes that the best external way to reduce oil is with a natural rinse.

LEMON RINSE: For Shiny, More Manageable Hair
Rinsing after a shampoo closes down the cuticle, or outer layer of the hair shaft, creating shiny, smooth hair that feels thicker and is more manageable and less oily, says Janssen. One of her favorite rinses for reducing the oiliness of hair is what she calls the Lemon Juice Highlighting Rinse. Here are her instructions.

Squeeze the juice from two lemons into 2 cups of distilled water and put the liquid in a plastic bottle with a spout (the kind used to dispense mustard or ketchup). Then, after showering, blot your hair dry with a towel and apply the liquid evenly to your hair and scalp, massaging it through the hair. Leave it on for 5 minutes, then rinse with cool to tepid water.

HORSETAIL: An Herbal Treatment
Using the herb horsetail in a rinse is another effective remedy for oily hair, says Janssen. "Horsetail strengthens the internal bonds in the hair shaft and is excellent for cutting the oil."

First, boil 1 cup of distilled water. Then, put 2 tablespoons of dried herb in a stainless steel or glass pan, pour the water over it, and steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain off the liquid, let it cool, put it in a bottle with a spout, and use as a rinse according to the instructions for the lemon rinse, above.

AROMATHERAPY: Rinse with Essential Oils
Essential oils can help cut the oil in hair, says Barbara Close, an aroma therapist and herbalist in East Hampton, New York. She recommends adding to your rinse three to four drops of rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, cypress, or lemon oil in a base of 1 ounce of borage-seed or evening primrose oil. All of these oils are astringent, which means that they cleanse and tone the sebaceous glands.