For many adults, the idea of having oily skin into adulthood is like a horror movie come to life. The vast majority of adults believe that oily skin is a teenage problem, not something they would have to worry about as adults. But more and more grown ups have to deal with oily skin over their entire bodies as an adult.

And one of the places where oily skin can cause the most problems is in the hardest place to clean: the scalp. We think that by simply showering and using a good shampoo that we clean our scalp adequately. And for most people, this is true. But others need a little bit more when it comes to taking care of an oily scalp and the dandruff that often comes with it. Let’s take a look at the best way to deal with this problem.

The first step is picking out the right shampoo for you. There are many different shampoos on the market that are developed solely for dandruff and oily scalp conditions. The catch is that you might have to try two or three or even more to find the one that works best for you.

Don’t automatically assume that the stronger the shampoo or the stronger the active ingredient, the better it will work. If your case of oily scalp isn’t that severe, you might overdo things and actually make your condition worse. You need to not only find the right ingredient to treat your scalp, but also the right strength. A good tip is to buy the smallest bottles of shampoo you can at first until you find one that works for you.

Another problem you might have is that one brand with one active ingredient might work for a time, and then stop working for no apparent reason. This can be because your body has built up immunity to that ingredient and so you will need to try another.

There are a handful of shampoos you can try if you find that you’ve developed immunity to the ones that have worked for you in the past. You might have to go to a specialty store to find them, however. They are shampoos that contain either pine tar or olive oil.

These ingredients are rare but they can do wonders for your oily scalp and dandruff. Be aware, however, that some people have a reaction to pine tar shampoos and that if you have experienced sensitive skin on your scalp, you might want to stick to the olive oil ones, instead.

If shampoos don’t seem to be curing your oily scalp, there are alternatives. You can apply a soak to your scalp about a half hour before you shower and shampoo. A popular formula is to use 80 percent water and 20 percent vinegar. Apply this solution to your hair and let it stay in your hair for 20-30 minutes and then try shampooing. Be warned that if someone approaches you with oil, they could be trying to make salad dressing.

One common cause for oily scalp is the variety of hair products they use. If you are loading up your hair with gel, wax, hair spray and God knows what else, try cutting all of that out of your routine for 30 days and seeing what a difference it makes. It may turn out you don’t need any new expensive shampoos after all!

Curing oily scalp can be tough since what works as a cure for one person might not work for another. Just remember to stay focused and don’t commit too much money towards one cure. With patience and the right amount of vinegar, you can cure your oily scalp for good.