baby powder for oily hair?

[CheekAllison]

I have always had oily hair. Even when I was little my hair would turn into a grease pot after only a few days. I can remember my grandmother putting baby powder into my hair to remedy it for a little while. Does this really work? I never really cared too see the end result when I was five. And if it works, would it work on adult/teenaged hair?

[mzBANGBANG]

This doesn't usually work for me. I tried it the other day and ended up doing more work just washing it out, lol! But the oil in my hair was oil I had applied, so it was a little bit more slick than usual. I kind of think it would look good if only about an inch of my roots were damp. When I tried WO, I frequently rinsed my hair with vinegar, and avoided products like hair spray and gel. This seemed to keep the oil at bay.

I'm considering trying some bronze powder on my hair because baby powder tends to make the color look dull.

[CheekAllison]

I haven't tried vinegar washes yet, but I do stay away from hairspray and stuff. I might try vinegar the next time I get paid.

[Laylah]

It works great for me! I don't get oily hair often as my scalp is naturally dry, but sometimes in the summer with the humidity I start to get greasy roots. My hair is black so I have to be careful with it, but as long as I only add a small amount at a time, it doesn't show. This is what I do:
- start with a pea sized amount of baby powder and rub it between hands especially fingers
- rub it onto the roots of the hair, avoiding the scalp, until it disappears
- repeat until the roots are ungreased to your satisfaction
- comb or brush out the powder

If you have light hair you don't need to be so cautious with the amount.

[cuties]

You can mix the baby powder with cocoa powder if you have dark hair. It works but somehow both baby powder and cocoa powder make my scalp itch :(

[Miss Catrina]

I've never found it very effective. In fact, for me, it usually feels worse.

[white.chocolate]

I've tried this a long time ago, and the result was just ughhh... Oil + powder? It looks so weird, and it feels even weirder. For the sake of curiosity, I think that you should give it a try. :)

[Tota]

I have oily hair so I always have baby powder somewhere near me just in case. I apply it to my roots with a clean powder/blush brush. But if I can choose I really prefer dry shampoo.

ETA: Yes, it works, but not for long and if you use it often it can cause build-up.

[catamonica]

I have used baby powder, Its good for oily & dirty hair. Just use a little.

[JellyBene]

This worked great for me when i had lighter hair (and can still work in a pinch) but with my dark hair I prefer cocoa powder as it shows less on me

[Phexlyn]

I only do this in an absolute emergency case as my scalp is not very happy about it, but I use a little bit of flour on the roots. Be careful with that if you have dark hair though, it may leave a greyish tint (which isn't that noticeable on light hair) and brush it out thoroughly. I do this only for getting a bit of oil out of the roots and then put my hair up which looks presentable but not fantastic. As I said, it's for emergency cases when you absolutely don't have the time to wash your hair.

[OilPaint]

It works great for me. :)
When I first tried it I had no clue what I was doing and it was a mess; but if my hair is completely combed out I can just sprinkle a bit of powder on my scalp and in the greasy bits and let it soak up the grease. The main thing is making sure that you dispense it evenly and you get it all combed out. If you don't get it combed out it looks like you've got some bad dandruff.

[afu]

it used to work well for me, just like dry shampoo but without the spray can. I havn't ever tried it on hair which has been oiled on purpose, only natural grease

[ariesfairies]

When I tried it I didn't think the results were good for me.. it gave a unpleasant tint to my hair and didn't feel good either! :(

My next options are to try regular talcum, and pure cocoa powder - moreso the cocoa powder since I know it would suit my dark hair. But hey, if you don't know, try it, you never know about your grandmas advice - especially since she'd have some of your genes so it may work out different to you :P

[dollyfish]

Baby powder absorbs oil, so it will degrease hair. It's just WHITE, so I never use it on my (dark) hair.

For anyone with dark hair: buy a dark, cheap bronzer or some other kind of loose scalp-friendly cosmetic powder. Just as good at absorbing as baby powder, with the proper color tint!

That being said, I prefer dry shampoo that's designed for the purpose. It just tends to work better because it's been tested and formulated to degrease hair in a natural-looking way.