7 best dry hair shampoos

Dry hair shampoos, also known as dry shampoos, are hair care products designed to refresh and clean the hair without the need for water. They are particularly useful when you don't have the time or access to a traditional water-based shampoo.Here's what you need to know about dry hair shampoos and their relevance to hair care and beauty personal care:

  1. Purpose: Dry hair shampoos are formulated to absorb excess oil, dirt, and odors from the scalp and hair, leaving the hair looking and feeling refreshed and less greasy. They provide a quick solution for extending the time between regular washes.

  2. Formulation: Dry shampoos typically come in the form of a fine powder or aerosol spray. The powder variants are applied directly to the roots and scalp, while the spray variants are sprayed onto the hair and scalp.

  3. Application: To use dry hair shampoo, you apply it to the roots and scalp, focusing on the areas that are greasiest or oilier. After applying, you can massage or comb through your hair to distribute the product evenly.

  4. Absorption: The key ingredient in dry hair shampoos is usually an absorbent substance like rice starch, cornstarch, or talc. This ingredient absorbs excess oil and sebum from the hair and scalp, giving the hair a fresher appearance.

  5. Volume and Texture: Dry shampoos can also add volume and texture to the hair, making it easier to style. They can be particularly helpful for fine or flat hair that needs a lift.

  6. Scent: Many dry shampoos have a pleasant fragrance that can help mask odors and leave your hair smelling fresh.

  7. Hair Types: Dry shampoos are suitable for various hair types, including straight, curly, and textured hair. They are especially beneficial for individuals with oily scalps or those who lead busy lifestyles.

  8. Travel and Convenience: Dry hair shampoos are convenient for travel or situations where you cannot access traditional hair washing facilities. They are also handy for post-workout or on-the-go touch-ups.

  9. Color Variations: Some dry shampoos are available in different color variations to match various hair shades. This can help prevent any visible residue on the scalp or hair.

  10. Styling Aid: In addition to refreshing the hair, dry shampoos can be used as a styling aid to add texture and hold to hairstyles.

  11. Frequency: While dry shampoos can help extend the time between regular hair washes, they are not a replacement for traditional shampooing and should not be overused. Regular washing with water and shampoo is still necessary for maintaining overall hair health.

Dry hair shampoos are a valuable addition to your hair care routine, offering a quick and convenient way to maintain fresh-looking hair between traditional washes. They are versatile products that can help you save time and keep your hair looking its best, even on busy days.

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best dry hair shampoos on the market
  

WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Hair Conditioner Set Increase Gloss, Hydration, Shine, Reduce Itchy Scalp, Dandruff & Frizz, No Parabens or Sulfates, All Hair Types, 2 x 16.9 Fl Oz 500mL

BUYWOW

Based on 51 reviews Check latest price
  • Repair damaged hair WOW shampoo and conditioner set uses virgin coconut and avocado oil to rejuvenate weak, thin, or damaged hair or dry scalp. The formulation of both oils replenish lost nutrition that's vital in keeping strong, smooth hair.
  • Clarifying, healthy hair Detoxify your hair and dry scalp to clear the buildups caused by dirt, filth, and style products. Apple cider vinegar removes filth that damages hair. Rich in vital protection to support healthier hair growth for men and women.
  • Maximize hair strength Improve your hair cleansing routine by using both to get the best long-lasting results. Enriched with essential keratin proteins, vitamins B5 & E, and saw palmetto extract to help moisturize, soften & strengthen hair strands.
  • Slow down hair loss Saw palmetto helps slow down hair fall and male pattern baldness, reducing the amount of hair strands falling during a shower. With a little patience, your hair will have more volume and will feel softer, thicker and natural.
  • Natural ingredients Clarifying shampoo & hydrating conditioner set is hypoallergenic, leaving hair moisturized & soft. Less prone to breakage, split ends, and thinning hair by absorbing essential nutrients and vitamins.

Product features

Oily Hair

When buildup accumulates on your scalp, the hair follicles get clogged. Hair follicles are what connects your hair to your scalp. In healthy hair, groups of cells attach to the sebaceous gland and muscle fibers. This causes your hair to grow slightly away from your scalp, which is what gives it its fullness and volume that everyone craves. Get the most bounce for your buck after every application.

Color Damaged Hair

Whether you've done heat styling, coloring, perming, anytime your hair goes through a styling procedure, it gets weakened. For example, the hydrogen bonds between keratin molecules are temporarily broken when straightening your hair. Each time, the keratin molecules get weaker and more damaged.

Keratin makes your hair, while melanin keeps the color vibrant and lively. Getting enough nutrients for both is what boosts healthy hair growth and maintains the natural hair color looking young and fresh.

Hair Loss

Apple cider vinegar is packed with highly rich nutrients that are known to keep hair strong, healthy, and beautiful. Vitamins include: B1, B2, B3, B6, C, calcium, iron, and magnesium. The main nutrient neutralizes free radicals, which damage the cells, DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. The damages include: speeding up the greying process, causing weaker, thin hair - eventually leading to hair loss.

Dry Hair

The hair and sebum (scalp oil) are naturally between 4.5 and 5.5 pH levels to keep the hair and scalp healthy. When your scalp and hair become too alkali (weak), the natural sebum that fights dirt on your scalp is stripped away. This enables your hair to become dry, leaving it coarse and difficult to manage. You'll need a hydrating conditioner to return the balance of your natural oils and avoid dry hair in the future.

Clarifying

Scalp buildup is not uncommon, especially for those who use styling products. In severe cases, the buildup will fully clog a hair cuticle and cause the hair to eventually fall off. Give WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo & Conditioner to help treat dull, limp, thinning hair.

The fibers in apple cider vinegar will effectively get rid of sticky residue and product buildup in your hair. By dissolving root buildup without stripping your hair's natural oils, it closes the cuticles of your hair. This is what makes the shine in your hair extra vibrant and glossy. Now, you're getting a natural, healthy shine - nothing unnatural.

Dandruff Control

Research suggests one in five people are affected by dandruff. Dandruff is able to be helped and prevented. The problem lies when your scalp produces too much oil and it begins to build up, which then causes dandruff, followed by severe itching and flakes.

Apple cider vinegar contains powerful qualities that are perfect to fight against dandruff and flakey scalps. Use Apple Cider Vinegar regularly to protect your scalp and avoid embarrassing dandruff from falling onto your shoulders.

Frizz Taming

Frizzy, tangled hair is a nightmare for many of us. Apple cider vinegar provides just what you need to finally be able to do something about it. When the pH levels of your scalp is finally balanced and the cuticles are closed, the hair becomes a lot easier to untangle and manage. We know how especially difficult it is for those with curly hair trying to untangle their hair without any pull.

Apple cider vinegar will also lower the hair's pH level so that it's able to combat dry frizziness that leaves hair prone to breakage and hair fall. Make life easier on yourself and don't go through the everyday struggle of tangled hair.

Repair

When hair cuticles are exposed to soapy, alkaline solutions, it causes them to swell up and become rough - an underlying cause of mineral buildup. When calcium and magnesium build up in your hair, they dissolve and crystalize on your hair, causing a scaly film that then clogs your hair cuticles and prevents moisture from entering your hair, making it very brittle.

Get rid of the leftover sticky residue and product buildup with apple cider vinegar, which is a natural cleanser that gently removes buildup from your scalp without removing its natural oils. Two natural nutrients work together to thoroughly break down the buildup. All the residue is gone once it's washed off.

WOW Skin Science

From the water sourced in Himalayan springs, to the premium natural ingredients and outstanding formulations and laboratory testing, right down to our sustainability. We share your passion for quality, nature and health, which is bottled into every WOW product.

Living Proof Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo

Living proof

Based on 6 reviews Check latest price

Product features

PhD Dry Shampoo

Powered by our Triple-Action Cleaning Technology to address how hair looks, feels and smells. Fast-absorbing powders soak up oil and sweat while our patented Healthy Hair Molecule helps you remove the powders easily from hair, resulting in actually clean hair. Odor neutralizers and time released fragrance keep hair smelling clean.

The result: your hair will look, feel and smell clean.

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo (Original Scent), 3.5 oz

Drybar

Based on 3 reviews Check latest price
  • No wash, no worries! Drybar's Detox Dry Shampoo is a super-absorbent formula that eliminates oils and impurities, leaving hair looking and feeling clean and refreshed with extra volume and a matte finish.
  • THE GOOD STUFF: Micro-fine Rice Powders absorb excess oils and odors. As they absorb, they become translucent to naturally blend with all hair colors and expand to provide lift in the roots. Golden Root Extract increases moisture to prevent dryness and breakage. Original fragrance with notes of jasmine, sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla.
  • HOW TO USE: Shake extremely well. Spray into roots 4-6" (10-15cm) away from the scalp. Allow to dry, gently rub in and brush through.
  • No parabens, sulfates, or phthalates; Cruelty-free, no animal testing
  • Created for the perfect blowout. Our philosophy is simple: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. For us that's blowouts! We created a full line of hair products and tools to achieve and maintain the perfect blowout.

User questions & answers

Question: Is this the lush scent or original? The description says original and the photo shows lush
Answer: The formula is soft and is not crunchy/hard like a hairspray. We formulate our dry shampoos with rice starch which has a softer feel compared to other starches like aluminum starch and corn starch.
Question: Can you describe the smell of this dry shampoo
Answer: It's for all hair colors! Just make sure to shake well before use. Section off your hair, hold the can 6-10 inches away and spray onto roots. Wait 30 seconds and brush or massage through with your fingertips.
Question: Why is this $35 here when it is only $23 at drybar? and yes they also ship if you are not near a store
Answer: I have no idea. My guess is that it is gluten free though.
Question: why is it $35 on Amazon and only $23 on dry bar's website for exact same product and size and no shipping cost
Answer: Aluminum is not listed in the ingredients.

Product features

DETOX CLASSIC

  • Micro-fine Rice Powders absorb excess oils and odors
  • Golden Root Extract increases moisture to prevent dryness and breakage

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

Amika

Based on 4 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Absorbs excess oil, buildup and odor without talc or aluminum, adds volume and cools scalp.



Free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, mineral oil, sodium chloride, petrolatum and artificial colors.



Vegan and cruelty-free.



INGREDIENTS: Butane, Propane, Alcohol Denat. (SD ALCOHOL 40-B), Oryza Sativa (Rice/Riz) Starch, Fragrance/Parfum, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cyclopentasiloxane, Water/Eau/Aqua, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn/Argousier) Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellol.

Brand Story

hey there, we’re amika. a friend to hair, hairstylists, to her, him, you & them.

Product features

perk up

The closest thing to washing your hair without water – a talc-free, true dry cleanser that absorbs oil and refreshes hair with natural rice starch. Leaves no white residue, ever.

benefits

  • Rice Starch – a light powder that absorbs dirt and oil and adds volume and texture to hair.
  • Naturally cleans and deodorizes hair.
  • Adds volume.
  • Cools and refreshes scalp.

our products

amika products are like a good friend – straightforward, dependable, and fun to spend time with.

We are kind-of obsessed with this 'super-fruit' Sea Buckthorn Berry (also known as Obliphica), so we include it in every haircare and styling product. Sea Buckthorn contains over 190 biologically active compounds, including Vitamin C (15 times more than an orange), Vitamin A (three times more than a carrot), and Vitamin E.

It also has high concentrations of the rare Omega-7, making up 40% of the berry. Typically only found in fish oil, Omega-7 keeps free radicals at bay and promotes the production of collagen, a key building block for skin, hair and nails.

amika (For)tress Shower Cap

Protect against wet with this one-size-fits-all style-extending must-have.

amika Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray

For instant volume and perfectly-imperfect texture, this spray is sexy-in-a-bottle.

amika Silken Up Dry Conditioner

Soften and smooth hair between washes with this weightless, anti-static dry spray.

our story

amika was founded by industry outsiders in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2007 and is the antithesis of a typical beauty brand.

Instead of purveying unattainable perfection we believe in an idiosyncratic and totally individual version of beauty. The result is a culture of inclusion and positivity, all while delivering puddles of fun and a sunny disposition from looking at our packaging.

SexyHair Big Dry Shampoo

18 months - 8 years

Based on 1 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo helps absorb excess oil, impurities and product build-up, leaving hair looking fresh. Just spray onto your hair and root area, leave on for 2 minutes, and brush out the excess product. Dry shampoo spray instantly refreshes your hair and roots while adding volume and body. Dry shampoo is great for travel, and this aerosol dry shampoo is a convenient, mess-free spray formula. You may have second day hair, but without the second day hair look, once Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo leaves your hair looking fresh and ready to style, with volume and body, instead of flat and oily. Boost volume and thickness with the full Big Sexy line of hair care products like Total Body Blow Dry Bodyfying Lotion, Root Pump Volumizing Spray Mousse, and our Volumizing Shampoo, Dry Shampoo, and Conditioner. SEXYHAIR is loved by professionals and best known for our big red can of hairspray. We are a Leading Professional Hairspray Brand. We also have a full line of both styling & hair care products to suit the need of most hair types.

Brand Story

Sexy Hair was created in Los Angeles, CA in 1998 and is now a global brand in over 60 countries. Although best known for its big red can of hairspray, Sexy Hair has a full line of care and styling products for every hair type.

Product features

Sexy Hair Big Dry Shampoo

Helps remove oils and impurities.

Instantly refreshes while providing added volume.

SHAKE WELL. Hold 8" away and spray onto hair and scalp, focus on roots. Leave on 2 min and brush out excess.

Dry Shampoo Volume Powder. Natural and Organic Ingredients. For Blonde and Dark Hair. Lavender Oil Scented.

Hair Dance

Based on 5 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Absorbs excess of oil from hair instantly changing the look from dirty to clean. The color of the powder itself can be described as creamy white, light beige, or oatmeal color. It becomes translucent while absorbing oil. Excess of product can be brushed out. The product is beneficial to both: appearance and the health of the hair. Washing hair too often can damage hair and dry it out. But if you do not wash it enough you end up with oily hair. Silky Touch fixes it in seconds! If you have never used dry shampoo powder before it can take several time experimenting with the product to learn how to use it correctly. Very small amount of the product needed to achieve the goal. Fine, thin hair will need less of the product while thicker hair may need more. Hair that just started to get oily will need less of the product, but if you wait longer you will need a little more.

"The bottle may seem small, but I need such a small amount that I can't even predict how long this will last for me. (I ordered my first bottle many months ago and it's hardly made a dent...I assume I'll get 6+ months out of this. It's already lasted longer than some spray formulas.)"

One of ingredients is Silica. It is a mineral, and a major component of sand, rocks, bentonite and other clay. Our product contains significantly less silica than substances mentioned above. It is being used in food, mineral make-up and other cosmetics, toothpaste, clay products and more.

  • Customers note that the bottle is small but lasts months. All Natural, Vegan, Cruelty-Free. Made in USA. NO talc, parabens, baking soda, or phtalates. Non aerosol. Regulate the amount of powder coming out by partially twisting the cap open.
  • Perfect for refreshing your hair during busy mornings when you don't have time to wash your hair. Also great to use after any work-outs, during camping, and while traveling. Absorbs excess oil and adds instant volume to any hair style. Choose Lavender or Grapefruit Scent
  • It takes some practice to learn how to apply properly. Suitable for ALL hair colors: blondes, brunettes, redheads, light brown, and dark hair.
  • To ensure the best results: Starting with the smallest amount, lightly tap on the bottle to disperse powder onto the hair roots and then gently rub in. Use a clean make up brush or fingers. If needed, let it sit for several minutes and gently rub it in again.
  • Convenient to use and can be thrown in your purse for on-the-go application. Volumizing without harmful chemicals.

User questions & answers

Question: Is this a liquid spray or powder
Answer: Batiste Dry Shampoo can be used on extensions or weaves. Make sure you only spray onto your roots and gently massage into the root area. We don’t recommend that you try and brush out the excess as it could damage the weaves or extensions.
Question: Approximately how many applications do you get out of the 1 oz bottle
Answer: I only received 3 cans.
Question: What does it smell like
Answer: the first few are - isobutane propane sd alcholol 40-b aluminun starch
Question: I have insanely oily hair, even after one day after I’ve washed it, would it work on mine? Also is it messy
Answer: I have almost black hair and anytime I used it I haven't seen any white residue like other dry shampoos leave

Redken All Soft Shampoo | for Dry/Brittle Hair | Provides Intense Softness and Shine | with Argan Oil

Redken

Based on 6 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Redken All Soft Shampoo is enriched with nourishing ingredients such as Argan Oil to soften and moisturize hair from root to tip. The moisturizing formula features soy protein to add texturizing structure and root lift, arginine to help maintain hair health at the core, and sepicap to help restore the look of the ends. This shampoo leaves hair silky soft with increased manageability, suppleness and shine. This professional product provides 15x more conditioning when used with All Soft Conditioner and Argan-6 oil.

Brand Story

Redken 5th Avenue NYC is a professional haircare and haircolor company dedicated to providing science backed products, inspiring education and unparalleled creativity for consumers and stylists alike.

Product features

Moisturize Dry Hair and Restore Shine With Argan Oil-Enriched Formulas

Hair feeling dry, dull and brittle? Restore moisture and shine to dry hair with Redken's All Soft Haircare system. Redken All Soft features Argan Oil-enriched formulas to deliver softness and maintain the hair's essential moisture balance. All Soft's nourishing formulas feature a targeted delivery system to care for the hair at every level, with soy protein to add structure at the root, arginine to provide conditioning at the core, and sepicap to restore healthy, strong ends.

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