from citizens of From rubbing clay powder into their hair in ancient civilizations to the first commercially available dry shampoo hitting the market in the 1940s, people have spent their entire lives bridging the gap between dirty hair and busy lifestyles. I well remember my mother using baby powder in the 1980s, as well as my first purchase of dry shampoo from the drugstore in the early 2000s. It went on like spray paint and probably contained enough chemicals to poison a small animal, but it allowed me to skip a few days of my arduous washing, drying, and drying. fix routineThis break was good for my mental state as well as my hair.
By 2022, commercially produced dry shampoo received its first major black eye when companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever voluntarily recalled their dry shampoos. Potentially elevated levels of benzeneFamiliar drugstore brands like Dove, Nexus, and Suave were suddenly seen as posing a cancer risk, which raised the question with dry shampoos in general: What's really in this stuff?
Thankfully, since the recalls, most companies have begun testing their products for benzene and other harmful chemicals. Third-party testing is hard to obtain, but non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) is independently funded and is a Skin Deep Database Tool For consumers to understand what harmful ingredients may be hiding in their cosmetics and personal care products. We've included their data on specific dry shampoos in this guide. However, if you're looking for completely chemical-free ways to enhance your style, check out the dry shampoo options box below.
For more advice on buying hairstyles, check out our guides best hair straightener, Best Curling Iron, best hair dryerAnd Best diffuser for curly hair,
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I have been using dry shampoo for over 20 years. For this guide I tested more than 25 popular, widely available formulas multiple times on my thick, long, heat-straightened black hair over the course of about four months. I use them just like I would any dry shampoo during my everyday life – after workouts, during busy work weeks, on trips. I also sought out the opinions of friends and family with different hair types and textures when I needed a second or third opinion. I focused on effectiveness (did my hair still look clean at the end of the day?); ease of application; heaviness, stickiness or presence of residue; price; how quickly and thoroughly the dry shampoo mixed; and whether the scent was mild or excessive.
Tips for Using Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo is a great tool to enhance your painstakingly created hairstyle and will help reduce damage to your hair by reducing the frequency with which you heat style it. However, dry shampoo can only go so far.
“Dry shampoo strips the hair of its natural oils and cleanses it, but it won't remove a lot of product,” says celebrity hair stylist Garren MacLaren, co-founder of hair product company R+Co. “It is best used on second or third day hair.” In other words, don't skip showers for a week and expect dry shampoo to work miracles. Dry shampoo should also not be used for more than a few days in a row, as using it too much can cause congestion and irritation to the scalp.
Applying dry shampoo at night is another tip that many experts recommend, as it can work to absorb oil while you sleep – it's an especially good alternative to dry shampoo that tends to thicken. MacLaren also suggests running a blow-dryer over frizz after applying dry shampoo: “If your hair is highly colored or brittle, and you've put too much hairspray or product in it, if you apply dry shampoo and blow-dry it, “Don't blow cold air from the dryer, it can sit on top of the hair surface,” he said. “This can cause hair to harden. This won't damage the hair, but it will make it feel dry or stiff.”
What's actually in this stuff?
There are countless dry shampoos that claim to revolutionize the dry shampoo experience, but most work the same way: absorbent starch, a carrier agent, fragrance, and, in the case of aerosol dry shampoos, a propellant. In the old days many dry shampoos contained talc as an absorbent agent, which were often contaminated with asbestos. Some dry shampoos may still list it as an ingredient, but none of the ones we recommend do.
Some companies add other natural, absorbent minerals in addition to starch, such as kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, charcoal powder, or even volcanic ash. I also tried some more unusual formulas like pastes, liquid sprays, and lotions, although I didn't find the latter two to be particularly effective for my hair. For each dry shampoo we recommend, I tried to help highlight the marketing claims by listing the main functional ingredients that help absorb oil.