From citizens from ancient civilizations rubbing clay powder into their hair to the first commercially available dry shampoo hitting the market in the 1940s, people have spent their lives trying to bridge the gap between dirty hair and busy lifestyles. I vividly remember my mom using baby powder in the 1980s, as well as my first purchases of dry shampoo at the drugstore in the early 2000s. It worked like a spray paint and probably contained enough chemicals to poison a small animal, but it did the job allowing me to skip a few days of my arduous washing, drying and correct the routine. This break was good for my sanity as well as my hair.
In 2022, commercially produced dry shampoos received their first major blow when companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever voluntarily recalled their dry shampoos for potentially elevated benzene levels. Well-known drugstore brands like Dove, Nexxus and Suave were suddenly seen as a cancer risk, raising the question of dry shampoo in general: What’s really in this stuff?
Fortunately, since the recall, most companies have tested their products for benzene and other harmful chemicals. Third party testing is hard to come by, but a non-profit organization Environmental Working Group (EWG) is independently financed and has Skin Deep Database Tool for consumers to analyze what harmful ingredients might be hiding in their cosmetics and personal care products. We’ve included their information on specific dry shampoos in this guide. However, if you’re looking for completely chemical-free ways to prolong your style, check out the Dry Shampoo Alternatives section below.
For more tips on buying a hairstyle, check out our guides to The best hair straighteners, The best hair curlers, The best hair dryersand The best diffusers for curly hair.
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I have been using dry shampoo for more than 20 years. For this guide, I tested over 25 popular, widely available formulas on my thick, long, heat-treated dark hair multiple times over the course of nearly four months. I used them like any other dry shampoo in my daily life – after training, during busy work weeks, on trips. I also sought the opinions of friends and family with different hair types and textures when I needed a second or third opinion. I focused on efficiency (did my hair still look clean at the end of the day?); ease of application; presence of heaviness, stickiness or residue; value; how quickly and well the dry shampoo blended in; and whether the smell was light or overwhelming.
Tips for using dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is a great tool to extend your hard-earned hair and will help reduce damage to your hair by reducing the frequency with which you will need to heat your hair. However, dry shampoo can only go so far.
“Dry shampoo strips and cleans hair of natural oils, but it won’t remove tons of product,” notes celebrity hairstylist Garren McLaren, co-founder of hair product company R+Co. “It’s best to use it on the hair on the second or third day.” In other words, don’t skip a shower for a week and expect dry shampoo to do the trick. Dry shampoo should also not be used for more than a few days in a row, as too frequent use can cause scalp build-up and irritation.
Applying dry shampoo at night is another tactic many experts recommend, as it can work to absorb oil while you sleep—it’s an especially good option for dry shampoos that tend to feel thick. McLaren also suggests running the hair dryer on cold after applying dry shampoo: “If your hair is too colored or brittle, and you have a lot of hairspray or product in it, if you apply dry shampoo and don’t blow it out with cold air, it can sit on the surface of the hair,” he said. “It can cause the hair to become stiff. It won’t damage the hair, but it will make it dry or stiff.”
What exactly is in this?
There are countless dry shampoos out there that claim to revolutionize the dry shampoo experience, but most work pretty much the same way: absorbent starches, a carrier, fragrance, and, in the case of aerosol dry shampoos, propellant. In the past, many dry shampoos contained talc as an absorbent, which was 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 to the starch, such as kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, charcoal powder, or even volcanic ash. I’ve also tried some more unusual formulas like paste, liquid spray and lotion, although I didn’t find the last two particularly effective for my hair. For each dry shampoo we recommend, I’ve tried to demystify the marketing claims by listing the main functional ingredients that help it absorb oil.