The Best Dry Shampoos? Probably Already In Your House.
Yesterday I made the (possibly ill-advised) decision to take two yoga classes in a row, because I had some kinks I needed to work out, as it were, and because Jupiter just entered my sixth house (kidding! sort of!). It was therapeutic and surprisingly energizing, but I woke up this morning feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. Plus, my apartment was an icebox. Getting out of bed was going to be a toughie.
What saved me was the simple knowledge that, thanks to dry shampoo, I could lay there under the duvet lazily hitting snooze and still make it to work on time. After I showered with a towel on my head, I went looking for the Lulu Organics dry shampoo Spirit Demerson gave me as a book-launch present in July. Curveball? The bottle was empty.
With no time to wash my hair and a job that requires me to look presentable every day, I had to improvise. In my medicine cabinet I found a bottle of Dr. Hauschka Body Silk, a powder. I googled the ingredients and found that the first ingredient was rice starch. Perfect! I thought. I’ve sprinkled that gluten-free-girl’s staple in my hair more times than I can count, with great results. But I’m out of that too. No matter, because the Dr. H formula not only worked great, it also smells like roses (literally).
Dry shampoo is one of man’s greatest contributions to womankind. It’s a powdery solution you can spray or sprinkle onto your hair on days when you don’t feel like washing it. It can extend the life of a blowout, save you from looking like a greaseball, and add a really amazing texture to your tresses. It also gives a little volume at the roots.
The problem, as with many beauty products, is that some of the conventionals can be really toxic. It may just look like powder, and it may have names that look (or even explicitly claim to be) natural, but many of them contain BHT, aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, butane, coumarin and synthetic fragrance, to name just a few. And you’re at risk of inhaling the stuff.
So we think it’s best to simple, natural and cheap. You don’t need propellant gasses pushing it out of a spray can any more than you need aluminum. All you need is something starchy and dry that can absorb your oils and stick to the hair.
I’ve tried rice starch, Lulu Organics and Dr. H’s body powder—all of which work great for me. I’ve also tried baking soda, which worked less well.
Your turn. Do you use dry shampoo? If so what do you use? And when?
I use good old baby powder when I am desperate!! It works like a charm – just make sure you rub it in completely, especially if you have dark hair.
Really seldom do I make use of such trickery, I’d say.
I’ve got Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray. It really works, but I don’t really know what’s inside that bottle. I used plain baby powder once, it didn’t work quite so well, my hair got white and it wouldn’t come off! LOL.
But I’d rather wash my hair, dry shampoo is really for emergencies.
Corn starch works super well. Good old camping trick from even before I was an all natural beauty ;)
I seldom use this trick but in the past I have used cornstarch and baking soda. I’m trying to only wash my hair with baking soda every other day and the second day my hair is just gross, even with a dry shampoo like substance. Any tips?
I totally rely on dry shampoo I try to wash my hair only every other or every couple of days, so in between I use dry shampoo. I like Klorane and Fekkai Au Natural. They work great. I find that the results are best if you let it absorb well and then brush with a natural bristle hairbrush. I have yet to try the corn or rice starch method mostly because I’ve had a few bottles of store bought to get through. Once those are done I plan to try it out.
I use cornstarch every other day on my bangs. I only wash my hair every other day/every three days. Although when it rains, I feel a bit like I have gravy hair.
Cornstarch! I don’t use baby powder for anything because of the talc, but I swore by cornstarch when I was a daily cleanser and just couldn’t make one day work for whatever reason. Now, thanks to the soap free challenge, I’m WO with my hair (if I can make it), so hopefully I’ll never have to resort to the cornstarch again.
I have super dark auburn hair and regular cornstarch and powder tricks give me a grey, sickly, cast. But I love the idea of a dry shampoo.. thus, I mix one part cornstarch to three parts cocoa powder, throw that in a shaker can like you’d get for spices, and use that! Love it. (Coulda sworn I read about it here too, but perhaps another green girls’ blog.)
you dont need to wash every other day with baking soda. You are going to go through a period of oily hair this will pass. Most people wash their hair every 2-3 days. I have noticed that i use vingear rinse a little more often if my scalp is itchy then it clears up in a couple of weeks. This happened when I got gluten in my system which I am intolerant too which affects my scalp.
I’ve tried baby powder, and I guess it works in a pinch, but it doesn’t do nearly the same thing as shampoo. Because my hair is long and wavy, I can get away without shampooing for 3, sometimes 4 days.
I love dry shampoo–especially in the winter–but I’m not a huge fan of straight up corn starch.
Instead, I bought a dry shampoo from Etsy made with Orris root (whatever that is), organic arrowroot, and corn starch. It’s the color and texture of sand, so it blends pretty well into my light brown hair if I shake my fingers through it after applying. and it has a light baby powdery floral scent. A little fancier than corn starch, but still all natural.
burt’s bees all natural “baby powder” NO TALC NO TALC!! works pretty well-not amazing. I just used up my bottle of tresse me suave w/e concoction- so off to find a natural type… thanks for the tips! Rice starch sounds delightful- i have light blonde hair so should do great.
I’m a batiste addict, so I’m trying to figure out what to switch to. I have brown hair so it has to brush out. I like the cocoa powder and cornstarch idea, though having chocolatey gravy hair when it gets a little wet out there or when I sweat might not be so great. lulu organics and the all-nighter are both dyed, so they’d be troublesome in wet/sweaty conditions too (plus, they’re way out of my budget!)
Arrowroot all the way! I’ve got dark brown hair and baby powder gave me that British-judge look, but colored dry shampoos dulled it to this unnatural shade (maybe if I found a shade that truly matched my hair it would be different). With arrowroot I don’t get that overpowdered look unless I don’t work it in. Also, putting it in at night helps with the George Washington factor.
I should add that I haven’t actually shampooed my hair for four months now–a personal investigation of the arrogance of detergent shampoos? utter insouciance?–so frankly my sense of what constitutes baseline-normal hair may have been shifted. But nobody looks atop my head funny so I think I’m okay. So: arrowroot!
I’ve tried corn starch, but I don’t think it worked at all, though my scalp became really dry and itchy. I don’t know if I did something wrong, or if my hair was too dirty. I really wish it did work, since my hair is getting pretty long now and I got lots and lots of hair.
I mix equal parts baking soda, cornstarch, and cornmeal, plus a few drops of geranium essential oil (supposedly it’s balancing). I pour those things in an old spice jar, shake it up, and then use it. I sprinkle it on my hands, turn my head upside-down over the bathtub and the rub it all over my scalp. I go do something else for 15-20 minutes and then come back and brush it out (upside-down again). I have dark brown hair and it works like a charm. I think the trick is letting the powder sit for a while so it can soak up the oil before brushing–that’s how you avoid the powdered wig look.
Baby powder has worked for me. I tried cornstarch once and my head started itching sooooooo crazy much that I had to go wash my hair full out anyway. I had tried brushing it out several times and it just wouldn’t stop itching.
I like to use dr. H’s body silk on my roots when they become oily. My hair is thick and on the dry side and seems healthier when I don’t wash it more than once a week. I have tried lulu organics but really prefer the body silk because it gives decent volume to my roots. Saw where you also like alaffia shampoo. It calms my wavy to curly hair down but sadly have to buy it online because the whole foods where I used to buy it quit selling just like they quit selling the body silk! Am also showering two to three times a week and feel my skin isn’t as dry. The whole foods liquid organic Castile soap is great for showering and the first ingredient is apple juice! Husband hasn’t complained and the soapwalla deodorant seems to work well.
American company Hair Fix has dry shampoos in 3 different colors, wich is great for a brunette like me. Klorane is also great but it has synthetic perfume, and since it’s white it has a tendency to make my hair grey.
http://myhairfix.com/ Hair Fix i 100% natural and I’m just about to try the darkest shade to see how it works.
/Hannah
cornstarch! Natural, fragrance-free and cheap. I keep a small jar of it in my bag for when I’m on the go, and a larger jar on my dresser. It works great for me and lasts all day, only problem is I really have to brush it into my brunette hair, which isn’t convenient for when I’m in a real hurry.
You are right, many dry shampoo brands claim to be natural when they contain toxic chemicals. Lulu dry shampoo is one of the best organic ones out there. Just wish people are more aware of what they are inhaling when they use regular dry shampoo.
I have super fine, SUPER oily hair-oily, like, within 5 or 6 hours of washing it I could fry a chicken on my head. I don’t wash my hair every day out of laziness, but the oiliness persists, despite what I’ve heard about the oils on the scalp balancing out when they’re not constantly being stripped with shampoo. Thus, I have been on the search for a great dry shampoo but have yet to find one. I think I might try the rice starch, but if anyone has any other tips about dry shampoo, or ANY product that caters to oily haired ladies like myself, I would be greatly appreciative!