From citizens in 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 entire lives trying to bridge the gap between dirty hair and busy lifestyles. I distinctly remember my mother using baby powder in the 1980s, as well as my first drugstore dry shampoo purchase in the early 2000s. It went on like spray paint and probably contained enough chemicals to poison a small animal, but it did the job of letting me skip a few days of my tedious wash, dry and smooth routine. This break was good for my sanity as well as my hair.
In 2022, commercially produced dry shampoo received its first major black eye when companies such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever implemented a voluntary recall of their dry shampoos for potentially elevated levels of benzene. Well-known drugstore brands like Dove, Nexxus and Suave were suddenly seen as a cancer risk, raising the question with dry shampoos in general: What’s really in this?
Fortunately, since the recall, most companies have taken to testing their products for benzene and other harmful chemicals. Third-party testing is hard to find, but the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) is independently funded and has a Skin Deep database tool so consumers can analyze what harmful ingredients are lurking in their cosmetics and personal care products. We’ve included their data on specific dry shampoos in this guide. But if you’re looking for completely chemical-free ways to enhance your style, check out the Dry Shampoo Alternatives box below.
For more hair styling buying advice, check out our guides to the best straighteners, the best curling irons, the best hair dryers and the best diffusers 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 on my thick, long, heat-treated dark hair multiple times over the course of nearly four months. I used them like any dry shampoo during my daily life – after workouts, during busy work weeks, on trips. I also sought out opinions from 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?); easy application; the presence of heaviness, stickiness or residue; value; how quickly and well a dry shampoo mixed; and whether the scent was light or overpowering.
Tips for using dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is a great tool for lengthening your hard fought hairstyle and will help minimize damage to your hair by reducing the frequency with which you need to heat style. However, dry shampoo can only go so far.
“Dry shampoo releases and cleanses the 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 on second- or third-day hair.” In other words, don’t skip showering for a week and expect dry shampoo to work a miracle. Dry shampoo should also not be used more than a few days in a row, as using it too often can cause scalp build-up and irritation.
Applying dry shampoo at night is another tactic many experts recommend, as it can work to absorb oils while you sleep—this is an especially good option for dry shampoos that tend to run thick. McLaren also suggests running a blow dryer on cold after applying dry shampoo: “If your hair is overly colored or brittle and you have a lot of hairspray or product in it, if you apply dry shampoo and don’t blow it through with cold air, it can sit on top of the hair’s surface,” he said. “This can make the hair stiff. It won’t damage the hair, but will make it feel dry or stiff.”
What really IS in these things?
There are countless dry shampoos that claim to revolutionize the dry shampoo experience, but most work in much the same way: absorbent starch, a carrier, fragrance, and, in the case of aerosol dry shampoos, a propellant. In the old days, 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 in addition to starch, such as kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, charcoal powder, or even volcanic ash. I also tried some more unusual formulas such as a paste, liquid spray and lotion, although I didn’t find the latter two particularly effective for my hair. For each dry shampoo we recommend, I’ve tried to help demystify the marketing claims by listing the key functional ingredients that help it absorb oil.