5 DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes That Really Work

If you prefer to wash your hair less often, anything you can do to extend your time between shampoos can save you time, effort and even protect your hair from unnecessary damage. Enter dry shampoo, which is an easy way to absorb oil and refresh hair without a wash.

How to Make Dry Shampoo: 4 DIY Recipes For Each Hair Color

Ashley Rubell is an editorial hair stylist and writer covering hair for Byrdie. She’s been doing hair professionally since 2008.

Sophia Emmanuel is an IAT-certified trichologist and licensed cosmetologist based in New York. She owns and operates the Crown Worthy beauty salon in New York City.

Anna Harris is an experienced fact-checker and researcher and a beauty writer and editor.

Although dry shampoo can be a savior, sometimes it has a tendency to leave our scalp feeling clogged, our hair weighed down, or leave behind that dreaded white cast. With so many different brands and formulations to choose from, it can also feel like a lab experiment on your quest to find the perfect one. So, we figured we’d try a little DIY and make dry shampoo for ourselves.

We tapped clean beauty expert Jana Blankenship to get her insights on how to recreate dry shampoo at home for every hair color (including brown and dark hair).

“Instead of aerosol dry shampoos that contain ingredients like synthetic fragrance and butane and are bad for the environment, you can easily whip up a product in your kitchen that will work just as well and is better for your health and the health of the planet,” says Blankenship. And the best part of it all? These magic DIY dry shampoo recipes will keep for up to two years. Continue reading to get a DIY dry shampoo recipe that matches your hair color whether you’re dark, light, gray, red, or somewhere in-between.

Meet the Expert

For Dark Brown or Black Hair: Activated Charcoal Dry Shampoo

For darker shades of brown or black, Blankenship suggests adding activated charcoal powder alongside raw cacao powder to help you hone in on your specific shade. As with all other ingredients in these mixtures, activated charcoal may have benefits beyond absorbing excess oils from your scalp and roots. If you’re experiencing any dandruff or redness, activated charcoal is claimed to aid in relieving those woes, too. Blend this superpower mixture together to appear natural on darker hair.

Materials

• 1 tbsp activated charcoal powder
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (add more or less to match the exact coloring for your hair)
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp bentonite or kaolin clay
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 30 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil
• measuring cup
• small metal funnel
• shaker container, glass or metal lid, or repurposed salt or spice shaker

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a measuring cup and mix using a whisk or fork.
2. Use a funnel to transfer the mixture into your repurposed shaker or spoon it into a shaker container. Tighten your lid.
3. Sprinkle generously onto your roots as needed.
4. You can rub the mixture in with your fingers or a brush. Another recommendation from Blankenship: use a hair dryer to disperse quickly throughout the hair.

For Red Hair: Cinnamon Dry Shampoo

Making a DIY dry shampoo for red hair doesn’t equate to using your red hued spices. Most bright red spices are in the pepper family and can cause some irritation at the scalp. Instead, Blankenship offers a more neutral solution: Cinnamon. “Cinnamon powder naturally blends into red hair while masking the color of other ingredients,” she says. There is also some evidence that cinnamon may aid in hair growth and hair loss prevention.

Not to worry, this magic ingredient won’t leave you smelling like dessert. “Lavender or lemongrass essential oils can add a lingering bright scent to hair,” says Blankenship, which explains why she recommends these oils for any hair color DIY dry shampoo. To apply, repurpose an old salt or spice shaker and fill it with a combination of the ingredients listed below.

Materials

• 1/4 cup cinnamon powder (add more or less to match the exact coloring for your hair)
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp bentonite or kaolin clay
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 30 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil
• measuring cup
• small metal funnel
• shaker container, glass or metal lid, or repurposed salt or spice shaker

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a measuring cup and mix using a whisk or fork.
2. Use a funnel to transfer the mixture into your repurposed shaker, or spoon it into a shaker container. Tighten your lid.
3. Sprinkle generously onto your roots as needed.
4. You can rub the mixture in with your fingers or a brush.

For Blonde, White, or Silver Hair: Arrowroot Dry Shampoo

The cornerstone to all of the DIY recipes below is arrowroot powder or cornstarch, which is nearly invisible when applied to lighter hair shades like blonde, white or silver. “Arrowroot powder and cornstarch can absorb oil and add volume while easily blending into the hair,” says Blankenship. No matter how thick or thin your hair is, either one of these two pantry products is sure to get in where needed and get straight down to business.

While it’s nice to simply mask our oily roots, adding baking soda is also imperative to ensure good hygiene and scalp health. Baking soda will not only absorb excess oils, but according to Blankenship, this magic ingredient will also fight odor and freshen the hair and scalp.

After mixing together the ingredients below, repurpose an old salt or spice shaker to apply.

Materials

• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp bentonite or kaolin clay
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 30 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil
• measuring cup
• small metal funnel
• shaker container, glass or metal lid, or repurposed salt or spice shaker

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a measuring cup and mix using a whisk or fork.
2. Use a funnel to transfer the mixture into your repurposed shaker or spoon it into a shaker container. Tighten your lid.
3. Sprinkle generously onto your roots as needed.
4. You can rub the mixture in with your fingers or a brush.

For Brown Hair: Cacao Powder Dry Shampoo

When it comes to finding your exact shade of brunette, Blankenship says turning to organic cacao powder will blend easily into brown-hued strands, appearing very natural while still masking the color of any other ingredients.

Excess oil can appear to be much more visible on darker hair colors, but Blankenship thought of this when creating a DIY dry shampoo recipe for all hair types and colors. She incorporates bentonite or kaolin clay to serve as a mask for any visible grease. “These ingredients can mattify the hair as well as add volume,” she tells us. See her recipe and instructions below.

Materials

• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (add more or less to match the exact coloring for your hair)
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp bentonite or kaolin clay
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 30 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil
• measuring cup
• small metal funnel
• shaker container, glass or metal lid, or repurposed salt or spice shaker

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a measuring cup and mix using a whisk or fork.
2. Use a funnel to transfer the mixture into your repurposed shaker or spoon it into a shaker container. Tighten your lid.
3. Sprinkle generously onto your roots as needed.
4. You can rub the mixture in with your fingers or a brush.

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

1. Hosking AM, Juhasz M, Atanaskova Mesinkovska N. Complementary and alternative treatments for alopecia: a comprehensive review. Skin Appendage Disord. 2019;5(2):72-89. doi:10.1159/000492035

5 DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes That Really Work

If you prefer to wash your hair less often, anything you can do to extend your time between shampoos can save you time, effort and even protect your hair from unnecessary damage. Enter dry shampoo, which is an easy way to absorb oil and refresh hair without a wash.

But what about those days when you’ve run out of store-bought dry shampoo — or if you’re just looking to save money or try a more natural option you can make at home? “Homemade dry shampoo is great,” says Whitney Hunt, a hairstylist at Oscar Blandi Salon in New York City. “It’s also helpful if you’re allergic to chemicals or other ingredients commonly found in dry shampoo products.”

So we asked hair experts for their favorite DIY dry shampoo recipes that make hair less greasy and are safe for your strands. And it turns out that natural ingredients like arrowroot powder, baking soda and clay can help absorb oil and act as a makeshift dry shampoo. Just make sure you try a patch test before using any new homemade dry shampoo you make to avoid allergic reactions, says Paul Cucinello, celebrity stylist and owner of Cucinello Studio in New York City. Don’t forget that your hair color is also a big factor in what ingredients you should use. “Blondes should avoid any recipes with excessive amounts of charcoal in them and warm brunettes can add a touch of cinnamon to their DIY concoction if it matches the hair color,” he shares.

Read on for step-by-step instructions to make and use DIY dry shampoo at home, including DIY dry shampoo sprays and formulas without cornstarch, for when you’re camping, and more! (P.S. You can make it easier to apply your homemade dry shampoo by pouring your ingredients into a powder spray bottle and spraying into hair as needed.)

Best Simple DIY Dry Shampoo

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Hunt says you can use plain arrowroot powder on your roots in a pinch for a camping trip or try this recipe at home and bring it along:

Ingredients: 7 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, 4 teaspoons of white kaolin clay, 24 drops of an essential oil. (Hunt suggests tea tree, because it’s antibacterial.)

Directions: Add dry ingredients to a mixing container and combine well. Drop in essential oil(s) and mix thoroughly. Use a funnel to flow mixture into a spray bottle. Add enough water to allow the formula to easily spray out, but not too much that it’s watered down. Apply dry shampoo to the roots at the scalp and massage into the hair.

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“I love this formula because it’s light, absorbs oil really well, and neutralizes odor,” Cucinello explains. “It also won’t irritate the scalp as much as others I’ve seen out there.” He likes using diatomaceous earth, a mineral powder that’s a great oil absorber (the food grade version is considered safe to apply on skin).

Ingredients: 9 teaspoons of organic tapioca starch, 3/4 teaspoon of food-grade diatomaceous earth, 1/4 teaspoon of organic activated charcoal powder

Directions: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together well. If your hair is dark brown, you can adjust the amount of charcoal to about 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Transfer into a powder spray bottle and spritz onto dark roots to degrease.

DIY Baking Soda Dry Shampoo Recipe for Blondes

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Looking for a DIY dry shampoo without cornstarch, we get it: “There’s a chance it could make the hair or scalp feel dry or cause some kind of irritation,” Cucinello says. “Cornstarch alone isn’t balanced with the kinds of preservatives, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal ingredients that products made for hair and scalp are formulated with.”

For a cornstarch-free recipe, baking soda is a good option. Hunt recommends a simple recipe of mixing cocoa powder with baking soda, as “these two together will absorb oil and give roots some volume.”

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. “You may have to adjust the mixture until you get the ratio that matches your roots the best,” Hunt advises.

Directions: Combine the two ingredients, adjusting the amounts as necessary. Sprinkle onto your roots, massage into hair, and blow dry for a minute or two if needed to blend.

DIY Arrowroot Dry Shampoo Recipe

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“Organic arrowroot powder is a great natural remedy to be used in place of a dry shampoo,” says Elizabeth Hickman, professional hair stylist in Irvine, California and VaultBeauty member. If you have darker hair, you can mix cocoa powder or activated charcoal with it to match your shade properly.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, 1 to 2 tablespoons of coloring powder (choose cinnamon for lighter color, cocoa powder for darker hair), 6 drops of an essential oil. “The essential oil is optional,” Hickman says. “If you want to change the scent, it works to naturally do that.”

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl thoroughly. Apply onto roots and blend with your fingertips. If needed, blow dry for a few seconds to further blend it in.

DIY Baby Powder Dry Shampoo Recipe

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When all else fails, you can always grab some baby powder in a pinch. “The trick is to use it sparingly, as it will show a bit more than you might expect,” Cucinello explains.

Ingredients: Pure baby powder. “No need to mix it with anything else; it’s a good option because it’s grab and go,” he shares.

Directions: Sprinkle a small amount on finger tips, rub them together, and then massage directly into the scalp and any oily sections of hair. Repeat until you achieve the desired result and there’s no visible residue left on hair or scalp.

How do you make your hair less greasy in general?

In addition to reaching for your favorite dry shampoo, you can try these natural grease-busting remedies to make your strands less greasy on a daily basis:

•Brush your hair with a natural, boar bristle brush nightly. “It stimulates the scalp, exfoliates dead skin cells, and helps to more evenly distribute the concentration of natural protective oils produced on the scalp,” advises Cucinello.

•Try using facial blotting papers as a “quick fix” for the hairline and part, says Cucinello. But these are not to be confused with dryer sheets, touted as a DIY dry shampoo replacement, which could actually potentially irritate the scalp. “They are traditionally used for getting rid of static and not to be used as a dry shampoo,” says Hunt.