If you pour out the contents of my handbag on any given day, you're likely to find an array of beauty essentials, yet none more important than dry shampoo.
Yes, I'll never leave home without the following: An array of lipsticks (all red), a couple of lip balms (again, tinted red), a good hand cream, a concealer that can double as a foundation for emergency touch-ups, many stray chewing gums that have escaped their packaging and, again, a dry shampoo to mist my roots before I head out the door.
Despite having pretty dry hair, I'm never without this transformative product. Although my wavy strands don't need washing more than once or twice a week, having a fringe means I need to keep on top of things when I'm between washes, and that's precisely where my dry shampoo comes in.
After years of trying just about every product out there, I've become quite discerning with my dry shampoo selection. So, which are the best on the market? We'll get to that in a moment. But first, let's take a closer look at everything that needs to be considered when selecting a dry shampoo of your own.
What Is Dry Shampoo?
Like the name suggests, dry shampoo is an alternative to regular shampoo that doesn't require rinsing out with water. As those of us with oily hair can attest to, detoxifying and cleansing the scalp is an essential step to remove build-up and leave your roots feeling revitalised and refreshed.
But time does not often permit an "everything shower", which is a term coined to describe the process of rinsing, washing, shaving, exfoliating, moisturising and conditioning in the one wash. Enter, dry shampoo.
Often in a powder or an aerosol formula, this product absorbs excess oils and helps to combat excess sebum production without actually getting wet. Genius.
How to Use Dry Shampoo
Unlike dry shampoos of the past, the new formulas are lightweight, leave behind no chalky residue and basically smell like a fancy hair salon.
I personally tend to use one every other day when I'm not washing my hair (usually a spray can I spritz directly into my roots and massage in firmly with my fingertips before styling).
I'll then use my dry shampoo compact for touch-ups when I'm on the go. To prevent my hair from looking dull, I'll use a clarifying shampoo once a week when I do a proper hair-wash to remove buildup.
Is Dry Shampoo Good for Your Hair?
Dry shampoo is good for your hair, but it doesn't replace the importance of regular washing with your shampoo of choice. In saying that, a lot of the best dry shampoos on the market (which I've handily documented below) also contain additional volumising or protective properties.
Crown Affair, a best-selling sustainable beauty brand, has revolutionised the category with its powder dry shampoo. Featuring tapioca starch, which absorbs oils, persimmon extract, a natural deodorant and tsubaki seed oil, which hydrates without irritation, simply buff the dust-like formula into your strands and scalp and enjoy the instantly soothing effect.
Of course, there are also amazing mists like Sam McKnight's Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo, which adds texture and volume or Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day (Phd) Dry Shampoo, a salve for soaking up sweat, conditions and keeps hair cleaner for longer.
How Often Should I Use Dry Shampoo?
While hair professionals advise shampooing two to three times per week, there are no real caveats about how often you should use dry shampoo. If you're investing in a really great formula, you'll find that you'll only use the product once or twice a day—and on the second and third days of your wash cycle.
But, if you're still wondering where to start and how to wash hair properly, we recommend you begin by mastering the basics before adding in another element that could potentially contribute to a build-up.
I would know—I've tried them all.
From the classic £3 Batiste to Oribe's cult Dry Texturizing Spray (an eye-watering £41), I've tried and loved many different dry shampoos over the years.
Keep scrolling to discover why it's my favourite dry shampoo, and then shop the other best dry shampoos for keeping oily roots at bay.
The Best Dry Shampoo to Revive Your Hair
- Best Overall Dry Shampoo: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PHD) Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo, £38
- Best Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair: Hair by Sam Mcknight Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo, £22
- Best Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair: Bumble and Bumble Pret-A-Powder Active Dry Spray, £23
- Best Mid-Range Dry Shampoo: Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, £22
- Best Affordable Dry Shampoo: Batiste Heavenly Volume Dry Shampoo, £7
1. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
Yes, it's expensive, but this dry shampoo meets texturising spray adds cool-girl texture to my hair like no other. I usually tip my head upside down and spray generously through the roots for serious volume.
2. Batiste Heavenly Volume Dry Shampoo
At the opposite end of the price spectrum, we have Batiste, which is what I've been using since I discovered it at Reading Festival in 2005. It did wonders at disguising my greasy, beer-covered strands then and still works just as well now. This one is a true multi-tasker, adding bounce and body to my lengths after brushing the product through.
3. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo
Jennifer Anniston, who arguably had the world's most famous haircut with 'The Rachel', has sworn by this Living Proof Dry Shampoo. If that isn't enough of an endorsement, Who What Wear's editorial team also sing the praises for this advanced cleaning spray.
"My hair truly does feel cleaner for longer when using Living Proof's Dry Shampoo," says SEO Writer Ava Gilchrist. "I equate this to using a makeup remover wipe, it doesn't take the place of my regular cleanse, but does refresh and revitalise when needed—which is surprisingly less often than you'd think after I've started using this product!"
4. Redken Dry Shampoo Powder 02
Another aerosol-free option, tip a little of this purifying powder into your hands and work into the roots of your hair to refresh your style and add definition. I've found that the charcoal-based formula does a great job of purifying hair when you're in between washes.
5. Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo
This has to be one of the best-smelling—and looking—dry shampoos on the market. I've been known to use this Brooklyn-based haircare brand's formula for days at a time thanks to the way it makes you feel (truly, it makes your hair feel as though it has just been washed). It adds texture, shine and a fresh scent that I love.
6. Klorane Eco-Friendly Dry Shampoo
I love Klorane's original formula of this gently dry shampoo, but this aerosol-free version is infinitely better for the environment. Give the bottle a squeeze to dispense a healthy mix of rice-starch powders infused with oat milk to soak up dirt and sebum while softening and protecting your hair and scalp.
7. Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder Active Dry Spray
There should be a gold medal awarded to those who have managed to line up their hair-washing schedule with their gym classes. For days when you haven't managed to work out your timetable so perfectly, this Bumble and Bumble dry shampoo mist is specifically targeted to be sprayed on your scalp directly after an exercise session. If you're heading into the office post pilates, keep this in your gym kit to revitalise and refresh during your commute.
8. Philip Kingsley One More Day Refreshing Dry Shampoo
Former colleagues and I road-tested this very dry shampoo to see how long it was possible to go without washing your hair the traditional way. Someone made it to two weeks thanks to this lightweight spray. Enough said.
9. R+Co Spiritualized Dry Shampoo Mist
Like micellar water for your hair, this spritz suspends cleansing powder in micellar molecules to absorb oil and actually clean your hair. Completely transparent, you spray this into the roots of your hair and follow by blow-drying your hair or leaving it to air-dry. A little more wait time than your average dry shampoo, but I definitely think it delivers on that squeaky-clean feeling.
10. Hair by Sam McKnight Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo
Alexa Chung and Kate Moss both keep this product in their beauty bags. While the It Girl-approved dry shampoo has earned critical acclaim for its instantly reviving properties, it also doubles as a styling tool to build body.
Celebrity hairstylist Sam McKnight recommends spritzing the spray onto your hairbrush before combing through your lengths rather than misting directly onto your scalp for an even distribution.
11. Virtue Dry Shampoo
Formulated with a pioneering keratin complex, Virtue's Dry Shampoo is an aerosol spray that intentionally smooths and straightens tresses with every spritz. Not only does this nourish as you go, but it adds that glossy and freshly-washed appearance to even the most lacklustre locks.
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