Chances are if you weren’t already a dry shampoo convert before lockdown, you may have discovered its game-changing potential in recent months when you haven’t got anywhere to go and you can’t be arsed to wash your hair.
Especially if you’re trying to fit in homeschooling the kids alongside a full-time job (we’re with you!). Dry shampoo is great for giving second-day hair a boost, tackling areas of grease and oil throughout the day, or giving your hair more volume.
You may also be aware that it’s easier to style hair that hasn’t just been freshly washed, so dry shampoo can help out here, too.
FURTHER READING: What does shampoo and conditioner actually do to your hair?
Before we dive into our list of the best dry shampoo products for various hair types and colours, we wanted to explain how to use dry shampoo like the pros.
It might seem simple, but it’s quite easy to get dry shampooing wrong. Either you end up with patches of grey or white powder all over your head, or it doesn’t work as well as you’d hoped.
And this is a big one: Don’t replace dry shampoo with normal shampoo. It should be used sparingly to avoid the scalp and your hair follicles becoming clogged up. This can cause scalp acne, stop your hair from growing as fast or as strong as it can, lead to dandruff and more. That’s not to say the products, themselves, are bad for you or your hair. They just need to be used in moderation.
Regular shampoo is used with water to clean your hair to rinse away oil and impurities. Dry Shampoo can remove oil and sweat from your hair which makes it appear clean and refreshed. Some dry shampoo is made up of alcohol, starch or clay this is the magic ingredient. It soaks the moisture and oil that covers our hair and the starch/clay acts like a sponge and absorbs the grease and oil.
mamabella tip: We also want to point out a product that we’ve used, here at mamabella, that has completely revolutionised our fine hair – and it’s the Hairstory New Wash. It cleanses and conditions the hair without weighing it down and it allows us to go multiple days without washing our hair. We don’t even have to use dry shampoo all that often anymore. It’s not cheap, but it’s been a gamechanger. Find out more in our Hairstory New Wash review.
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Why we love it: This dry shampoo is our go-to, time and again because of the many, many we’ve tried, this makes our hair actually feel clean and fresh.
It’s a silicone-free cleansing spray that has triple-action cleaning technology – fast-absorbing powders soak up oil and sweat while Living Proof’s patented Healthy Hair Molecule helps then remove the powders easily from hair, resulting in actually clean hair.
It’s also not ridiculously expensive, coming in at £10 for 92ml or £18 for 198ml. A little goes a long way so it’s also good value.
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Buy now from Lookfantastic
Why we love it: If you have fine hair, you might benefit from using dry shampoo on both second-day, as well as freshly washed hair to give it more volume and bounce.
Bumble and Bumble’s Pret a Powder Tres Invisible dry shampoo contains pink clay, that will help cleanse hair roots, absorb excess oil and sweat. With inbuilt UV filters, it can also help protect your hair against damage and dryness caused by the sun.
It leaves fine hair feeling fresh and full. The downside is that it’s quite expensive, but it’s worth the investment in our opinion.
FURTHER READING: Best shampoo for every hair type
Buy now from Lookfantastic£15.45 | Buy now from Feelunique
Why we love it: Moroccanoil puts a strong focus on its products being tailored and designed with specific hair types in mind and its Dry Shampoo Light is perfect for blonde hair.
It uses an ultra-fine starch spray to coat the hair and roots without weighing it down. This is ideal for blonde hair because anything that is too heavy makes blonde hair look flat and dark.
FURTHER READING: How to clean a hairbrush – and why it could actually improve your hair in the process
Buy now from Feelunique
£11.60 | Buy now from Lookfantastic
Why we love it: This fantastic dry shampoo not only absorbs oil at the roots but it gives a rich cover of colour for your roots and the rest of your darker hair.
It can be used to refresh hair in between shampoos but it also gives a brilliant matte texture without feeling crunchy or hard.
FURTHER READING: The best hair masks for dry, fine, curly and natural hair types
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£26 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Why we love it: Afro hair is on the drier side and needs more tailored care and moisture that, by its very definition, dry shampoo doesn’t always offer. This hybrid dry shampoo and cleansing mist from R+Co has cleansing powder encapsulated in micellar water meaning it doesn’t strip the hair of essential oils. But it does leave it feeling fresh and clean.
We love that it’s a mist because it can cleanse your scalp and hair and does give the feeling of washed hair. Just spritz on the roots, blow-dry or let your hair air dry and instantly hair is refreshed.
It’s not exclusively for afro hair, though. Anyone with dry hair, or indeed anyone who wants a quick way to clean their hair in the morning can use this brilliant product.
FURTHER READING: Curly hair products 101: The must-have products for curly hair types to fight the frizz and tame their tousles
Buy now from Cult Beauty
£3 | Buy now from Boots
Why we love it: If you’ve heard of, or bought dry shampoo in the past, chances are it’s been made by Batiste.
Batiste has become the go-to high-street brand with a huge selection of dry shampoos in different scents and sizes.
They also make dry shampoos for specific hair colours – Brilliant Blonde (for blonde hair), Medium & Brunette (for lighter browns) and Dark & Deep (for darker brunettes and black hair.) Sadly, it appears Batiste doesn’t sell a range specifically for red hair. It looks like the brand used to, but has discontinued it.
This is a shame if you’re looking to cover your roots and you have auburn or red hair!
Each one has a hint of colour in them to help cover your regrowth – something we’re sure many people have during the lockdown, with salons shut – while also leaving your hair feeling fresh.
Not only does this product banish oily roots but it gives body, too.
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Buy now from Boots
