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from its citizens Dating back to the 1940s when ancient civilizations rubbed clay powder into their hair in the first commercially available dry shampoo on the market, 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 drugstore dry shampoo in the early 2000s. It goes on like spray paint and probably has enough chemicals to poison a small animal, but it got me through my two days of hard wash, dry and put away. Streamline the routine. This break was good for my brain as well as my hair.
In 2022, commercially produced dry shampoo gets its first big black eye when companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever conduct voluntary recalls of their dry shampoos. Potentially high levels of benzene. Well-known drugstore brands like Dove, Nexxus and Suave have suddenly been found to pose a cancer risk, raising the question with dry shampoos in general: What’s really in this stuff?
Fortunately, since the recall most companies have taken to testing their products for benzene and other harmful chemicals. Third-party testing is hard to come by, but not profitable Environmental Working Group (EWG) is independently funded and has a Skin Deep Database Tool To analyze what harmful ingredients may be hidden in consumers’ cosmetics and personal care products. We’ve included their data on specific dry shampoos in this guide. However, if you’re looking for a completely chemical-free way to enhance your style, check out the dry shampoo alternatives box below.
For more hairstyle buying tips, check out our guide Best hair straightener, Best curling iron, Best hair dryerAnd Best diffuser for curly hair.
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I have been using dry shampoo for over 20 years. For this guide I tested over 25 popular, widely available formulas multiple times over about four months on my thick, long, heat-straightened black hair. I used them like dry shampoo in my everyday life—after workouts, during busy work weeks, on trips. When I needed a second or third opinion I sought the opinions of friends and family with different hair types and textures. I focused on functionality (did my hair still look clean at the end of the day?); ease of application; Presence of heaviness, stickiness or residue; Value is how quickly and well a dry shampoo mixes; And whether the scent is mild or overwhelming.
Tips for using dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is a great tool for extending your hard-earned hairstyle and will help reduce 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 strips hair of natural oils and cleanses, but it won’t remove a lot of product,” notes celebrity hairstylist Garren McLaren, co-founder of hair product company R+Co. “It’s best used 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 for more than a few days in a row, as it can irritate the scalp if used too frequently.
Applying dry shampoo at night is another trick that many experts recommend, as it can work to absorb oil while you sleep—it’s an especially good alternative to dry shampoos that tend to thicken. McLaren recommends blow-drying 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-dry it. Cold air, it can sit on the surface of the hair,” he said. “This can make the hair stiff. It won’t damage the hair, but it will feel dry or stiff.”
What is actually in this stuff?
There are countless dry shampoos that claim to revolutionize the dry shampoo experience, but most do the same thing: absorbent starch, a carrier agent, fragrance and, in the case of aerosol dry shampoo, a propellant. In the old days many dry shampoos contained talc as an absorbent agent, 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, and even volcanic ash. I’ve also tried some more unusual formulas like pastes, liquid sprays, and lotions, though I haven’t found the latter two to be particularly effective for my hair. For each dry shampoo we recommend, I’ve tried to help demystify the marketing claims by listing the main active ingredients that help it absorb oil.
