How does dry shampoo work?

Dry shampoos typically work by depositing oil-absorbing ingredients like silica , rice starch, charcoal, clay, or volcanic minerals into dry hair, generally at the roots. These mop up shine and excess product build-up without the need for water. The result is hair that feels cleaner, lighter, and more voluminous.

How do you apply dry shampoo?

Hold your product 10 or so inches away from your head, spray into the root area (or wherever you want to reduce grease), and wait a full two minutes. Once done, work into the hair with fingers, a brush, or your hairdryer , then revel in your full, soft, clean hair.

Is dry shampoo bad for your hair?

"Dry shampoos should not be used as a regular replacement for real shampoo, as they simply do not clean the scalp; they do not remove oils , dead skin cells, pollution, sweat, or other products," says Anabel Kingsley, head trichologist at Philip Kingsley . Too much dry shampoo can also cause irritation or build-up in some hair types, so be sure to treat them as a backup, and not a hair washing replacement (as tempting as it may be).

The 13 Best Dry Shampoos in 2021

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray at Amazon

Worth every penny, this dry shampoo smells amazing and adds awesome volume and texture.

Best for Sensitive Scalps:

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk at Amazon

A favorite of celebrity hairstylists, it's formulated with rice and corn starches to absorb oil and oat milk to soothe the scalp.

Best Value:

Bed Head Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo at Ulta

It may be affordable, but it surely doesn't skimp on results.

Best Texturizing:

UNITE Hair TEXTURIZA Texturizing Spray at Amazon

If dry shampoo, a light hairspray, and a volumizer had a baby, this would be it.

Best Drugstore:

Psssst! Dry Shampoo at Amazon

A great bang for your buck, you can't go wrong with this drugstore favorite.

Best Volumizing:

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo at Amazon

You'll get the va-va-voom volume without the product buildup.

Runner-Up, Best Volumizing:

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo at Amazon

A few spritzes is all it takes for mega volume and refreshed hair.

Best for Dark Hair:

Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder at Sephora

This invisible formula blends seamlessly into darker strands.

Best for Light Hair:

Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo for Light Tones at Amazon

Subtle violet undertones help fight brassiness, making this pick ideal for lighter hair colors.

Best for Damaged Hair:

Kristin Ess Style Reviving Dry Shampoo at Amazon

This formula contains a special complex to help tame split ends and protect from future damage.

In This Article

Our Picks
Final Verdict
What to Look For

In theory, washing your hair every single day sounds like a solid move. More frequent washing means better hair hygiene, right? That's the theory, but it's a far stretch from actuality. This may throw you for a loop, but washing your strands daily can do more harm than good. Not only does it strip the naturals oils hair needs to stay healthy, but it's also plain time-consuming—and that's not even taking into account the additional time spent styling post-shower.

That's why dry shampoo is a total godsend. A few spritzes are all it takes to sop up excess grease and zhoosh up limp strands for a clean, just-showered look. However, the search for a dry shampoo that actually delivers involves a lot of trial and error. Pick the wrong dry shampoo and it can leave your hair oilier than before, or even worse, exacerbate product buildup and cause your scalp to become irritated. Luckily, we did the brunt of the legwork and found the top dry shampoos that are worth your money.

If you want more bang for your buck, you can find tinted dry shampoos to tone brassy hues or cover up root growth in between salon appointments. You can also find plenty of scented and unscented options to mask second-day hair odor or go fragrance-free. Some dry shampoos contain ingredients to control oil production, while others are more hydrating and suited for dry hair and scalp. Similarly, some are made to blend into dark hair with no tell-tale residue, while others are meant for blondes and lighter shades.

Whatever your hair type and concern, read on to learn more about the best dry shampoos you can buy now.

View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Dermstore

This Hair Texturizing Spray and Gave My Flat Roots New Life

Hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein also loves this one from Oribe. "It smells amazing and adds awesome volume and texture," she says. Team Byrdie definitely agrees, as does hairstylist Lacy Redway, whose clients include Crystal Renn, Carmen Ejogo, and Olivia Palermo.

"My favorite dry shampoo is Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray," Redway says. "Unlike most dry shampoos that come out as a white powder and leave a residue, the Oribe spray doesn't leave my clients' hair and scalp with any build-up. It also smells great and instantly adds volume to limp hair."

What Our Testers Say

"It definitely gave a little more life to my hair, and it still looked totally natural." —Ashley Rubell, Product Tester

"My favorite trick is using the Dry Texture Spray as a volumizer/texturizer," says Redway. "I like to flip my model or celeb clients' head over, spray the product into the hair while their head is still bent forward, then I have them flip their hair back over and voilà, you have instant cover- or red-carpet-ready hair."

4.7

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Macy's

This offering from French pharmacy brand Klorane is formulated with rice and corn starches to absorb oil and oat milk to soothe the scalp. It leaves hair fresh and clean without leaving it tangled or caked up with product.

It's also a fave of hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein, whose clients include January Jones, Mindy Kaling, and Katie Lowes. "Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk is a great one that is good for everybody," she says. "It’s easy to use and hard to go wrong. It does the trick, revives a day old blow dry without any funky residue."

Hairstylist Kylee Heath, whose clients include Diane Kruger, Sofia Vergara, and Rashida Jones, agrees. "Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oak Milk is the best, no doubt," she says.

What Our Editors Say

"Klorane’s classic dry shampoo is the only thing that keeps me from shampooing my hair every day (which would be incredibly time-consuming and incredibly bad for my thin strands). While a lot of dry shampoos sit on top of your hair, this one feels like it's actually absorbed into your scalp—so it's cleaning your roots, rather than just hiding the oil. It’s absolutely a desert-island product for me." —Karli Bendlin, Senior Editor

4.8

View On Ulta

"One of my secret weapons is the Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo TIGI," says hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein. "It is the driest of the dry. It can go on a little white if you spray too closely, but this can easily be brushed out. It’s the best for absorbing oil and adds great volume and texture, the bottle is big, and the price is nice too! Every girl that gets greasy should have this in her arsenal."

View On Amazon View On Overstock View On Walmart

"If you want to give your hair a little extra oomph (and you’re planning on washing it the next day), go for the Texturiza Spray by Unite," says hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein. "It's like dry shampoo, a light hairspray, and a volumizer had a baby. It’s everything! Tons of volume and texture, but you’ll definitely need to wash after."

View On Amazon

"If you want to go the drugstore route, go for the original: Pssst Instant Dry Shampoo Spray gives you a great bang for your buck, retails for an affordable price, and does the trick," says hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein.

View On Amazon View On Ulta

"I'm currently loving Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo, a mineral- and clay-based dry shampoo that is great for absorbing excess oil and product buildup," says hairstylist Ryan Richman, whose clients include Sarah Hyland, Lorde, and Haim.

"Hold the can about eight inches away from your scalp and spray focusing on the roots; holding the can too close to your head will cause the product to be overly concentrated in one place. Let the product sit for two minutes, so it can absorb excess oils. Then use a brush to gently brush away the excess product."

living proof perfect hair day dry shampoo

View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Ulta

This fan-favorite dry shampoo contains a molecule (called OFPMA) that’s effective at protecting hair from frizz and oil, so—as the name suggests—you can have a perfect hair day every single day. The formula absorbs oil, adds volume (even to clean hair), and refreshes strands for a fresh look. There's also a time-released fragrance that leaves hair smelling actually amazing, so nobody will be able to tell you're three-plus days in from your last shower.

What Our Editors Say

"My mom actually turned me on to this cult-favorite dry shampoo. (Okay, it was more of a “raiding her vanity” discovery situation, but still.) I inherited her hair texture, and both of us love the volume it provides. I use it even when my hair doesn’t feel greasy for a little extra lift. Plus, it leaves no chalky residue, which is a problem for my dark-brown-almost-black hair." —Madeline Hirsch, Sr. News Editor

Bumble and bumble Bb. Pret-a-Powder Tres Invisible Dry Shampoo with French Pink Clay

View On Sephora View On Nordstrom View On Bloomingdales

For a dry shampoo that blends into dark hair, try this clay-infused one from Bumble and Bumble. It sprays on as a light mist that diffuses evenly, with a light fragrance that isn't too overpowering. The formula is so effective at keeping hair clean that reviewers reported being able to go without washing their hair for three to five days.

View On Amazon View On Sephora View On Nordstrom

We'd buy boatloads of this dry shampoo off of the addicting scent alone. That's not even the best part though. Ideal for light hair, the formula contains ultra-fine rice starches to absorb oil, as well as subtle violet undertones to fight brassiness.

View On Amazon View On Kristinesshair.com

If you’re on day-two hair, skip the suds, and reach for this oil-soaking dry shampoo from hairstylist Kristin Ess’s namesake line. Aside from sopping up oils, the formula contains antioxidant vitamin C along with the brand’s Zip-Up Technology to tame split ends and help protect the hair from future damage. The nozzle dispenses just the right amount of powder onto your roots, sopping up any excess oil or grease sitting on your scalp. You can also use it on clean hair to add a bit of texture to the root. Plus, the fresh scent helps eliminate any odors.

not your mothers beach babe texturizing shampoo

View On Amazon View On Ulta

Replace flat, greasy hair with clean strands full of volumizing texture. It absorbs excess oil, builds body, and refreshes the hair without it looking like you dumped some baby powder all over your scalp. The product has a nice “beachy” smell (thanks to toasted coconut), though the brand also carries an unscented version if scented beauty products aren't really your thing.

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal &#43; Biotin Dry Shampoo

View On Amazon View On Sephora View On Dermstore

This dry shampoo could be applied to a variety of hair textures but is specially formulated for curly hair, both “coiled and tightly coiled.” It addresses product buildup with ingredients that can not only minimize oil and bacteria growth but can also soothe an irritated scalp. The charcoal draws out impurities, witch hazel—an effective astringent—regulates oil production while clay, tapioca, and rice starches absorb oil on your scalp.

Suave Professionals Color Care Dry Shampoo

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Whether you are blessed with naturally scarlet strands or your crimson locks are courtesy of your colorist, it’s not easy to keep the hue looking fresh and vibrant. Over-washing, alcohol-based styling products, and sun exposure can cause the color to change and fade. Thankfully, dry shampoo allows you to go a few extra days without washing your hair.

With the help of oil-absorbing powders, this color-safe spray refreshes and revives days-old strands. The star of this dry shampoo is the brand’s Keralock Technology, which infuses keratin into the hair to keep it manageable and smooth between washes. A bonus? The delightfully fresh scent smells like you just stepped out of the salon.

Final Verdict

Using the best dry shampoo between wash days can help prolong the life of your blowout. Our top pick is Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray because it immediately absorbs excess scalp oil without leaving behind a noticeable residue or awful itchiness (IYKYK). Speaking of itchiness, if you find your scalp to be super sensitive to product use, Klorane's Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk is the choice for you. It's gentle but it does the trick of eliminating oil and reviving the hair without leaving it feeling weighed down.

What to Look For When Buying a Dry Shampoo Formula

Color

The single most important thing to consider when choosing a dry shampoo is if it’s tinted or not. For those new to the game, traditional dry shampoos can be quite light and chalky, sometimes leaving a grey-ish tint on dark hair tones. If you do have brunette to black hair, try a product specifically formulated for this as it will be darker, thus easier to blend and absorb (and no Halloween-esque roots). On that note, normal or blonde-tinted dry shampoo options can also double as a root cover-up spray in between salon sessions.

Scent

Some dry shampoos come heavily fragranced, so if you’re sensitive to strong perfumes, you might be best to avoid them. On the flip side, if masking dirty hair and odor is your endgame, try a fresh, scented option (we won’t tell if you don’t).

FAQ

How does dry shampoo work?

Dry shampoos typically work by depositing oil-absorbing ingredients like silica, rice starch, charcoal, clay, or volcanic minerals into dry hair, generally at the roots. These mop up shine and excess product build-up without the need for water. The result is hair that feels cleaner, lighter, and more voluminous.
How do you apply dry shampoo?

Hold your product 10 or so inches away from your head, spray into the root area (or wherever you want to reduce grease), and wait a full two minutes. Once done, work into the hair with fingers, a brush, or your hairdryer, then revel in your full, soft, clean hair.
Is dry shampoo bad for your hair?

"Dry shampoos should not be used as a regular replacement for real shampoo, as they simply do not clean the scalp; they do not remove oils, dead skin cells, pollution, sweat, or other products," says Anabel Kingsley, head trichologist at Philip Kingsley. Too much dry shampoo can also cause irritation or build-up in some hair types, so be sure to treat them as a backup, and not a hair washing replacement (as tempting as it may be).

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough dry shampoo from Black-owned and/or Black-founded businesses to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.

11 Sea Salt Sprays That Make Scoring Beach Waves Easier Than Ever