12 Natural Dry Shampoos That Really Do Work

by Melanie Rud
Updated 11/22/19

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If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times—dry shampoo is undoubtedly one of the most valuable products in our entire beauty arsenal. High praise, yes, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another staple we’re more reliant upon. While there are quite a few of our tried-and-true favorites out there, we decided it was time to think outside of the dry shampoo box a bit. As much as we heart them, many traditional formulas are filled with questionable ingredients, such as talc, which has been linked to cancer, as well as LPGs (liquid petroleum gas) such as propane, butane, and isobutane. They’re what propel the shampoo out of traditional aerosol bottles, but can be potentially problematic for your health. They’re also known to be harmful to the environment, particularly the ozone layer.

So we set out to find some more eco-friendly, cleaner formulas. Admittedly, many ‘clean’ hair products can sometimes fall short in the efficacy or enjoyable-to-use departments, but that’s certainly not the case here.

Ahead, the best natural dry shampoos for those looking to make the switch to cleaner formulas.

Best Overall: Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo

Byrdie editors repeatedly rave about this 100% natural option. In fact, our senior editor says she’s always asked if she just got a blowout anytime she uses it. (We call that #ironic). Dust the plant-based powder onto your roots to both absorb excess oil and grime, and give limp locks a punch of volume in one fell sprinkle.

Best Budget: Acure Dry Shampoo

Certified organic and vegan, this one's price point is a great deal in the world of natural dry shampoos. Not to mention that it’s also a universally great pick for all hair types and textures. Top tip: Squeeze some onto your brush, then brush through hair for easy, even application.

Best for Oily Hair: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo

 Courtesy of Sephora

With ingredients that address both the hair and the scalp, this pick truly gets to the root of the issue (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves). An extra-purifying type of Japanese charcoal removes impurities, witch hazel normalizes oil production, and biotin helps support healthy hair growth. All with a clean, 98% naturally-derived formula.

Best for All Textures: Captain Blankenship Organic Mermaid Dry Shampoo

Captain Blankenship Organic Mermaid Dry Shampoo

Courtesy of Amazon

Key Ingredients

Kaolin clay is a naturally occurring clay mineral, also known as china clay. It strengthens hair, improves elasticity, and helps repair damaged hair.

A foolproof option across the board, this works just as well to pump up fine hair as it does to keep thick curls smooth and in shape. Arrowroot powder, baking soda, and kaolin clay are the stars of the cleansing show, while essential oils give it its signature beachy-yet-floral scent. Also nice: The packaging is sustainable.

Best Foam: Innersense Refresh Dry Shampoo

It can take a second to get used to using a foam dry shampoo, but for those who don’t love the sprinkle-on powders, this is a nice alternative. The other benefit? The airy texture helps impart extra volume, too, as does the organic honey in the formula. Use one to two pumps at the root and let air dry, or hit it with a blow dryer for even more fullness.

Best for Overnight: Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Overnight Dry Shampoo

Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Overnight Dry Shampoo

 Courtesy of Kaia Naturals

It’s one of our favorite dry shampoo tips of all time: Use the good stuff at night, so that it can do its thing while you snooze, soaking up excess oil as it crops up. Available in both light and dark shades (and travel-friendly size, too) it combines activated charcoal with mico-fine powders to ensure you wake up with hair that looks and feels like you just left the salon. Time-activated deodorizers work to then keep it smelling fresh all day long.

Best Multi-Tasker: Cocokind Calming Powder

Cocokind Calming Powder

 Courtesy of Cocokind

Yes, this works great as a dry shampoo, but it can also be used as a skin soother or even baby powder…the formula is that clean. We’re talking only four different types of powders, all organic, that both absorb unwanted moisture (in the case of hair, oil) and also soothe skin. A big win if you’re also dealing with a stressed-out scalp.

Best Scent: Lulu Organics Hair Powder and Dry Shampoo

There’s not one, not two, but six different scents of this powder to choose from, as well as an unscented option. In each case, those yummy fragrance combos (think options like lavender and clary sage, or patchouli and amber) are derived from natural essential oils. Plus, how freaking cute is the vintage-inspired packaging?

Best Organic: Beauty by Earth Dry Shampoo + Volume Powder

The quest for clean formulas—as it pertains to any type of beauty product—can be challenging and filled with lots of ingredient label reading. That’s why seeking out distinct certifications, such as USDA Organic, is always a smart shortcut. This squeaky clean formula has that distinction and is also Leaping Bunny certified so you can feel confident knowing it’s also cruelty-free. Bonus points for the squeeze bottle with a pointed tip, which makes a targeted application at the root easier than ever.

Best Luxe Option: La Tierra Sagrada Dry Shampoo

La Tierra Sagrada Dry Shampoo

 Courtesy of Credo

A bit pricey for a dry shampoo, yes, but this is worth every penny. Along with arrowroot powder and baking powder to sop up oil, it also contains horsetail, a mineral that can help strengthen hair, and two different Chinese and Ayurvedic adaptogens to help with hair loss. It comes in both light and dark shades, and you get a brush with it, too.

Best for Blondes: Zabana Essentials Dry Tinted Shampoo

Zabana Essentials Dry Tinted Shampoo Lavender Citrus-Mint Light Medium

Courtesy of Detox Market

Two types of clay soak up excess oil in this light-tinted powder that disappears on blond hair. Along with the fitting color, it also touts bamboo and horsetail extracts which helps strengthen hair, a major win for blond strands which tend to be more damaged or damage-prone than other hair colors.

Best for Brunettes: Bambu Earth Darker Hair Dry Shampoo

Bambu Earth Darker Hair Dry Shampoo

 Courtesy of Bambu Earth 

As any dark-haired girl will tell you, dry shampoos are often notorious for the tell-tale white residue they can leave in hair. This can be even more of an issue when it comes to natural, powder formulas since these are more concentrated than their aerosol counterparts. Happily, this talc-free option (which is also made in the USA with ethically-traded ingredients, we should add) touts the addition of cocoa powder to give it a naturally darker tint that blends seamlessly into brown hair.

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