10 Natural Dry Shampoos That Really Do Work—We Promise

Updated on Oct 22, 2021

Reviewed by

Trichologist

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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 we have many tried-and-true favorites, we decided it was time to think outside the box a bit. Many traditional dry shampoos are filled with questionable ingredients like talc, which has been linked to cancer, and LPGs (liquid petroleum gas) like propane, butane, and isobutane, which propel the shampoo out of traditional aerosol bottles but can be potentially problematic for your health. So we set out to find some more eco-friendly, cleaner formulas that are effective and easy to use.

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

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo at Amazon

Dust the plant-based powder onto your roots to both absorb excess oil and grime and give limp locks a punch of volume.

Runner-Up, Best Overall:

Franklin + Whitman Dry Shampoo at Franklinandwhitman.com

A finely-milled formula, this dry shampoo is especially easy to sprinkle on for an instant root refresh.

Best Budget:

Acure Dry Shampoo at Amazon

Certified organic and vegan, this one's price point is a great deal in the world of natural dry shampoos.

Best for Oily Hair:

Briogeo Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo at Amazon

This pick truly gets to the root of the issue with ingredients like witch hazel that work to get rid of excess sebum.

Best Organic:

Beauty by Earth Organic Dry Shampoo Powder at Amazon

This squeaky clean formula is USDA Organic and Leading Bunny-certified.

Best for Blondes:

Primally Pure Natural Dry Shampoo Light Locks at Primallypure.com

Perfect for blonde and gray strands, this dry shampoo disappears completely after applied.

Best Scent:

Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Dry Shampoo at Amazon

There’s not one, not two, but six different scents of this powder to choose from, as well as an unscented option.

Best Foam:

InnerSense Organic Refresh Dry Shampoo at Amazon

The foam texture of this dry shampoo helps to impart extra volume.

Best Volumizing:

Hair Dance Volumizing Dry Shampoo at Amazon

An Amazon fave, this dry shampoo both freshens and volumizes.

Best for All Hair Textures:

Act + Acre Plant Based Dry Shampoo at Revolve.com

Great for all textures, this product pumps up fine hair, keeps thick curls smooth, and refreshes natural hair in between washes.

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Byrdie editors repeatedly rave about this 100% natural option. In fact, senior editor Lindsey Metrus says that each time she uses it, people ask her if she just got a blowout. (We call that #ironic.) Dust the plant-based powder onto your roots to absorb excess oil and grime, as well as give limp locks a punch of volume in one fell sprinkle.

View On Franklinandwhitman.com

This finely-milled formula is especially easy to sprinkle on for an instant root refresh; credit a blend of four different starches, powders, and clay. We also appreciate that it comes in two different (natural) scents, with both a light and dark hair option in each. But our fave part? The brand—which pledges that all of the ingredients used in its products are cruelty-free and plant-based—donates 5% of every purchase to support dog rescue organizations. Be still our puppy-loving hearts.

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

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal &#43; Biotin Dry Shampoo

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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 hair growth—all with a clean, 98% naturally-derived formula.

Beauty by Earth Organic Dry Shampoo Powder

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The quest for clean formulas—as it pertains to any type of beauty product—can be challenging. 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.

Primally Pure Natural Dry Shampoo Light Locks

View On Primallypure.com

Sure, dry shampoo may look less obvious on blondes than brunettes, but that doesn’t mean that white residue can’t still be apparent on lighter hair. Happily, this powder has more of an off-white tone that disappears completely on blonde hair; it’s also a choice pick for those with grey strands. A carefully chosen trio of essential oils not only smells great, but also imparts added benefits: grapefruit oil cleanses, lavender oil soothes the scalp, and peppermint oil helps stimulate hair growth.

Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Dry Shampoo

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You can choose between six different scents of this powder, 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?

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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.

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This Amazon fave earns rave reviews from devoted users both for quickly freshening up hair and imparting lots of volume. While some do note that the application method can take some getting used to when compared to traditional aerosol sprays, many point out that a little goes a long way and one bottle lasts for months on end. A universal tint that blends in with many different hair colors, as well as a naturally derived lavender scent, are just added bonuses.

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A foolproof option across the board, this works just as well at pumping up fine hair as it does at keeping thick curls smooth and in shape as it does to refresh natural hair in between washes. Aerosol-free, the pump-top still delivers a nice and even dispersion of the product, which boasts oil- and odor-absorbing rice and tapioca powders. Also noteworthy is the addition of mineral-rich fulvic acid, which the brand notes helps to rebalance the scalp’s microbiome, essential for keeping both the scalp and hair healthy.

Final Verdict

Many traditional dry shampoos are a sneaky source of potential chemicals. For those seeking a cleaner alternative, both the Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo (view at Sephora) and Franklin + Whitman Dry Shampoo (view at Franklin + Whitman) are fool-proof picks. (The latter also comes in two different scents and options for both blondes and brunettes.) Budget-conscious shoppers will appreciate the very wallet-friendly Acure Dry Shampoo (view at Thrive Market), which also happens to be certified organic. Don’t love powders? The Innersense Refresh Dry Shampoo (view at Amazon) is a foam formula that both quickly freshens hair and also imparts lots of volume.

These Natural Shampoos Work Just as Well as Traditional Formulas

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