Dry shampoo is often considered a must-have for summer but it’s actually a year-round essential. Everything from styling products to environmental pollution to natural oils that accumulate on your scalp can lead to buildup and residue, which have the not-so-great effect of weighing down your hair and leaving it feeling blah. To the rescue: dry shampoo. The oil-absorbing formula is not a substitute for washing your hair, but the best dry shampoos can instantly refresh things without disrupting your hairstyle or creating the annoying need to lather up more frequently (a move that should be avoided according to hairstylists who will adamantly tell you: Don’t wash your hair too often!).
Applying dry shampoo is simple (just spray and go), but you might be fuzzy about how to pick the right one among all the options out there. Ahead, the 13 best dry shampoos to add into your rotation, from drugstore classics to volumizing all-stars.
- Best Dry Shampoo Overall: Suave Pink Dry Hair Shampoo Hair Refresher
- Best Dry Shampoo For Fine Hair: Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo
- Best Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair: Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo Dark Tones
- Best Natural Dry Shampoo: Act + Acre Plant Based Dry Shampoo
- Best Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo
- Best Colorless Dry Shampoo: Garnier Fructis Invisible Melon-tini Dry Shampoo
- Best Dry Shampoo For Dull Hair: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo
- Best Texturizing Dry Shampoo: Authentic Beauty Concept Dry Shampoo
- Best Scented Dry Shampoo: Quai Super Dry Shampoo
- Best Dry Shampoo For Any Budget: Sephora Collection Dry Shampoo
- Best Talc-Free Dry Shampoo: Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo
- Best Gentle Formula Dry Shampoo: Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
- Best Drugstore Dry Shampoo: Batiste Original Dry Shampoo
Best Dry Shampoo Overall
This dry shampoo will keep your dirty little hair secrets safe, so you’ll never have to feel guilty about rocking greasy hair. The refreshing spray will clear your conscience and convince you to stretch your style to day five, since it absorbs oil and odor without leaving behind residue.
Best Dry Shampoo For Fine Hair
Not only is this plant-based dry shampoo a godsend for freshening up dirty tresses, it’s also one the best products for beefing up fine or flat hair. It makes your hair appear fuller by getting rid of the oils that weigh your strands down.
Best Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair
The super fine rice starches in this pick are tinted, so they blend in seamlessly on dark hair without leaving behind the dreaded white residue. Spray it on and then massage it in to help absorb oil and product buildup.
Best Natural Dry Shampoo
Act + Acre’s ultra-popular plant-based dry shampoo has a loyal following among clean beauty fans who give it five stars for being lightweight, non-scented and calming to the scalp. It’s made with fulvic acid, a healing nutrient extracted from organic plant matter that restores your scalp’s microbiome to prevent irritation.
Best Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair
The Binchotan charcoal in this dry shampoo from Briogeo detoxifies and draws out impurities from the scalp and hair, while botanicals help normalize oil production and nurture the hair follicle. This not only mops up oil and grease, but actually prevents an oily scalp from happening in the first place—making this dry shampoo more than just a temporary fix.
Best Colorless Dry Shampoo
This silicone-free dry shampoo leaves zero visible residue behind, just a mellow, fruity fragrance. It gets high marks from obsessed reviewers who love how it doesn’t make hair feel “stiff or chalky while still taking care of the oil!”
Best Dry Shampoo For Dull Hair
Living Proof’s newest iteration of its popular dry shampoo does more than make your hair look clean—it actually cleanses. The updated formula’s powders absorb oil, dirt and sweat from the scalp and strands, which are then easily removed with a quick brush-through, shake or blow-dry. And a touch of weightless conditioners bump up your shine to mimic the effects of freshly washed hair.
Best Texturizing Dry Shampoo
It is not what's on the outside that counts (although the sleek pink packaging will draw you in), it is what’s on the inside that matters. This dry shampoo is silicone-free, which means it won't dry out your hair, and it's formulated with rice starch to give hair grip and moldable texture.
Best Scented Dry Shampoo
If scent is the deciding factor, then this is the dry shampoo for you. It offers everything you would expect from dry shampoo and a little more. The decadent notes from top to bottom create a rich rosy scent, while volcanic minerals detoxify the scalp and give the hair body.
Best Dry Shampoo For Any Budget
Between professional blowouts and the serums that keep them smooth and sleek, haircare can be expensive. Fortunately, The Sephora Collection features a range of affordable products that will help you maintain your favorite hairstyles without breaking the bank. The newest addition to the cost-saving lineup is this vegan dry shampoo that gives oily hair a fresh look and feel. Shake and spray the product onto the lifeless parts of your hair for an instant revival.
Best Talc-Free Dry Shampoo
Most dry shampoos contain aluminum starch and talc to aid in oil absorption. This formula is one of the few sprays made without those ingredients and it’s just as effective for lifting oil from your hair. If you’re on the natural beauty wave, this dry shampoo will be your fave.
Best Gentle Formula Dry Shampoo
Klorane’s dry shampoo is designed for all hair types, but its soothing oat milk-infused formula is especially great for those with sensitive scalps. Another bonus is its fine powders that don’t feel heavy in your hair but still do a great job at absorbing oil. It can be purchased in a non-aerosol bottle as well.
Best Drugstore Dry Shampoo
Bastide’s cult-favorite dry shampoo formulas garner thousands and thousands of five-star reviews. Fans give it glowing compliments and praise for its fresh scent, reliable oil-absorbing ability and volumizing power.
