By Emry Trantham
A homemade dry shampoo recipe that’s simple, inexpensive, all-natural, and effective! What else could you want in a homemade beauty product?
How Often to Wash Hair?
There was a time in my life when I was one of those people who washed my hair every single day. I took a shower every morning, dried my hair, and straightened it with a flat iron. I did that all through high school and college, even though it took me at least half an hour each day. Looking back, I can’t believe how much of my life I’ve spent drying my hair. With homemade dry shampoo, you don’t need to dry it!
Part of the reason that it used to take me so long to do my hair is that my hair is thick. Seriously, hairstylists marvel over how much hair I have. (That’s always a hard thing to reply to, by the way. Do I say thanks? Are they even complimenting me? Are they actually kind of complaining because my hair is more work? I can never tell.)
After a few different hairstylists styled my hair and then said something like, “Wow, I hope you don’t wash this every day! That would take so much time!” it occurred to me that perhaps I really should start skipping a few showers.
Wash Every Other Day
So I did. I started washing my hair every other day. It was a little oily at first, and sometimes it was really hard to make it through that second day without giving in and washing it. But I was determined to give it a good try at least, and within a few weeks, my hair had adjusted to my new schedule and was hardly getting oily at all between showers. Homemade dry shampoo helps cut down on oiliness too.
In fact, it went so well that I started fantasizing about going even longer without washing my hair. Could I wait three days? Four? A week? I had won back so much time in my life, and if anything, it made me detest styling my hair even more.
Dry Shampoo
If you want a wet shampoo you can make our liquid homemade shampoo recipe.
Homemade dry shampoo was the obvious solution to my problem. When a friend suggested it to me I went and picked up a can from Target immediately. It did NOT impress me. It smelled weird and it felt weird, and those are two deal-breakers for me when it comes to products that I use on my body. (I don’t even want to think about what the ingredients were. I’m sure they weren’t all-natural!)
Still, I was intrigued by the idea of dry shampoo, and it occurred to me that I could probably make some form of it on my own. Thus began my quest to develop a natural homemade dry shampoo!
Homemade Dry Shampoo Recipe
A homemade dry shampoo recipe that's simple, inexpensive, all-natural, and effective! What else could you want in a homemade beauty product?
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Active Time
- 5 minutes
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Servings
- 4 ounces
- Estimated Cost
- $2
Ingredients
- ½ cup cornstarch
Optional Additions
- 3-4 drops essential oil (for scent)
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (for people with darker hair)
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon (for people with red or auburn hair)
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients well and store your all-natural, homemade dry shampoo in the container of your choice. Some good options are a mason jar with holes poked in the lid (the method I used), a large, un-used salt shaker, or a recycled parmesan cheese container.
Application
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Apply dry shampoo at the roots of the hair. Use a brush or a comb and separate sections of your hair, shaking the powder onto your scalp. Massage it into the surrounding hair and let it sit for approximately two minutes–just enough time to absorb all that oil! When you’re finished brush the dry shampoo through your hair until it is no longer visible.
Results
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I was eventually able to cut my styling time down to nearly nothing, by the way. It mostly involved giving up on straight hair forever and embracing my natural curls, but I have to say that dry shampoo helps too. It hasn’t replaced my regular hair-washing routine, but it does help me get an extra day or two when I need it.
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For something that’s simple and inexpensive to make, all-natural homemade dry shampoo is very effective!
Notes
There are many different substances that you can use as the base of homemade dry shampoo. Ground-up oatmeal, arrowroot powder, and a variety of other fine, absorptive powders can be used. I like organic cornstarch because it’s easy to find and it’s something that I always have around the house anyway.
Made this recipe?
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Don’t Want to Make Homemade Dry Shampoo?
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What about for blonde hair? What do you use for this? You left us out
I have white silver hair and always just baby powder.
She didn’t. You just don’t have to add anything to the corn starch for blonde hair unless you want to add some essential oils. She only suggests adding coco and cinnamon so the light corn starch doesn’t show up in their dark hair. Hope this helps!
OMG this is a recipe that use to made MT great grandes mother, well She use to use baby powder and brushed her white hair. I have The same problem thick And abundant hair. My stylish recommend me do not wash My hair every day. It was difficult at the begining because I live in a hot and wet place. But now My hair looks healthy now, And My dye stays more time on It. I will try the recipe with Romero oil!
Even though I have long, semi-oily hair that hasn’t been cut/trimmed in 30 years, I have never heard of “dry” shampoo. But in December of 2013, I started using no shampoo, just hot water. At first, I didn’t tell my husband & children because I wanted to see if they noticed. They did not! I told them I didn’t want to look dirty, and if I my hair ever started looking oily to let me know. It was hard at first. I was so use to that silky feeling of fresh washed hair. But I endured & gladly can say I’m happy with my hair. My hair is dandruff free, thicker, more manageable, & few, if any, split ends can be found! Also, I stopped using hair spray!
Recently I discovered my husband stopped using shampoo too, and I hadn’t even noticed! His dandruff was MUCH worse than mine, and is almost completely gone now. I’m no expert, but I think that the natural, God given oils in our scalp strengthens & coats the hair while preventing dry scalp.
I love the idea of dry shampoo. My hair is long, thick and curly. I have to use a lot of product to get it to stay in some form of professionalism. My hair isn’t oily at all. If anything it’s dry (ongoing problem). Would this be something for me and would it remove any gel or hairspray?
I don’t think it would remove gel or hairspray–it’s mostly meant to absorb oil. It might not be the best solution for your hair needs, but it might be worth a try!
Great article! I am a brunette with curly hair, I use arrowroot/ cocoa powder mix and apply using an old blush brush. I let it sit a minute or so and massage into my scalp gently. Gives me crazy lift at the roots:)
I just have to ask…doesn’t this leave white powder in your hair? If so, it seems it would look like dandruff…..?
It’s not as noticeable as you would think. If you brush it through well, you can hardly see it at all, especially if you’re using the correct color for your hair. Even when it’s not brushed through, though, it really doesn’t look at all like dandruff because it isn’t flaky.
[what about blond hair?]
I am eager to try dry shampoo. It seems more and more ladies are “talking” about it these days. I have always had pretty oily and thin hair that needed to be washed everyday. But since eliminating sugar and dairy from my diet, my hair is not as “dirty” anymore. If I make this I would probably use a little cocoa powder so my hair doesn’t turn “gray”, but I’m wondering: which essential oil would smell good with cocoa? I’d love some specific recommendations.
I like the smell of Patchouli and Chocolate together.
That’s a good idea! I would probably only use essential oils with the plain cornstarch, personally, because I like the smell of chocolate and cinnamon by themselves.
I I love the scent of cocoa with either peppermint or raspberry extracts.
I make mine with both cocoa powder and a teaspoon or less of cinnamon as I my brown hair has blond and red highlights in it. I don’t use as much cinnamon powder as I know I have a reaction to cinnamon oil touching my skin. My scalp seems to need washing before the rest of my hair does, so using this allows me to wash my hair less often. I just brush it on my problem areas with an old makeup brush, then go through my hair with a paddle brush. Works great!
I don’t understand what the cocoa powder and cinnamon do. I would think the cornstarch would dry out your scalp.
The cinnamon & cocoa powder add color. I am a brunette & if I used straight cornstarch, it would really show up on my hair. I don’t use this really often, just when my hair really needs to be washed & I just don’t have the time (maybe once a month or so). I haven’t had a problem with it drying out my scalp, but I don’t know how it would be if I used it more frequently. Like others have said, I have mine in a small container & use a big makeup brush to apply it. I let it sit for 10 minutes or so, to absorb the oil, then brush my hair well.
I’ve tried dry shampoos before and they just don’t work for my hair. I have very oily skin. My hair by my scalp is actually greasy in the morning and no amount of dry shampoo helps with that. I’d love not to have to shampoo my hair everyday but alas not everyone has skin dry enough to do this.
I don’t know if I’ll use this on my hair–I have short fine hair that sticks up all over when I get up in the morning. Washing my hair in the shower in the morning, still seems like the way to go for me.
However, I think this will work great on my dogs between professional groomings! I think I’ll give it a try tonight.
Robyn, I too have short fine hair and it’s really greasy and all over the place when I wake up so I definitely have to wash it every day. However, I fly long haul about twice a year and after 11 hours on an aeroplane my hair is limp and greasy and miserable, and then so am I. This sort of thing is PERFECT for a quick spruce-up in the toilet before I get off the plane and it works wonders for my frame of mind 🙂
I have had very oily, thin hair all my life. I found cornstarch very early on and used it around my hairline and into my upper scalp just to make it through each day, along with my daily shampoos. I use it less often now but, when I do, I part my hair in thin sections and apply the cornstarch with a makeup brush. I use a slightly damp towel to remove some of the residual powder that remains in my darker hair after I brush it through. I never add cocoa or cinnamon to the cornstarch–either would be appropriate for my color–because, as much as I don’t think I scratch my head, that stuff ends up under my nails and makes my hands look dirty. Plain cornstarch us not noticeable.
Just wanted to mention, please becareful with corn starch,
or any corn products which are mostly GMOs and Corn
is considered highly contaminated. Should not be consumed.
(Dr.Blaylock) Thanks Nan
Organic cornstarch is GMO free 🙂 That’s one of the requirements of being USDA certified.
More than 90% of the corn (and other products as well) in the U.S. has GMO’S in it
My hair has always been very oily. When I was a teen growing up in the ’60’s, I had to wash my long hair every day to keep it fresh. I sometimes would use a pinch of cornstarch on my bangs and at the roots in the part of my hair to put the shampooing off for one more day.
Yes! I have, though what I have is an old powdered make up container filled with cocoa powder(I’m a brunette!) and I have an old powder brush I always use to brush the cocoa into my roots. I love it and always helps on the days when I don’t have time for a shower but need my hair to look cleaner.
I use baking soda and rice vinegar. Put 2 Tbsp of baking soda in a 1 pint container fill with water pour over your head working it in as you go. Put 2 Tbsp of vinegar in container fill with water and rinse. And I can go about a week between washing’s.
It’s really funny to me: Even before I started doing DIY recipes I used to sprinkle cornstarch in my hair in between showers…my hair gets oily really fast…now I read it on here…I love it!!! The thought occurred to me as well that it will be a real energy saver…not using up all that water in the shower, instead just “spit-bathing”!! lol…I have also started filling a small tub with water in the shower, and using that for washing, shaving, and rinsing my body instead of running the shower the whole time…trying all I can to save energy, and be more conscious of my choices…feels good!!! 🙂