The Easiest DIY Dry Shampoo For All Hair Colors
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We LOVE DIY'ing and making your own organic dry shampoo is SO easy and it will save you some much money too! A really good DIY dry shampoo can help tackle oily roots, give your hair extra volume and work as a good styling aid, it can separate curls and add a subtle hold too.
It also reduces waste substantially. We know the skincare industry is ripe with plastic pollution. In 2018, in the U.S. alone, almost 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic were created just for beauty and personal care products. And even though sustainable skincare brands are taking a huge bite out of the plastic pollution problem, we still have work to do!
So, we hope you will give this DIY a try!
What is DIY dry shampoo?
According to Wikipedia:
"Dry shampoo otherwise known as hybrid shampoo is a type of shampoo that reduces hair greasiness without the need for water. It is in powder form and is typically administered from an aerosol can."
Why consider a DIY dry shampoo?
Most conventional dry shampoo's come in aerosol cans, it's why we recommend making the switch to natural dry shampoos. To make the products shoot out they use propane and butane, two ingredients that come from crude oil. The issue is when butane is used, there is a risk of a byproduct chemical known as benzene being present.
Benzene is a known human carcinogen and has been linked to many cancers, including leukemia. When we use aerosols we are at a higher risk of exposure to chemicals because we are typically in an enclosed space making beating in those harmful particles more prevalent.
Other ingredients include:
- Parabens & Phthalates are two ingredients we want you to avoid in your skincare products. Both are suspected endocrine disrupters!
- Aluminum is a heavy metal that can cause headaches and has been linked to Alzheimer’s.
- Others contain alcohol, talc, artificial fragrances, and other synthetic ingredients.
Ingredients we use to make dry shampoo
- Arrowroot Powder: Absorbs oils and helps to make the hair softer and thicker, it revitalizes the scalp and is packed full of nutrients. It's the perfect ingredient for a DIY dry shampoo for oily hair!
- Bentonite Clay: Cleanses the scalp and strengthens the hair. It's used in dry shampoo because of its good absorption properties.
- Essential oils: Adding essential oils to your dry shampoo will give it a subtle smell. But they are optional in this recipe. Scents we love include grapefruit, peppermint, or eucalyptus.
- Unsweetened Cocoa powder, organic cinnamon powder, and activated charcoal are used not only for their nutrients but also to customize the shade to your own hair color. The cocoa powder is really great for DIY dry shampoo for dark hair.
How to customize your dry shampoo for your hair color?
- Light/blonde hair: Arrowroot, bentonite clay, and essential oils.
- Brown/brunette hair: Arrowroot, bentonite clay, unsweetened cocoa powder, and essential oils.
- Black hair: Arrowroot, bentonite clay, activated charcoal, and essential oils.
- Red/strawberry blonde hair: Arrowroot, bentonite clay, cinnamon powder, and essential oils.
We've kept the recipes really simple, our best advice is to start with the amount suggested and then add more if you need to. Everyone's hair color is a little different so play around.
Full Recipe for DIY Dry Shampoo
DIY Dry Shampoo
Say goodbye to your bad hair day with this natural and organic DIY Dry Shampoo Recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp arrowroot (cornstarch is fine too)
- 1 tbsp bentonite clay
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (for brown hair)
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder (for red hair)
- 2 tsp activated charcoal (for black hair)
- 10 Drops Essential Oils (use whatever you like) optional
Instructions
1. Mix the arrowroot and bentonite clay into a bowl
2. If you have black hair, add the activated charcoal
3. If you have red hair, add the cinnamon
4. If you have brown hair, add cocoa
5. If you have light or blonde hair just use arrowroot and bentonite
6. Add the 10 drops of essential oils to the mix in the bowl
7. Place the mix into a sterilized jar. Reuse a container if you can
8. Shake before use
9. Store in a cool, dark place, will keep for 3 months
Notes
How to use DIY Dry Shampoo?
Step 1: Using a comb part your hair in small sections. Part the oiliest sections.
Step 2: Using an applicator brush, sprinkle a little powder onto the brush, not too much, less is more here.
Step 3: Gently dab the brush onto your oily roots
Step 4: Use your fingertips (make sure your hands are clean) to gently massage and distribute the power into the scalp and hair.
Step 5: Brush your hair, this helps to distribute the power more evenly.
Only apply dry shampoo to the areas that need it and the amount of product you use will depend on how oily your hair is.
Applying it the night before will help all the ingredients do their dirty work by absorbing the excess oil.
A final word on DIY dry shampoo
Simplifying your haircare routine will not only save you money but helps the planet too. If you dry shampoo often you know there is a tom of waste that comes with the containers it's found in and even though there are so many great clean beauty brands we still have a long way to go where plastic bottles are concerned.
