Whether you want to freshen up a stale style, zap oil, or add volume to your hair, dry shampoo is a godsend (without pulling out your favorite hair styling tools). By reducing true washing, you can save time in the morning or maintain color-treated hair. However, there are a plethora of dry shampoos available everywhere, from drugstores to salons, all claiming to be the best, making it difficult to narrow it down. In the quest of what is the best dry shampoo, we are here to guide you.
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We gathered all of the best-reviewed dry shampoos and put the sprays, powders, and foams to the test on fine, straight, thick, and curly hair. Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo (available at Amazon) took the top rank after hours of testing due to its fresh aroma, inexpensive price range, and wonderfully clean sensation. You might be shocked by what else we discovered.
The best dry shampoos we tested and ranked are listed below.
Our top picks:
- Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo (best overall)
- DryBar Detox Dry Shampoo (best luxury)
- MorroccanOil Dry Shampoo (best for curly hair)
Other Dry Shampoos:
- Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo
- Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo
- Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo
- Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo
- Ouai Dry Shampoo Foam
- Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
- Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
- Batiste Dry Shampoo
- R+Co Skyline Dry Shampoo Powder
Our Top Picks
Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo
Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo – Price: $14.99 at Amazon
At a terrific price, truly clean-feeling (and -looking!) hair!
Dove's dry shampoo left hair feeling almost suspiciously clean, fresher than any other product we tested. In any hair type, from thin, light hair to thick, dark locks, the spray is fine and leaves little to no visible residue or chalky buildup. The spray doesn't weigh hair down or stiffen it, but it also doesn't add a lot of volume. It has the recognizable fresh aroma of Dove products, which many people are familiar with and enjoy. Dove's dry shampoo won't let you down if you want your hair to feel clean and fresh.
Pros
- Little residue is left
- Doesn't weigh hair down
Cons
- Doesn't add much hair volume
DryBar Detox Dry Shampoo
Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo – Price: $22.00 at Amazon
Adding volume and texture while soaking up a lot of oil.
Detox DryBar dry shampoo is the ideal dry shampoo: it delivers high-impact texture and volume while zapping grease and excess oil with just a spritz, despite not being a texturizing spray. It's both incredible and effective. It features the brand's signature musky salon aroma, which may be perfumey if not overbearing. It creates a residue on the roots that can make them feel chalky after use, but the trade-off is a great volume. To match your hair color, the spray comes in light and dark tones. Keep in mind that you can get six bottles of Dove for the price of one Detox, so it's not the most cost-effective option, but it's wonderful for oily hair.
Pros
- Ends excess oil
- Available in light & dark tone
Cons
MorroccanOil Dry Shampoo
Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo – Price: $26.00 at Amazon
Hair that feels clean and silky yet isn't chalky or dried out.
Moroccanoil dry shampoo is ideal for curly, dry, or dehydrated hair. It's infused with argan oil, which hydrates while degreasing and really leaves hair feeling clean and silky rather than chalky and lifeless while still providing volume. It comes in light and dark tones to match hair, and a quick massage of the scalp removes any visible residue. It has a subtle vanilla perfume that isn't overpowering, and testers said it "smells really good" and "is the finest of the lot." While it doesn't absorb as much oil as DryBar's Detox, it's an excellent choice for individuals who have dryer locks or scalp concerns and are looking for the best natural dry shampoo.
Pros
- Good for dry hair
- Enhances volume
Cons
How Did We Test?
We put the items to the test the same way you would: by spritzing dry shampoo on our limp or greasy hair, concentrating on the roots, and letting it work its magic. We paired up with a senior scientist to evaluate and weight outcomes using scientifically calibrated criteria, which is different from how you may test.
We graded each product on how well it absorbed oil, if it left any residue, whether it added volume, the strength and purity of the aroma, and other factors to determine which dry shampoo is truly the best. We also considered how clean our hair felt and how frequently we had to reapply the product after each use.
Not every aspect of our tests was equally important: oil reduction, for example, was given significantly more weight than the amount of product utilized. After all, while some of what makes a dry shampoo fantastic are subjective, some are actually superior, while others are simply not worth the money.
Things to Keep in Mind While Buying Dry Shampoo
Your scalp can be damaged if you wash your hair every day. Dry shampoo can be very handy in this situation. Dry shampoos not only absorb grease and perspiration but also impart a fresh aroma, making them a big way to prolong the life of a blowout, freshen up after a workout, or keep hair dye from washing down the drain. However, other than the best shampoo for dry damaged hair, not all dry shampoos are made equal. Here are some things to think about before you buy:
Formula: Would you prefer dry shampoo in the shape of an aerosol spray, powder, or even foam? Consider whether you like the convenience of a spray or the precision of applying the product directly to your hair with your hands.
Scent: Is it important for you to smell freshly shampooed, do you prefer a product with a stronger scent, or are you unconcerned about the scent? Keep in mind that certain dry shampoos, such as Dove, have a shampoo-like scent, but others, such as DryBar's Detox and Living Proof, have a more perfume-like scent.
Volume: Do you want your style to have more volume and texture? Keep in mind that the trade-off is usually a grittiness in the hair and a slightly starchy sensation. Although your hair will look great, you may not want to run your hands through it.
Cleanliness: If you want silky smooth, touchable hair, seek a dry shampoo that doesn't claim to provide a lot of volume or structure. Products like Oribe's Gold Lust or Moroccanoil are excellent examples of grease-absorbing products that actually leave hair feeling cleaner.
Other Dry Shampoos
Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo
Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo – Price: $48.00 at Amazon
Dry shampoo from Oribe is light, undetectable, and adds no grip or weight to your hair. It has a delicate, faintly lemony scent and leaves absolutely no residue: most dry shampoos leave behind white dust that must be rubbed in, while Oribe is unnoticeable on touch in even dark hair while completely eliminating all evidence of oil. Its performance is comparable to Dove's in this regard. It does what it says on the tin, but at an extravagant price: additionally, the spray bursts out like a jet engine, which might feel wasteful for such a pricey item.
Pros
- Appealing citric odor
- Almost no residue is left behind
Cons
Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo
Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo Spray – Price: $7.59 at Amazon
Psst! For years, dry shampoo has been a pharmacy staple. It leaves hair feeling light after usage, with some product accumulation but not too chalky or heavy—however, it doesn't do a fantastic job of decreasing oil or adding volume and texture. It gets the job done in a pinch, but it's not really noteworthy or life-changing.
Pros
- Lightweight feeling of hair
Cons
- Doesn't enhance much volume
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – Price: $25.00 at Amazon
Amika Perk Up dry shampoo would appear lovely on any vanity because of its packaging, but it was average to use. Worse, it had an overpoweringly sweet scent that one of our testers described as "drugstore perfume." It worked well, absorbing excess oil and leaving hair silky and fresh, with only a small bit of white residue left behind. The scent was a hindrance, even though it helped reduce oil in both straight and curly hair.
Pros
- Nice packaging
- Soft and fresh vibe in hair
Cons
Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo
Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo – Price: $24.00 at Amazon
Briogeo's dry shampoo is a powder that claims to purify the scalp with charcoal, prevent oil production with witch hazel, and degrease the hair with clay and rice starches. The powder dispenser isn't very forceful, so you're left shaking the bottle into your hands or scalp at weird angles with minimal result. The powder smells good and absorbs oil without leaving a starchy residue like an aerosol spray, but it doesn't increase volume or work as well as typical sprays, and it makes more of a mess. It's not a poor product; it's just average.
Pros
- Absorbs good amount of oil
- Fresh smelling powder
Cons
- Not good in adding volume
Ouai Dry Shampoo Foam
Ouai Dry Shampoo Foam – Price: $28.00 at Amazon
The dry shampoo from Ouai is actually a foam created by renowned hairstylist Jen Atkin. Applying the wet foam to groomed hair can feel like a death sentence for your blowout. It feels like hair mousse when applied, which provides volume but is difficult to work with, especially on dry roots. Although it didn't mess up our hairstyles and dried quickly, the lotion does leave hands feeling sticky and hair never feeling completely clean. We prefer dry shampoo in its original spray form, and powder versions would be our first choice over this foam.
Pros
Cons
- Texture is not attractive
- Hands become sticky
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk – Price: $10.00 at Amazon
Klorane dry shampoo eliminates oil effectively enough, but it leaves behind a gritty, dull-white residue that's difficult to shake, literally: testers still had ashy roots after several minutes of rubbing the product in. The product adds volume to fine hair but not much to thicker hair in terms of volume. Though the spray is powerful, the particles are small, preventing buildup and chalkiness. After usage, flat hair felt light and fluffy. It's a good choice, but not exceptional.
Pros
- Enhances volume
- Removes oil
Cons
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo – Price: $39.00 at Amazon
Living Proof says that its dry shampoo "really cleans hair," citing MIT studies to back up its claims. In theory, it sounds fantastic, but in practice, it felt just like any other dry shampoo. After use, it left hair feeling gritty and unclean, and it didn't add much volume or body. We had to use a lot of it to see a difference in grease reduction, and the aroma is a little chemically. Our testers were not fans, and the experience was unremarkable, if not downright awful.
Pros
Cons
- Grit in hair after wash
- Smells like chemical mixture
Batiste Dry Shampoo
Batiste Dry Shampoo – Price: $19.47 at Amazon
Batiste is a popular drugstore dry shampoo that is also the most affordable option. However, its effectiveness leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, it absorbs oil and provides hair body, but the plasticky scent persists all day, hair feels stiff and chalky after usage, and product buildup clings to roots no matter how hard you shake it out. If you want to save money on your dry shampoo, go with Dove instead!
Pros
Cons
- Unpleasant smell
- Hair gets stiff
R+Co Skyline Dry Shampoo Powder
R+Co Skyline Dry Shampoo Powder – Price: $29.00 at Amazon
Another powder formula with a pump dispenser is R+Co's dry shampoo. The powder is silky, fine, starchy, and glittering, to say the least. The sheen is most likely caused by mineral compounds found in diatomaceous earth, which are supposed to absorb oil but show up on roots. The cream is thick and rests on the scalp, which is not ideal for someone who suffers from dandruff or has a dry scalp. It also left a noticeable white film on one tester's scalp, and the fragrance was described as "oddly musty" by others.
Pros
Cons
- Settling of powder on scalp
- A white film is left on hair
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