If you’re anything like me, you don’t always wash your hair every day, or, um even every other day.
With my thick, naturally curly hair, I’ve frequently been told by hairdressers to skip daily hair washing to avoid stripping my hair of its natural oils, instead allowing them to travel down the hair shaft.
This is a beneficial practice for many hair types.
Whether you don’t have the time to wash your hair, you’re traveling, extending the life of your hair color by not washing it as often or simply looking to switch up your hair care routine, dry shampoo can be an effective tool for revitalizing your hair, adding volume, absorbing oil and giving your hair a fresh scent.
Whether you’re a firm believer in dry shampoos or a delayed-hair washing skeptic, consider these products to elevate your hair game – after all, the global dry shampoo market is expected to grow by $1.48 billion USD between 2020 and 2024.
Note: While there are many dry shampoo products available on the market, these few are some that I’ve tried and have had positive experiences with, in terms of results and affordability.
The Sweetest Scent: SGX NYC Dry Touch Volumizing Dry Shampoo
This is my favorite scent of a hair product, ever.
With notes of jasmine and fig leaf, this dry shampoo refreshes hair and gives gentle volume while delivering a powerful fragrance that makes you feel like you just washed it.
It is light and absorbs oil effectively.
You can feel good about using this formula: it’s vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, gluten-free and mineral-oil free.
$6.98 for 6.05 ounces at Walmart.com
The Best Hold: SGX NYC The Do-It-All 3-In-1 Dry Texture Spray
This product was useful when I needed not only a pick-me-up for my hair, but when I was styling my hair with hot tools and needed a strong hold.
It’s dry shampoo-meets-hairspray, but not in the sticky, crunchy way.
Subtly strong, this formula is securing yet revitalizing, and doesn’t weigh down hair.
It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate-free and paraben-free.
$6.99 for 6.5 ounces at Target.com
The Most Powerful: Batiste Original Dry Shampoo – Clean and Classic
This dry shampoo blasts your hair with a burst of lavender and powder-tinged freshness that powerfully tackles unwanted oil and grease.
I noticed that this dry shampoo is a little more prone to leaving white streaks of residue than the others, which sometimes happens with dry shampoos, but once brushed into roots disappears for overall cleaner-feeling hair.
This one is cruelty-free, vegan, dye-free, aluminum-free, sulfate-free and paraben-free.
The Most Affordable: Dove Refresh + Care Fresh Coconut Dry Shampoo
This is one of the most economical dry shampoos in stores, but make no mistake – its coconut formula, infused with a hint of lime, refreshes roots and delivers noticeable boost. It’s dye-free and paraben free.
$4.88 for 5 ounces at Walmart.com
Most Customizable: IGK’s Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo
Vegan, cruelty-free and sulfate-free, I stumbled across this one getting a blowout at Ulta.
The hairdresser told me the product was from their featured brand of the month, and I could see why.
There are 3 levels of the dry shampoo (Jet Lag is the light cleanse) designed for differences in texture and oiliness of hair.
It gives hair body with its volcanic ash and 1% active cleansing powder formula.
This formula is also vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free and formaldehyde-free.
Bonus – Dry Conditioner: Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist
There’s even dry conditioner.
This one tames flyaways and eases frizz, discreetly smoothing the hair without leaving it greasy.
However, if you have thinner hair, I suggest using it more sparingly so as not to achieve more sheen than desired.
Hints of coconut milk and peach combine with Pro-Vitamin B5, Omega-9, aloe and jojoba oil to deliver a sulfate-free, paraben-free scented spritz that ultimately crafts a more touchable hair texture.