Dry shampoo recommendations

November 20, 2012 9:21 AM

Recommend to me the best dry shampoo!

I am hoping to begin using dry shampoo on an every-other-day basis (the other days will be full regular shampoo days). Please tell me about the dry shampoos you have used and loved! Also, I am aware that there are various DIY options for dry shampoo (plain baking soda, other mixtures of household items?), so if you have a recipe that works well then I'd love to hear about that!

In case it matters, I have shoulder-length hair that can tend to be puffy/frizzy, but is more or less straight. It's dark brown (colored, but my natural color is also brown). My regular "wet" shampoo is purchased from my hairdresser and is specially formulated for colored hair. I blow dry my hair after washing it.

posted by Bebo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (22 answers total)

I have used a few different types of dry shampoo, so here are my thoughts on 'em.

Suave Dry Shampoo: Cheap, and works, but the nozzle clogs badly and was not reusable after 1 or 2 uses. Same thing happened to a few friends of mine. Pass.

Tresemme Dry Shampoo: Nice, decent drugstore price, smells citrusy.

Got2B Fat-tastic Dry Shampoo: Volumizing, supposedly. Works well, smells 'bright.'

Got2B Rockin' It Dry Shampoo: I use this most often, smells pretty 'young' and fruity if I had to categorize it.

I've yet to try the Oscar Blandi non-aerosol version, or the Umberto version, but both of those get good reviews.
posted by rachaelfaith at 9:40 AM on November 20, 2012

I have similar hair to yours and I've had bad luck with the loose powder style of dry shampoo.

As silly as the name is, I've really liked John Frieda's "Luxurious Volume Anytime" spray. It smells nice and clean (like baby powder?), gives a noticeable lift, and makes my hair a lot less oily/greasy.

On preview: I really don't like Suave's Dry Shampoo. I don't think it works very well and it smells like Lysol.
posted by Flamingo at 9:42 AM on November 20, 2012

I've really liked CLEAN. A bottle that size lasted me over a year. One tip that's been helpful in using it is to apply it the night before and brush through to minimize it looking powdery.
posted by goggie at 9:46 AM on November 20, 2012

I have used the Oscar Blandi powder version, and the smell of it is, well, strong, and takes some getting used to. (Kinda lemony cleaning fluidy smell.) Works great on the oil control front - although it's probably not so good for darker hair. It's just a little noticeable on my light brown hair.
posted by agentmitten at 9:49 AM on November 20, 2012

The salon that I asked this question to, told me to buy this from them. It was a gift, but i have heard good things (it doesn't leave dry white powder in your hair, etc).
posted by wocka wocka wocka at 9:57 AM on November 20, 2012

The Oscar Blandi shampoo smells horrible, and leaves a pale grey shroud on my dark brown hair. I like the smell of LUSH's No Drought dry shampoo; it's a corn flour base with citrus notes.

goggie, thanks for the tip about putting it in the night before. I usually turn to dry shampoo when I've overslept, and the resulting powdery look only points out the fact that I was running late. oops
posted by catlet at 10:06 AM on November 20, 2012

I have tried the Kevin Murphy dry shampoo. It was okay, but the bottle didn't last very long. It has a nice, fresh, light scent.

Even better, I'd recommend the Bumble and Bumble hair powder. They've changed the packaging since I last used it, but the old type of bottle lasted forever. It was pretty much scent-free. Just go easy on it, because if you put too much in, it stains your scalp which isn't the intended effect!
posted by valeries at 10:21 AM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

I just read this a few weeks ago (NY Mag piece with some reviews and info), and you can always check out the Makeup Alley info (you may have to register to read more than one page of content, but they don't spam me and it's free).

I use a very light sprinkle of Johnsons cucumber baby powder , bought it at a random drugstore, on my highlighted blonde hair. It adds a little volume, definitely soaks up any oil (I only do the roots, sprinkle gently right from bottle at about a foot from my head). I am not afraid to spend some money if need be (my regular shampoo, etc is Pureology), but this makes my hair look amazing so I'm not messing with what works.

Tip to do it the night before is a good one.
posted by mrs. taters at 10:46 AM on November 20, 2012

I have medium dark longish hair, and I mostly use the Blandi aerosol, the Tresseme (which might be my favorite), and the Ojon, which is also very good. I've never had a problem with it being noticeable as long as I really do brush it, especially with a boar bristle.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 11:02 AM on November 20, 2012

Every time I've been about to try a dry shampoo, I've been put off by the strong smells, and by the thought of the powder residue ending up on my pillowcase that night and then all over my face and in my lungs. So I came up with this alternative, which works fairly well without leaving any possibility of allergy-aggravating residue: I put on a pair of very fuzzy fleece gloves. Then I dip the fingers in some Thayer's witch hazel (no added alcohol), and rub all over my scalp. This freshens the roots of the hair, and it dries a lot faster than water would. It's not as effective as a real shampoo, but it feels good and doesn't leave behind any smelly gunk.
posted by Corvid at 11:57 AM on November 20, 2012

Cornstarch or talcum powder. Seriously. It soaks up the excess grease and bad smells, which is all dry shampoos do.
posted by windykites at 12:05 PM on November 20, 2012

I have longish dark hair and use this Batiste with excellent results, plus regular shampoo every other day. I did not like the Tresseme one I used at all.
posted by leedly at 12:53 PM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Batiste is also my favorite dry shampoo. I use the Medium & Brunette and though it still leaves a slightly whitish cast, everything looks fine after brushing. Also, it smells really nice (to me.) I tried both Suave and Tresemme and just could not deal with their scents.
posted by not.so.hip at 1:46 PM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

I also use the Batiste dry shampoo and I also have dark hair. It shows up white at first, when I spray it, but I find if I shake my hair around and brush it, the powder dissipates quickly. It also seems to volumize my hair, but that might just be the lack of oil. It also lasts a while and it's less than $10 a can.
posted by cranberrymonger at 1:49 PM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oops - I actually use this type of Batiste dry shampoo, not the one that leedly linked to.
posted by cranberrymonger at 1:50 PM on November 20, 2012

Best answer: Psst! This is the only dry shampoo you will ever need. It's inexpensive, and doesn't build up or leave chalky residue. I use it every other day in between my usual shampoo like you are planning, and also use it even on days when I do shampoo if I want to add a bit more texture or grip to updos. It's a godsend for camping trips, too. I have long (colored) dark auburn hair and it doesn't fade my color or leave any color behind.
posted by stellaluna at 2:26 PM on November 20, 2012 [4 favorites]

I hated the oscar blandi aerosol. It clogged after 2 uses and I couldnt fix it, and it was expensive.

Baby powder works ok, but now I have Pssst and it's cheap and less residue-y.

I have heard good things about klorane but haven't tried it
posted by rmless at 2:28 PM on November 20, 2012

I am using Klorane right now and hate it, I can feel the corn starch residue on my scalp all day long after I use it, it's gross. Also it's really hard to control the squeeze bottle, so product ends up all over the place when I'm trying to use it. The Garnier stuff left my hair feeling more greasy than it started out as, so definitely don't buy that! I like the Oscar Blandi the best - get the powder, not the aerosol. It is cheaper, contains more product, and doesn't clog.

Oh, and I have black hair - and feel that Klorane dulls it, but the Oscar Blandi was great b/c you rub it out with a towel and can't see any residue.
posted by echo0720 at 6:02 PM on November 20, 2012

Best answer: After trying and hating Ojon and some other brand from Sephora that I don't remember, I've settled on Not Your Mother's Clean Freak. It makes my hair look fuller, and does NOT clog.
posted by candyland at 6:46 PM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

I didn't like the Tresseme - I always forgot to shake between sprays (or sprayed too long) and ended up with a giant mess. I also tried Oscar Blandi from Sephora and thought it was just decent. The best I've found (dark hair/oily scalp/dry ends) is from Salon Grafix. No residue, just smells clean, not really any strong odor (I don't think?).
posted by getawaysticks at 7:38 AM on November 21, 2012

Psssst was my go-to for a while, and I'll still use it in a pinch, but I vastly prefer the Batiste. The one that's for dark hair smells pretty bad, but the others smell fine (some even smell good) and even though I have almost-black hair, I've never had a problem using the regular formulas. You can often find them crazy cheap at TJ Maxx, too.
posted by Charity Garfein at 1:55 PM on November 21, 2012

I love dry shampoo, and I've tried a ton of them. I have fine, thin, color-treated hair that's wavy (though I blow it straight most days) and tends to be oily. I don't tend to have trouble getting dry shampoo out of my hair in the morning (patting before you brush really helps), and I've not had great success with using it the night before. I guess I sweat too much when I sleep :(

• My go-to: Umberto Beverly Hills, I buy this at Target, it's under $10, and it works really well. Also, the smell is not overwhelming.
• Back-up: Pssssst!, I used this before I found the Umberto, and it also worked well. It does have a stronger smell than the Umberto. I stopped using because I hated always having to order it online.
• Nice, but pricey: Bumble and Bumble, works great and matches your roots (I've heard it's good for covering greys, for this reason), but too rich for my pocketbook. René Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo - smells and works great, but too expensive for me.
• Do not recommend: Suave, Dove or Tressemme's dry shampoos. The Suave and the Dove don't use a powder to soak up the oil. I ended up feeling like I had doused my head in hairspray, and my hair looked stringy. The Tressemme was the only powder that I couldn't get out of my hair, and the smell is too much for me.
• In a pinch, I just use baby powder, but it doesn't give me as much volume (which my hair needs).

posted by vainglory at 12:03 PM on January 3, 2013