A natural dry shampoo that actually works?

You’re probably used to washing your hair every day. But did you know you can go at least two or three days between washes?

Depending on your hair texture, oil level, and whether or not your hair is treated/dyed, you can get away with washing your hair only a few times a week.

This is great in three ways: 

• You save water
• You save on shampoo and conditioners
• You nourish your hair with natural skin oils

Before we continue, I want to let you know that dry shampoo usually comes in spray or powder form, just in case no-wash days are new to you, too. Moreover, a natural dry shampoo typically uses skin-safe and non-harmful ingredients like vegan, plant-based powders. Lastly, brands that go beyond will use recyclable containers and/or eco-friendly packaging. 

Keeping these factors in mind, I’ve done the work and researched the best natural dry shampoos on the market.

Let’s take a look at 15 of my favorite picks and see why you should give them a try.

1. Rahua – Voluminous Dry Shampoo

Rahua was founded by New York hair stylist Fabian Lliguin when an indigenous Amazon tribe bestowed him with rahua oil. This centuries-old secret to radiant, nourished hair is now produced sustainably by more than 500 families in the Amazon for the Rahua brand. 

Rahua’s powder dry shampoo is completely vegan and is made of plant-based ingredients like cassava, cosmetic clay, and organic star anise. The cassava provides volume and texture while the clay traps dirt and excess oil. Lastly, the organic star anise leaves your hair smelling pleasantly herbal and keeps bacteria away. Lucky for you, this natural dry shampoo is compatible with all hair types. 

As for packaging, their containers are made with recyclable #1 PET plastic. Wondering where all this plastic goes after use? You’ll be glad to know that these containers are repurposed for fabrics, public benches, and more.

2. EcoRoots – All Natural/Organic Zero Waste Dry Shampoo

 

The brand EcoRoots was founded by Antonia Pitica. She believes in handmade, toxic-free self-care products that benefit both clients and the planet. Their motto is all about healing and the connections between user and product, producer and resources, and user and self-empowerment. 

This vegan powder shampoo features sweet-smelling cocoa powder for color.  Furthermore, organic aloe leaf powder and green clay remove excess oil. Lastly, this zero waste dry shampoo has scalp soothing properties and is fragrance-free. This shampoo seems to work for all hair types.

One of the EcoRoots main principles is minimizing packaging and utilizing reusable or recyclable containers. They take extra care to make sure they don’t use any new plastics for their products. For their dry shampoo, EcoRoots uses recyclable glass jars and metal tops. This natural dry shampoo is one of my favorite and I highly recommend it! Learn more about this best natural dry shampoo in this article.

3. Lulu Organics® – Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder

Founded by Linda “Lulu” Aldredge, this organic beauty product company promotes safe products with wholesome, natural ingredients. Lulu began crafting beauty products on her own and was in the search of simple beauty products with no harmful additives. When she realized she would need to fill this hole in the beauty industry, Lulu Organics was born.

Their shampoo powder is vegan and safe even for children. Natural ingredients include organic corn starch, clay, baking soda, organic horsetail powder, and various essential oils. Lavender’s calming scent is balanced by stimulating clary sage. Lastly, this powder gives your hair a little more volume as it traps excess oil. This powder is suitable for both light and dark hair.

Are you wondering if their packaging is as natural as their ingredients? Yes! This powder shampoo comes in a biodegradable corn starch-based tube.

4. Handmade Heroes – Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo

With Handmade Heroes products, you never have to wonder whether or not your shampoo was tested on animals or if the ingredients are safe. This Singapore-based company headed by Lynsey Lim focuses on natural, preservative-free products. The result? Shampoos, lotions, and scrubs that are gentle on even the most sensitive skin. Their products contain zero parabens, alcohols, or animal products.

Handmade Heroes’ dry shampoo is a vegan powder featuring bamboo that deodorizes and peppermint that makes you feel clean.  Another great thing about this shampoo is there are options for light or medium to dark hair. The basic ingredients are essentially the same: kaolin clay, rice powder, charcoal, cocoa powder, and essential oils. One key difference is that the darker shampoo contains peppermint oil and eucalyptus leaf oil. 

This shampoo, like the rest of their neatly-packaged products, is available in a BPA-free bottle with a screw top. Unfortunately, I found no information on whether or not their outside packaging is recyclable, but feel free to read more about their products here.

5. Natural Dry Shampoo Chagrin Valley Soap – 4 Assorted Dry Shampoos

Chagrin Valley Soap began when Ida Friedman Kasdan realized that many soap makers who claim they use natural ingredients actually still use synthetic fragrances and coloring. With a background in science and a love for learning, she started making all-natural soaps as a hobby in 2001. Today, the family-run company delivers all-natural products to over 80 countries. 

All of the dry shampoos from Chagrin Valley Soap are vegan. Furthermore, you can choose from two different shampoos that are available for both light and dark hair: citrus mint or lavender rosemary. Each powder shampoo uses organic tapioca flour as the base and is then infused with organic essential oils for a natural scent. For darker hair, the cocoa powder helps the shampoo blend into your hair without leaving a white cast. 

But that’s not all. If you have fur babies, I have good news: they have dry shampoo for dogs. I repeat they have dry shampoo for dogs! The shampoo contains organic arrowroot powder, plantain, and essential oils to help keep your dog clean between baths.

The powder comes in a recyclable cardboard tube and is shipped in USPS-approved, sustainably-sourced paper boxes. 

6. Acure Dry Shampoo – Rosemary & Peppermint

Acure Organics is a company that brings you impressive products without all the bad stuff like sulfates or unnecessary minerals. This means each beauty product they sell contains only the highest quality ingredients chosen for specific, beneficial reasons. 

For instance, their dry powder shampoo highlights the oil-absorbing qualities of corn starch and kaolin clay. Furthermore, rosemary oil encourages hair growth while peppermint makes your hair feel extra clean. Choose from a bottle for all hair types or one specifically for dark hair, which is blended with cocoa powder. 

This natural dry shampoo is available in a recyclable bottle with a sifter cap for easy application. However, there is no explicit information about their outside packaging on their website.

7. Kaia Naturals – Overnight Dry Shampoo

Beauty industry expert Mary Futher created Kaia Naturals to provide clean, deluxe products that remove toxins from your body. They’re partners with Credo Beauty Stores, which means they meet the strict Credo Clean Standard. In a nutshell, this standard holds companies accountable to make sustainable, skin-safe products. 

So what makes their overnight vegan powder shampoo so efficient? The superstar ingredients are activated charcoal and a blend of time-activated deodorizers that work as you get your beauty rest. When you wake up in the morning, your hair will feel fresh and smell like alluring Japanese Camellia. This aerosol powder spray is compatible with all hair types (including color-treated hair) and you can choose between a blonde or brunette color. 

Kaia naturals’ dry shampoo comes in an aerosol can and a plastic dispenser. These parts are usually recyclable, but it might depend on recycling rules in your city. The can also comes in a small recyclable box.

8. VERB – Gentle Cleanse + Light Volume Dry Shampoo 

VERB is a collective of millennial women who make great quality products at fair prices. Their collection of hair products is inspired by the city of Austin–it’s simple, yet extremely functional. Similarly, their headquarters in New York emulates the idea behind Verb: dynamic and ground-breaking. And their products definitely reflect their no-frill attitude.

If you don’t believe me, check out their vegan powder shampoo. Essential ingredients include glycerine to prevent dryness, super fruit antioxidants to remove free-radicals, and tapioca starch to keep oil at bay. For maximum impact, this shampoo also adds much-needed volume to unwashed hair. The powder is suitable for all hair types and textures, including wavy and thick hair. 

Powder shampoo can be tricky to apply, but with the ergonomic squeeze bottle, spreading it onto your roots has never been easier. All of their packaging is recyclable.

9. Living Proof – Perfect hair Day™ Dry Shampoo

Living Proof is a team of biotech scientists and stylists who came together to change the beauty industry. They first focused on silicone-free products that were crafted carefully at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today, Living Proof continues to give us award-winning quality products.

Take their Perfect hair Day™dry shampoo, for example. It uses odor-fighting powders like rice starch and naturally derived fragrances like grapefruit peel oil for scent. This vegan shampoo contains no parabens, silicones, or phthalates, making it safe for all hair types and color-treated hair.

As for their packaging, I discovered something neat! They’ve partnered with TerraCycle® to help clients recycle their empty hair product containers. This is so important, especially for aerosol cans that usually just get tossed in the trash can. To participate in the program, sign up through their website and there, you can print out shipping labels to send to TerraCycle®. You’ll get reward points that you can donate to a non-profit or school. 

10. Briogeo – Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo

Briogeo, roughly, means vibrant Earth. Nancy Twine formed Briogeo in New York City when she saw that the supposedly natural hair products she was buying were actually not up to par. So Briogeo reflects New York’s lively spirit, the company’s artful packaging, and the natural ingredients used in their collections.

Their vegan powder shampoo utilizes Binchotan charcoal to remove buildup and keep your head clean. Clay and natural starches absorb oil so you can say goodbye to greasy hair. One unique ingredient I found is witch hazel. It’s commonly used to fight inflammation, but when used in dry shampoo, it restores your scalp’s natural oil levels. Finally, biotin keeps your hair strong and healthy. This shampoo is suitable for oily hair and safe for treated hair. 

Aside from sulfate-free formulas, Briogeo uses sustainable packaging. Their bottles, like the dry shampoo container, are partly made of post consumer recycled plastic. These bottles are then recycled to make new Briogeo bottles so no new plastic is made in the process. 

11. tarte – Hair Goals Dry Shampoo

Tarte is composed of trailblazers who wanted to (and did!) change the beauty industry. They create eco-friendly personal care products that work. That’s why they use natural ingredients that perform just as well or better than their synthetic counterparts.

Of course, this applies to all their products, including their hair care line. You probably know tarte from their wildly popular makeup collections, but frankly, their hair products are just as good. Their vegan shampoo spray highlights natural rice bran wax and cellulose for their volumizing powers. This natural dry shampoo doesn’t use sulfates like many drugstore brands, which means it’s safe for your skin, and it doesn’t dry out your hair.

The container is recyclable, but make sure to double check with your city’s recycling regulations for specific rules around aerosol cans. 

12. Together Beauty  – Va Va Boom Dry Shampoo and Styling Paste

Sam Brocate founded Together Beauty using his background in aromatherapy to make all-natural beauty products. His collection is heavily influenced by the idea of “togetherness,” so expect well-balanced products that deliver a positive impact.

For the Va Va Voom dry shampoo and styling paste, Sam used zeolite powder to trap excess oil, bamboo powder to give your hair a little shine, and carnauba wax to style your hair. Other naturally derived ingredients used are castor seed oil and shea butter. This vegan shampoo does not use parabens, sulfates, or synthetic fragrances. If you’re looking for a 2-in-1 styling paste and dry shampoo, this is your best bet. Lucky for you, it’s compatible with all hair types.

Unfortunately, I could not find information about their packaging, no matter how hard I searched. The shampoo itself comes in a shallow, plastic jar.

13. Klorane – Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk

Klorane is a French company that delivers plant-based products globally. This company has been around for more than 50 years, which proves just how much they’ve succeeded in bringing natural beauty products to countless customers. Klorane was founded by Pierre Fabre, a pharmacist who wanted to share plants’ healing powers. 

Instead of harsh dry shampoos, consider Klorane’s vegan powder shampoo. Organic oat milk soothes your scalp while corn and rice starch gently cleanse your hair. Additionally, silica and microspheres absorb dirt, excess oil, and odors. These plant-based ingredients not only clean your hair, but give it a lift and texture. This shampoo works with any hair type and chemically-treated hair.

The fine powder comes out in an aerosol spray can with a plastic lid for protection. All of their packaging is recycled and recyclable. 

14. Ouai – Dry Shampoo Foam

Jen Atkin created OUAI to make luxury hair products more affordable. Along with easy DIY hair tutorials and beauty box subscriptions, OUAI is helping women everywhere achieve Instagram-worthy hair goals. One of Jen’s goals is to guide women in perfecting runway-quality looks for all women.

OUAI’s dry shampoo features two key ingredients: diatomaceous Earth, and panthenol. Diatomaceous Earth is a rock that’s ground into a fine powder and used for a variety of household purposes. It’s used as toothpaste, natural supplement, and even as potting soil. In shampoo, it keeps unwanted moisture away to give your hair a clean, matte effect. That’s why this vegan shampoo is a favorite among oily hair types: it makes your hair look freshly washed without leaving product residue.

All the products from OUAI are packaged in minimalist containers and packaging, but alas, I could not find information on their recycling regulations.

15. R+Co – Death Valley Dry Shampoo

Last, but not the least, let’s talk about R+Co. Howard McLaren teamed up with hairdressers, salon stylists, and advisors to elevate hair products on an aesthetic and physical level. Streamlined containers, visually-appealing photograph labels, and high-quality ingredients make R+Co an admirable company.

All of their products are vegan, sulfate-free, and color-safe. This goes for their Death Valley dry shampoo, which comes in an aerosol spray form. Nourishing ingredients like vitamin E and pro-vitamin B5 make your hair stronger while giving it texture. Moreover, Brazilian rice protein keeps your hair from drying out while silica gets rid of excess oil. And it smells as good as it works! Bergamot, wild fig, cyclamen, lotus flower, cedarwood, and tonka beans make your hair smell like a lush garden–what a perk!

Again, because this shampoo is packaged in an aerosol can, recycling rules may differ depending on your area. Fortunately, in most American states, you can recycle these cans in your regular recycling bin.

Now that we’ve covered the top 15 best dry shampoos, I just have one favor to ask: Let me know which brand worked best for you and why. 

Leave a comment here! I look forward to hearing from you and your clean, healthy hair.