I never used to be much of a dry shampoo gal because I have dry, thick, curly hair—all the things that generally don’t mix well with dry shampoo. But recently, I’ve found it to be somewhat of a lifesaver. I tend to get a lot of buildup on my roots if I style a lot with gel or mousse, so a tiny bit of a spritz here and there of it really helps keep oiliness at bay. Celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland seconds this saying, “If I were stuck on an island and could only choose one hair product it would 1000% be a dry shampoo! It really helps to extend the life of your hair between shampoos and as a bonus, for fine-haired girls, it can give you some great volume and texture.”
I guess you could say that sentiments like this from stylists are the reason I’m fully a convert now. That being said, I’ll let you all in on the ones stylists use and love exclusively. For all their favorites and a few tips on how to apply dry shampoo for oily hair, keep reading.
When applying dry shampoo, you’ll want to hold it four to six inches away from the hair, spraying it directly onto your roots. You’ll want to start where the hair feels oiliest and then apply the product in sections. This will ensure that you won’t have any lingering oily patches in those harder-to-reach places. If your hair is finer, you may not need to work in sections but this is especially key if you have thicker hair. If you have curly hair, celebrity colorist Ashleigh Marie has another specific tip for applying dry shampoo. “I recommend applying an oil to the ends first to keep them moisturized and protected from getting dried out, then spraying the dry shampoo,” she says. For a few more stylist recs, keep scrolling.
“This is great for curly and fine hair because it’s so incredibly light but has a ton of absorbency.”—Cleveland
“I like to use this one immediately after washing because it gives me great volume and absorbs the oils as they come through.”—Cleveland
“With the addition of the added rice and corn starch, this one is really good for those with super thick hair.”—Cleveland
“This is super light and clean for fine-haired folks who are afraid of weighing their hair down. As a bonus, it smells amazing!”—Cleveland
“I’ve been using this for years! I think every one of my clients owns this product. It uses rice powder to absorb oil and create volume and texture. It’s white, so make sure to really rub it into the roots. That’s why I especially love it for blondes to lighten up roots when it’s looking a bit dark.”—Marie
“I love this product because it also contains a growth serum in it for those looking to multitask while extending your style by a day or two. It smells great and has pretty clean ingredients and is benzene-free.”—Marie
“I love this line because it’s like freshly washed hair in a bottle. The hair feels clean to the touch and the ingredients are also pretty clean as well because it’s free from parabens, benzene, and talc.”—Marie
“If you love clean beauty this is the holy grail of dry shampoos. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and free of parabens, sulfates, and silicones. Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, so if most dry shampoos disrupt your scalp, give this one a try!”—Marie
Eva NYC’s option is totally weightless and gentle on the hair. It contains vitamin C and essential fatty acids which enhance shine, nourish, and help repair damaged strands.
Infused with nourishing argan oil and silk proteins, this dry shampoo from OGX revitalizes weighed-down strands by adding hydration and shine without weighing them down.
Briogeo’s Scalp Revival contains charcoal, biotin, and witch hazel to control oil production and draw out impurities from the scalp. This will help prolong your style, keep buildup from forming, and improve the overall health of your scalp.
This super-translucent option from Kristin Ess contains zip-up technology, a proprietary strengthening complex designed to zip up split ends while targeting weak areas of the hair so it appears invigorated and overall smoother.
