DIY Natural Dry Shampoo: Save Money and Nourish Your Hair

Natasha Bruce-Carline
DIY Natural Dry Shampoo: Save Money and Nourish Your Hair
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Save money and ditch harmful chemicals by making your own dry shampoo. Use finely ground powders like Arrowroot, Cornstarch, and Kaolin Clay to make a base. Combine these with carrier oils like Jojoba and Rosehip which dilute your essential oils or fragrance oils and simultaneously nourish your scalp and hair. Tackle hair and scalp issues like oily hair or flaky scalp and dandruff, oily hair using essential oils. You could even tailor it to your hair color and use natural powders like Bentonite clay, Beet, or Cocoa to create the perfect shade. I’ve even made you a Ready Reckoner to keep track of your individual recipes. Come on join me on this journey into creating a natural dry shampoo. 

What is Dry Shampoo?

There are many different kinds of Dry Shampoo formulated from a variety of ingredients. You are probably more familiar with the retail version you can buy in a can, as a spray. This is the most common form, followed by loose powders and then pastes. You can even buy Dry Shampoos color tinted to match your hair color. 

Essentially, Dry Shampoo is any hair product that can be used to refresh your hair.  Since it absorbs oil, it helps make your hair look less greasy. It also absorbs daily dirt and grime by pulling it from your hair and scalp. Your hair looks and feels refreshed without needing to wash the dry shampoo leaving it smelling clean and fresh. 

What Are The Benefits of Dry Shampoo?

What Are The Benefits of Dry Shampoo

Saves Time

How many times have you woken up in the morning, in a rush and panicked, because your hair needs washing? Dry Shampoo cleans and refreshes your hair without needing to wash and dry it. 

Perfect for those with busy schedules, like moms of newborns, who just don’t get a minute to wash their hair. 

Reduces Damage To The Hair 

Reduce the amount that you wash and style your hair, and you reduce potential damage to it especially if you style your hair using heat of any kind.

Voluminous Beauty 

Try your own Dry Shampoo to add more volume and introduce texture and movement to your hair. Dry shampoo can make it look fuller, more voluminous, and glowing with health. 

I just LOVE how Dry Shampoo gives your hair a real boost of volume, it’s a godsend to me.  It's especially effective if your hair is thinner and more flyaway.

Keep That Salon-Look

You go to the salon and your hair looks AMAZING, but how do you keep that salon fresh look? Use some Dry Shampoo to extend the life of your hairstyle and insert a bit of volume to keep things fresh.

Why Bother Making My Own Dry Shampoo?

For me, the overriding factor here would be to control the ingredients and the cost.

Saving Money

Top brands of Dry Shampoo fetch a pretty penny these days. I was away recently and forgot mine so had to dash and buy a Dry Shampoo spray, I nearly fell through the floor at the cost of the most popular brand, which was the only choice! 

First of all, I’m used to making my own and also when I run out I do rely on Lidl’s rather a cost-effective one (It performs so much better than the rival brands).

You need not pay for such a simple product. 

Reduce Exposure To Needless Chemicals and Toxins

A quick peruse of the EWG Skin Safe Database soon reveals how many ingredients,  associated with allergies, reproductive issues, and chemical toxicity, are in dry shampoo. 

There are Dry Shampoos on the market that score a whopping 8/10 on the danger scale. These are certainly best avoided. Take the time and check out your current brand by visiting the database. Join me on a journey of discovery as we explore the best essential oils, fragrance oils, and base ingredients for making our own amazing Dry Shampoo. 

Avoid Alcohol

Many Dry Shampoos contain alcohol as a solvent to soak up oil and grease. These can be drying to the scalp and strip the natural oils from the hair. Alcohol content may contribute to a dry scalp and hairline, as well as blocked pores and dandruff.

Ditch The Aluminum

The most common absorbent used in Dry Shampoo is something called - Aluminum starch octenylsuccinate. Again, this can irritate the scalp and clog the pores.

The more we can reduce our exposure to these chemicals the better and if we can save money in the process, even better! 

The Best Essential Oils For Dry Shampoo

Harness the healing properties of essential oils by adding these to your Dry Shampoo formulas to address certain issues with your hair and scalp. An extra layer of love and care. 

You can of course just choose essential oils just because they smell gorgeous, but if you want something a little extra, here are some suggestions. 

Dandruff 

Dandruff happens when the body continually sheds dead skin cells as new cells are formed underneath. Dry, white, or gray flakes will be noticeable on the scalp or attached to the hair and can often shed onto our clothing. Help manage dandruff and capitalize on the constituents of Lavender, Tea Tree, and Thyme essential oils. They are perfect for adding to your Dry Shampoo formula. 

Oily Scalp and Hair

I use Dry Shampoo when I’m trying to get another day in before washing my hair, usually on day 3. My scalp and hair are usually pretty oily by this stage and in need of some good balancing and absorptive ingredients.

Ylang Ylang is a master at balancing sebaceous secretions. Wherever you have an imbalance in your skin, make ylang-ylang your go-to essential oil. 

Grapefruit, Cypress, and Bergamot are all amazing for both oily skin and hair and can help you stay on top of it. Use one or use them all in combination.

Bergamot and Grapefruit, as cold-pressed citrus oils, can tend to be phototoxic, so you don’t want to use them and then expose your skin to sunlight, UV light, or sunbeds for 12 hours after. These are best used in the evening.

Dry and Flaky Scalp

I used to wash my hair every day without fail and consequently, I had a dry, flaky, and itchy scalp.  I swapped to washing every 3rd day (with the morning of day 3 needing Dry Shampoo), and my scalp and hair condition has never been better. (My hairdresser told me so last week).

Where the skin flakes, Roman Chamomile brings a lovely soothing effect. Combine it with the powerhouse of Patchouli and Rose Geranium for an extra potent effect. Their constituents soothe, nourish, hydrate, and condition the skin and hair. 

If you are scratching at it and have open nicks and sores, add the magic of ‘Skin Knit’ in with Myrrh. It’s fabulous for promoting healing of the skin and improving hydration and skin condition. 

Tash’s Personal Favorites

    • Rose Geranium (Pelargonium Roseum) - Smells amazing and has balancing and hydrating properties.
    • Patchouli (Pogostemon Cablin) - Deep rich fragrance and fabulous for dry skin.
    • Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisii MacFayden) - Effective at dealing with oiliness and bringing fresh scent.
    • Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) - Great for when things get flaky, oily, or just a bit under the weather.
    • Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) - Renowned hair tonic for strong, shiny hair. 

The Best Fragrance Oils For Dry Shampoo

Your skincare is as important to us, as it is to you, and we take that seriously here at VINEVIDA. Therefore, none of our fragrance oils contain Phthalates, Parabens, SLES, or SLS and have never been tested on animals. Used in line with IFRA safety guidelines they are extremely safe to use on the skin. 

So which ones are best? Well, any of the Soaps and Candles range are suitable for this purpose. Have fun choosing from all the wonderful scents we stock. 

Tash’s Favorites

The Best Ingredients For Dry Shampoo

The whole premise of Dry Shampoo is that it will soak up the excess oil on your hair and scalp. It stands to reason that we need an absorbent base of some kind. 

Commonly, in aerosol-based Dry Shampoos, they use rice or tapioca of such a fine grade, that it can be aerosolized. Home formulators may struggle to buy absorbent starches of this fine grade. Therefore, it makes sense for us to make a dusting powder formulation instead. 

There are many options that we can draw upon for making a dusting Dry Shampoo. 

Absorbent Powders

We want to choose absorbent powders made from natural starches for our Dry Shampoo. We want powders that will grind down to exceptionally fine dust, almost like Talcum Powder. 

You can, and I have used Talcum Powder in the past, but it is not the best choice available. Arrowroot, Cornstarch, Rice Flour, and Tapioca all offer a more effective alternative. I also like Kaolin Clay when I can get it in a superfine grind. 

Buy as fine a grind as possible, you can always try getting it finer in a coffee grinder. If you are lucky enough to have your own flour mill, great! Use that! But stick to food-based products and don't run cosmetic clays through them. 

Carrier Oils

You need a tiny smidge of carrier oil to dilute your essential oils and act as carriers for your fragrance oils. It’s not something you can safely skip. Essential oils and fragrance oils must always be diluted before use. 

    • Rosehip (Rosa Canina): Rosehip carrier oil is packed with antioxidants and has a wonderfully light fluidity, making it perfect for this project.
    • Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis): Jojoba is the closest oil we can get to our own natural sebaceous secretions and is wonderful for balancing oily skin and hair by regulating the production of sebum. 
    • Grapeseed (Vitis Vinifera): Grapeseed has a wonderful flow and makes a great base for diluting your essential oils. It will also promote hair growth when used regularly and condition the hair. 

Tints and Colors

Tints and Colors

If you want to get all fancy schmancy and add some tint and colors to your Dry Shampoo then be my guest. I heartily encourage experimentation and trying new things! 

Try out the following: 

    • Beet Powder + Cocoa Powder - For hair with red tones.
    • Activated Charcoal - for hair with black and blue tones.
    • Kaolin Clay - For hair with gray and silver tones.
    • Cocoa Powder - for hair with brown tones.

How To Make Dry Shampoo

How To Make Dry Shampoo

I’m going to show you how to make a basic dry shampoo and give you a handful of exciting recipes to deal with dandruff, a dry, flaky scalp, oily hair, and one just for the glorious scent. 

It is very simple to make your own dry shampoo at home, so why not make one to match your hair color too? 

The key to making effective dry shampoo is to use powdered ingredients with an extremely fine grind on them. This fine grind will give you much better results and be less visible in your hair. The finer the particle, the less likely you are to see it. 

Let’s go all pure and natural with our ingredients and be extra kind to your hair and scalp. 

IFRA Safety

Dry Shampoo falls into IFRA Category 7B, all of the safety is worked out for you in these recipes. But when you are formulating your own recipes, this is the category you need to work within. 

There is no option on the VINEVIDA calculator for Dry Shampoo so use the ‘Shampoo’ option, it will work out the correct safety data in the right category for you with those settings. 

You Will Need:

    1. Protective gloves
    2. Large Bowl
    3. Stainless steel spoon
    4. Measuring cups
    5. Pipette
    6. Large glass jar or a shaker bottle
    7. Label

Basic Dry Shampoo Ingredients

    • ½ cup of Cornstarch (Zea Mays (Corn) Starch)
    • ½ cup of Arrowroot Powder (Maranta Arundinacea Root)
    • 10 ml of fluid Carrier Oil of your choice
    • Up to 5 ml of essential oil and or fragrance oil in line with IFRA safety guidance. 

The method is very similar for all recipes and can be found below the recipes. 

Dry Shampoo For Dandruff

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
    • Be cautious about getting this into your eyes, should that happen rinse with clean, warm water. 

Dry Shampoo For A Dry, Flaky Scalp 

Open sores? Add in 10 drops of Myrrh (Commiphora Myrrha) but do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
    • Be cautious about getting this into your eyes, should that happen rinse with clean, warm water. 

Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. 
    • Be cautious about getting this into your eyes, should that happen rinse with clean, warm water. 
    • Bergamot essential oil is phototoxic, so be cautious of exposing your scalp to sunlight, UV light, and sunbeds after application, leave it for 12 hours if possible. Try using it at night before you go to bed, and you will be good to go in the morning. 

Dry Shampoo For Smelling Glorious

Safety:

    • Be cautious about getting this into your eyes, should that happen rinse with clean, warm water. 

Dry Shampoo With Tints and Colors

The shade and color of your hair will dictate the amount of colorant that you will need. Simply start with a light mix and experiment until you get the desired shade.

My hair is dark auburn and my recipe looks like this.

3/4 cup of Arrowroot and Cornstarch and 1/4 cup of Cocoa Powder with 1-2 tbsp of Beet Powder.

Safety Warning About Cinnamon

There are plenty of suggestions on the internet, that if you have red hair tones to use Cinnamon Powder, please do NOT use this directly on your skin. Use Beet and Cocoa powders as an alternative.

Cinnamon powder has been known to cause skin irritation, discoloration and burning sensations when applied to the skin. 

Some people are even allergic to the constituents of Cinnamon, resulting in redness, itching and swelling of the skin. It can also cause hives, rashes, and skin discoloration. 

Best Colorant Options

Experiment until you find your perfect mix. Simply start with a small amount and keep adding your colorant until you reach the perfect shade for you. 

If you go too dark, simply add more Cornstarch or Arrowroot, if it is too light, add more, or try a slightly darker colorant. 

ALWAYS, BUT ALWAYS, WRITE YOUR RATIO DOWN! This way you will be able to replicate it. You only have to do it once, if you note it down somewhere safe. (No, not the really safe place where things go to be lost to the annals of time). 

    • Kaolin Clay and Bentonite Clay - For hair with gray and silver tones.
    • Beet Powder + Cocoa Powder - For hair with red tones.
    • Cocoa Powder - for hair with brown tones.
    • Activated Charcoal - for hair with black and blue tones. (Go easy with this on your scalp).

Basic Recipe

    • ½ cup of Arrowroot (Maranta Arundinacea Root)
    • ¼ cup of Cornstarch (Zea Mays (Corn) Starch)
    • ¼ - ⅓ cup of the colorant of your choice. 
    • 5 ml of Rosehip Carrier Oil (Rosa Canina)
    • 5 ml of Jojoba Carrier Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis)

Up to 5 ml of essential oil and/ or fragrance oil of your choice, in line with IFRA safety guidance. 

Safety:

    • If using essential oils, please check their suitability for use during pregnancy using the Safety Synopsis, available on its webpage. (Example for Lavender linked).
    • Be cautious about getting this into your eyes, should that happen rinse with clean, warm water. 

Method:

    1. Start by mixing your essential oil or fragrance oil with your chosen carrier oil and make sure it is well combined. 
    2. Take a large bowl, and take your time to create the perfect shade of dry shampoo for you. Combine the base ingredients like Arrowroot and Cornstarch and mix.
    3. I shall say this next bit only once, rather empathetically. “ WRITE YOUR FORMULA DOWN AS YOU GO”! I’ll make you a ready reckoner and leave it below to help you keep track of what you add and then you can simply add it all up at the end. 
    4. Then start to add tinted powders like Cocoa and Beet to suit your hair color.
    5. Understand that it is a trial and error-process to get the perfect shade for your hair color. If it goes too dark, add more of the light-colored powders. If it is too light, add a little more tint.  
    6. As soon as you have the right shade, you can add your oil mixture. Hear me on this to reduce clumps. Use a pipette, please. 
    7. Using the pipette, drop individual drops of oil evenly across the surface of the powder With gloved hands, work your fingers through the powder to break down any clumps, and work the oil evenly through the mixture.
    8. Cover with an airtight lid or saran wrap and allow to steep overnight. Check again in the morning for any clumps, breaking them down. Occasionally, I will decant it into a tub that seals well and give it a really good shake for a few minutes. 
    9. Decant the dry shampoo into your chosen container. Bear in mind if you choose an open container like a sugar shaker, to store it somewhere dry and out of a damp and moist bathroom.
    10.  Don’t forget to label your container, listing all ingredients. Pop it on the bottom if you have a pretty or vintage bottle. 
    11. That’s it! Pretty easy right? And not a yucky chemical in sight! 

Bonus Feature - Color Formula Ready Reckoner

Use this Color Formula Ready Reckoner to help you keep track of your shade formula for your colored hair. 

How to Use:

    1. Print it out.
    2. Every time you add something to your recipe, just note it down, and use a tally system if necessary. 
    3. When you reach the perfect shade, add up your tally and it will give you your perfect formula enabling you to repeat your recipe time and again with accurate reproduction*. 
    4. Then keep it somewhere safe! 

*Please note that natural products vary in color and sometimes, you may need to adjust your recipe, to account for the change in an ingredient color difference. 

Dry Shampoo Color Formula Ready Reckoner

Ingredient

⅛ tsp

¼ tsp

½ tsp

1 tsp

1 tbsp

¼ cup

⅓ cup

½ cup

1 cup

Total

Arrowroot

Cornstarch 

Tapioca 

Rice Flour

Kaolin Clay 

Bentonite 

Beet Powder 

Cocoa Powder 

Activated Charcoal 

How To Store and Use Dry Shampoo

How To Store and Use Dry Shampoo

How to Store Dry Shampoo

When you decide to make your own dry shampoo, look out for pretty jars and vintage sugar shakers or powdered sugar dispensers. They are perfect for storing your dry shampoo in and particularly good for shaking your hair.  

I often use a jar with a wide mouth, wide enough for a large make-up brush. I also use an airtight jar because I store mine in a steamy bathroom.

If you choose a sugar shaker-type dispenser that is not airtight, store it somewhere dry to keep it in tip-top condition.  

How to Apply Dry Shampoo

  1. Always be sure to do a 24 to 48-hour patch test, before using dry shampoo for the first time.
  2. Either use a soft makeup brush to apply it or shake the dry shampoo onto your hair.
  3. Work it into your hair and scalp well with your fingers and then brush it through. Brushing it through is key to the process, so don’t skip it. 
  4. Be mindful that dry shampoos are not designed to be used every day. If you use them too much, you can upset the natural balance of your hair and scalp.
  5. If you are a ‘die-hard’ everyday washer, try washing your hair every other day. 
  6. Feel brave? Every third day is far better for your hair. I always find by the morning of the third day I need a bit of dry shampoo to get me through the day. 

How to Maximize Using Dry Shampoos

Use dry shampoo when your hair is showing signs of oiliness. It is most effective for soaking up this oil and refreshing hair. For the most part, it does not make sense to use it on clean, freshly washed hair, apart from one exception that I will cover below. 

Use Dry Shampoo For:
  • Prolonging the life and bounce of a salon blowout to extend the joy a little more.
  • Refreshing hair after a gym workout or exercising.
  • Adding definition and texture to curly hair. 
  • You can use it on clean and oily hair to add texture and volume to certain tousled hairstyles and updos.  

Don’t Overdo Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is an amazing product that offers us incredible convenience and it can be tempting to overuse it with our busy lives and save time.

It’s perfect for moms, and dads, of newborns who just can’t get a minute. It can help you look like you are in control and vaguely human, even if you don’t feel it! 

Even my husband, (man of no products) has taken to asking me ‘Does my hair need washing’? What he really means is, ‘Can I get away with using dry shampoo in the morning’. So, if a man who is notorious for eschewing ‘products’ is jumping on the bandwagon of convenience, I’m sure, there is a veritable army of men behind him! 

However it’s not to be used as a persistent excuse to not wash your hair, you still need to wash your hair a couple of times a week. Excessive use can cause a dry, flaky scalp and contribute to dry hair through a lack of natural oils. 

If you use dry shampoo a lot, more than 3-4 times a week, try using a leave-in conditioner or a 

moisturizing hair oil to boost hydration in both your hair and scalp.

Balance is the key, between washing and using dry shampoo to ensure great hair and scalp health.

The Final Word on Dry Shampoo

The Final Word on Dry Shampoo

Did you realize it was so easy to make your own dry shampoo? 

All you need is a couple of base powders like Arrowroot or Cornstarch, a carrier oil like Jojoba or Rosehip, and some essential oils or fragrance oils to make a really great dry shampoo. 

Take things a step further and capitalize on the active properties of essential oils to address hair and scalp issues. Use Tea Tree, Lavender, and Thyme if you have Dandruff. Tame oily hair with Ylang Ylang, Cypress, and Bergamot. Soothe dry, flaky scalps with Roman Chamomile, Patchouli, and Geranium. 

Plump for glorious fragrance and have a ball choosing your favorite Soap & Candles fragrance oils to create a real scentstation for your dry shampoo.

Harness the best of both worlds and combine essential oils and fragrance oils for a powerhouse effect all in a dry shampoo! Who knew?

Tinker and experiment with natural powders like Cocoa and Beet to create a shade perfect for your hair color, Don't forget to use the Color Formula Ready Reckoner to perfect your formula, so you can repeat it time and again. 

However, if you choose to make your own bespoke Dry Shampoo, have a ball with it! Oh and enjoy the savings!

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