You’ve probably seen some of the dry shampoos available these days. Maybe you’ve even tried a few of them.
There’s a lot to be said for the fact that dry shampoos are healthier for your hair than wet shampoos which tend to strip your hair of its natural oils.
While many of the dry shampoos on the market work great, they are bit more money than I personally want to spend.
I got to thinking… the original idea of making dry shampoo at home has been passed down from generation to generation for decades now. So why not just make my own dry shampoo?
After doing a little research and trying a few different ingredients myself, here are some of the different kinds of dry shampoo you can make at home from items you have around the house…
#1 – Cornstarch Dry Shampoo Recipe
Add just a little bit of cornstarch to your roots. Then, blend it through your hair. Finally, brush the cornstarch out of your hair. The cornstarch soaks up the oil and dirt — which you remove when you brush the cornstarch out of your hair. This is one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to homemade dry shampoo!
#2 – Salt + Cornmeal Dry Shampoo Recipe
Mix one tablespoon of salt, and then 1/2 cup of cornmeal and put the mixture in a shaker of some sort, a salt or pepper shaker works fine, but you could also re-use a Parmesan cheese shaker as well which of course also allows you to recycle some plastic. You shake the mixture on your hair and then brush it out, as you brush your hair oil and dirt are removed!
#3 – Oatmeal + Baking Soda Dry Shampoo Recipe
Mix one cup of ground oatmeal with one cup of baking soda and keep in a container in your bathroom. On those days when you don’t have time to wash your hair or don’t feel like washing it, you can work some of the mixture into your roots and then brush it out. It will remove the oil and dirt like magic!
#4 – Cornmeal + Orris Root + Almonds Dry Shampoo Recipe
Combine one tablespoon of cornmeal, one tablespoon of orris root, and one tablespoon of very finely ground almonds. You’ll want to brush your hair well before using this mixture, then work the mixture into your roots and brush your hair well again to remove it. This recipe is especially good for those with really oily hair.
#5 – Cheesecloth Dry Shampoo Method
This one doesn’t even require any ingredients from the kitchen. Instead, all it requires is a piece of cheesecloth. Wrap the cheesecloth around a wide natural bristle brush and then brush your hair. The cheesecloth will remove any dirt and oil from your hair.
#6 – Dry Clay Recipe For Dry Shampoo
This was another one I had never heard of, but it is supposed to work. Take any dry clay such as agar agar, white clay, or even green clay and work the powdered clay into your roots and then brush out. You basically do it the same way as you would with the other dry mixtures, but I thought it was interesting that even clay would work. Also, apparently because the clay has silica in it, it strips the sebum or oil from your hair so you may want to consider adding powdered milk to the mixture to help keep your hair soft.
#7 – Baby Powder Dry Shampoo Recipe
Of course, baby powder is probably the most common and well-known method for making your own dry shampoo. Some people rub it straight onto the roots. Others mix baby powder with baking soda to make a dry shampoo.
Some Unique Dry Shampoo Ideas
If you want your dry shampoo to be scented, you can add dried flowers such as lavender, rose petals or whatever to the mixture. Then put it in a jar with a tight lid. Keep the jar in a dry, cool and dark place for 2 to 4 weeks. Waa-lah, your dry shampoo mixture will be scented!
If you want your hair to smell nice after using a dry shampoo, put a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a clean spray bottle filled with water. After you do the dry shampoo routine, spritz some of the scented water on your hair. I do this myself, and it works great!
If you have dark hair and you want a darker powder base instead, simply replace any of the white powder bases mentioned in the recipes above with cocoa powder.
If you want a little extra volume, try using flour as a dry shampoo for your hair. There are lots of different types of flour. Each gives slightly different results. Wheat flour and oat flour may
be the best ones for those with dark hair.
TIP: Baking powder can also be used as a dry shampoo, but some say that it tends to dry out your hair a bit more than the other ingredients mentioned above do.
More DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes & Tips
- Save Some Water With A Dry Shampoo
- Don’t Buy Dry Shampoo When You Can Make It
- How To Make Dry Shampoo Using Essential Oils
- DIY Dry Shampoos vs Commercial Dry Shampoos
Some of my favorite things to write about are topics that have to do with living green, saving money, pregnancy, weddings, and dogs. When I'm not writing, I love to spend time with my husband, read, create 3D artwork and Native American beadwork.
