Dry shampoo has been receiving quite a bit of negative publicity recently as many brands have been found to have high levels of benzene which is a known carcinogen.
Unfortunately, many of our health and hygiene products contain a number of harmful substances. It is hard to know exactly what’s in them even when they claim to be safe. The good news is, you can make your very own dry shampoo with a few simple and natural ingredients that you can trust are safe!
Why Use Dry Shampoo?
For years, I washed my hair everyday which usually left my scalp dried and damaged while my hair was constantly greasy. The oil glands on my head were overproducing oils to help heal my scalp which led to greasy hair.
It wasn’t until I started washing my hair less and using a dry shampoo in between washes that the natural oils in my hair were able to heal my scalp. This in turn restored normal levels of oil production which decreased the greasiness of my hair between washes. While I’m still quite active and wash my hair every 2-3 days, dry shampoo can really help extend the amount of time between washes to allow for scalp recovery. Plus, it’s much quicker and easier than washing your hair!
DIY Dry Shampoo For Light Or Dark Hair
This DIY dry shampoo works great for both light or dark hair! If you have lighter hair, stick with using arrowroot powder. I have light brown hair and have found that using entirely arrowroot powder works well.
However, if your hair is a little darker, substituting cocoa powder for the arrowroot powder works well to blend the powder into your hair. Play around with the recipe and find what works best for your shade. I give recipes for both light and dark hair below.
How To Customize Your Dry Shampoo
The great thing about this recipe is that you can individualize it according to the needs of your hair!
- If your hair is darker and you feel the dry shampoo is showing up too light in your hair, substitute cocoa powder for arrow powder at a ratio of 1:1.
- Most of the time, I prefer to keep my dry shampoo unscented or very little scent. If you like a little scent throughout the day, feel free to mix and match or add a little more of your favorite essential oils. There are a few essential oils that work great for the hair.
- Bergamot oil helps smooth hair cuticles and acts as a detangler.
- Rosemary oil prevents hair loss.
- Lemon oil helps unclog pores around the follicle which prevents dandruff.
Tips For Using Dry Shampoo
Many complaints about natural forms of dry shampoo revolve around its effectiveness and texture. There are a few tips to making this dry shampoo work well.
- Use Sparingly: While it may seem tempting to douse any greasy spots, a little goes a long way. Using too much will cause the dry shampoo to get clumpy in your hair and leave it feeling dry, heavy, and matted down.
- Be Patient: After applying, wait 5 minutes or so to allow the powder to absorb the oils of your hair.
- Comb Or Brush It In: After waiting the 5 minutes, gently brush or comb through your hair to remove any excess powder and loosen any spots that have clumped together.
How To Make All Natural Dry Shampoo
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp arrowroot powder (3 tbsp arrowroot & 1 tbsp cocoa powder for darker hair)
- 4 tsp white kaolin clay
- 8 drops essential oil (optional)
Instructions:
- Mix together the arrowroot powder and/or cocoa powder and white kaolin clay.
- Add in essential oils and mix until well combined.
- Add to a jar and use a makeup brush to brush it in or old spice shaker bottles also work great to sprinkle it on to your hair!
Leave a Reply