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Unfortunately for me, my hair gets greasy about a day after I wash it. To combat this, I’ve tried several dry shampoos over the years, from cans that cost under $10 to sprays from luxury brands. But aside from knowing that the aerosol cans aren’t the best for us or the environment, I always felt like I was spraying half of the product right into the air. It also took its toll on my scalp, creating buildup that would result in even more dandruff or oil. Because of all this, I took a break from dry shampoo.
My ban lasted a few months, but my hair was still getting greasy about a day after washing it. Since I didn’t want to over-wash, I figured it was time to try some non-aerosol dry shampoos. I picked a few options with varying price points to see which one worked the best in my dark, mostly straight hair, and oily scalp. I didn’t hold out much hope, but the results surprised me.
Handmade Heroes | Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo Volumizing Hair Powder
I Dew Care | Tap Secret Medium Brown Dry Shampoo
dae | Fairy Duster Volumizing Dry Shampoo Powder
Bumble and Bumble | Prêt-à-powder Dry Shampoo
The Handmade Heroes Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo really surprised me. The formula is technically meant for light to medium hair, but it’s the same colour as the two luxury test subjects, so I figured it would be comparable.
I found it a little hard to dispense because a lot comes out at once, but it wasn’t super difficult to blend in and once it did. After application, the greasy look was mostly gone, and I was left with touchable hair with volume at the roots. I really enjoyed the sliding mechanism on the lid to keep any extra powder from falling out when it’s not in use.
It smells a little bit like cake batter, which is new to me in the world of dry shampoos, but I really enjoy it. The scent goes away in about an hour, so this would be a good option for anyone who is sensitive to fragrance.
All in all, it’s a great option for under $20, and it works almost as well as the priciest non-aerosol dry shampoo I tried (more on that later).
The I Dew Care Tap Secret Dry Shampoo was the only tinted dry shampoo I tried, and the brown shade is almost an exact match for my hair. This means that it didn’t stick out like the white powder options on this list, but it also made it a little harder for me to see where I had applied it to my hair.
One feature I really like is the built-in blending puff applicator. It ensured the product was evenly distributed on my hair without me having to get my fingers in there. It did soak up some oil in my hair, but didn’t give me that volume some of the others did, and doesn’t have a scent.
The size of the product and the applicator make it great for touch-ups throughout the day, but I don’t think I could rely on it to make my hair look 100% fresh.
I have pretty mixed feelings on the dae Fairy Duster volumizing Dry Shampoo.
The citrus scent was my favourite out of all the products I tried. I also really like the pump applicator and found it was the best for precise application.
This formula needed time to do its thing, so spritzing it on my roots before bed worked best for the desired results. The Fairy Duster Blending Brush they recommend using to work it in is sold separately, but I found using an old powder brush worked just as well.
I did find that it helped with giving my roots a teeny volume boost, but I had to pump a lot to get rid of the oil on my hair. This resulted in my strands feeling super dry and a slight white cast. Because of this, I do think it would work better for those with lighter hair.
The Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-powder dry shampoo is my newest holy grail hair product. Not only does it instantly soak up excess oil, but it makes my hair look like it’s been freshly washed in under a minute.
It can extend my style an extra 24 hours, which gives me the most time between washes with the least amount of buildup. Since my hair tends to be slippery, I usually add this when I’m styling to give it some grit. The scent is fresh without being overpowering and truly does last all day.
The only thing I don’t love is the application process, since it comes out of a single hole in the top of the bottle. Luckily, it’s easy to blend using my hands, and a little goes a long way.
Out of all four, this is the one I reach for first on dirty hair days.
All four of these dry shampoos were highly rated, but I honestly didn’t think that any of them would work for my hair type and oily scalp. I was truly surprised that they all gave me results, and most of them had impressive lasting power.
The Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder Dry Shampoo was the standout product for me. It completely transformed my limp, oily strands in under a minute, leaving my mane clean and bouncy. With the other products, I had to spend more time blending and try different techniques to get the desired results.
Reviewers agree with me and say it’s the best dry shampoo they’ve ever used. Others claim it's been their tried-and-true holy grail for over a decade. After trying it myself, I totally see why.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.