DIY Dry Shampoo for Dark or Light Hair

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How to Make Your Own Dry Shampoo for Light or Dark Hair
Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » DIY Dry Shampoo for Dark or Light Hair

Dry shampoos have been all the rage, and I can understand why… A beauty product that makes your hair look clean when it hasn’t been washed in the past three days that day is a tremendous help! During long days with little ones we are lucky if we get to use the bathroom alone, much less shower every day…

If you use a product (almost) every day, it’s important for it to a) work and b) have safe ingredients! But look at the label on most commercial dry shampoos and you’ll find ingredients like isobutane, butane, and propane… no thanks!

I found out it’s easy to make your own natural dry shampoo from scratch with just a few simple ingredients you might already have on hand. You’ll not only save money since homemade dry shampoo versions are about 95% cheaper, but you also won’t be putting toxic chemicals on your hair!

(And if you don’t have the time or desire to DIY, keep reading for a solution… )

How to Make Your Own Dry Shampoo at Home

how to make natural dry shampoo for light or dark hair

The basic idea of a dry shampoo (or wet “dry” shampoo, see that variation below) is to put an oil-absorbing substance like arrowroot or cornstarch on the oily parts of your hair. This absorbs the oil and leaves it looking clean and volumized.

On my hair, I use a light powder (arrowroot) since I’m blonde, but dark-haired mamas can mix cocoa powder in with the arrowroot for naturally tinted (and delicious smelling!) homemade dry shampoo. You can even use cocoa powder in homemade eye shadow.

Bonus: Dry shampoo is also very helpful if you’ll be styling hair and need it to hold. Dirty hair holds better than clean hair, but it doesn’t have to look dirty! In fact, for an upcoming wedding I’ll be sporting hair that hasn’t been washed in three days (you’re welcome for that visual!) 🙂

Here are the official “recipes” that can be customized to your hair type:

Three recipes for homemade DIY dry shampoo (or spray dry shampoos) for dark or light hair that are inexpensive to make and work as well as store bought!
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4.39 from 81 votes

Dry Shampoo Recipe

Make chemical-free dry shampoo in minutes with just two or three ingredients!
Prep Time4 minutes
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

  • ¼ cup arrowroot powder (or organic cornstarch, for dark hair use 2 TBSP arrowroot and 2 TBSP cocoa powder)
  • 5 drops essential oil (optional – I use lavender)

Instructions

  • Place the arrowroot, or arrowroot and cocoa powder, into a small jar.
  • Add the essential oil and mix to combine.
  • Apply with an old make-up brush to the roots or oily parts of your hair. Applying with the brush is optional, but it removes the need to comb through as much and is better for styled hair. If you don’t use the brush, comb the powder through your hair and style as usual.

Notes

Add 1 cup of warm water and ¼ cup of vodka, rubbing alcohol, or witch hazel to the above recipe to make a spray wet shampoo that works as a dry shampoo. Spray on roots or oily parts of hair, let dry, and style as usual. Shake before each use.
Don’t Want to DIY? You’re in luck! I started my own line of safe personal care products based on my DIY recipes. Learn more about my Wellnesse Revitalizing Dry Shampoo for All Hair Types here.

If you’d rather have a spray wet shampoo that works as a dry shampoo, you can accomplish this by adding some water and alcohol to the above recipe.

Here’s how:

Wet “Dry” Shampoo Option

A wet-dry shampoo uses the same concept but puts the oil-absorbing substance in a quickly evaporating liquid like vodka or rubbing alcohol.

What to do: Mix all ingredients in a small spray bottle and shake well. Shake before each use and spray on roots or oily parts of hair. Let dry and style as usual.

Bonus Tips

  • Arrowroot or cornstarch can also be used as a mineral veil or finishing powder for homemade makeup or as an oil-absorbing powder on the skin. I keep a mason jar filled with arrowroot on my counter and use as a dry shampoo in my hair and to set my makeup.
  • If you have dark hair but don’t want to use cocoa powder in your hair, just use plain arrowroot and apply before going to bed the night before or at least 2 hours in advance. With some time to absorb you won’t get the fake-gray-looks-like-a-wig look!

If you decide to go pro and try pre-made dry shampoo, let me know what you think if you try my Wellnesse line! I’ve been working hard to make sure these are the safest, most natural products for moms and families that work even better than conventional options. I’d love to know how they work for you!

Do you use dry shampoo? What is your best haven’t-washed-my-hair-in-days trick? Please share below!

Three recipes for homemade DIY dry shampoo (or spray dry shampoos) for dark or light hair that are inexpensive to make and work as well as store bought!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

392 responses to “DIY Dry Shampoo for Dark or Light Hair”

  1. Leah Avatar

    I’ve been using plain cornstarch on my hair every couple of days. Despite the fact that I haven’t washed it in almost 1.5 WEEKS, it looks like I washed it yesterday! Perhaps I will never have to shampoo again?! Will see how long it lasts as I hate washing my hair. Also it helps to make my dark roots look less obvious

  2. Calypso Avatar

    Baby powder works great too. Plus, it has its own salt shaker type application.

  3. Rachel Avatar

    Oh my gosh. I’ve been using dry shampoos (many different brands) for years now, and I’d pretty much settled on one or two as my go-to favorites. I’ve gotten tired of spending my bucks on it and started to get a little freaked out by the ingredient lists, however… then along comes your recipe! It just popped into my life when I least expected it, and I love it! Love. It. It’s definitely as effective as my usual brand, and about $25 cheaper. And because I have really dark hair and use the cocoa powder recipe, I smell like a bakery instead of a chemical factory. Win.

  4. Amanda Herron Avatar
    Amanda Herron

    I just went poo free, and I just mixed this up for dark hair, so cocoa and peppermint. I’m pretty excited about it.

  5. Sarah Hanson Avatar
    Sarah Hanson

    I’ve used plain baking soda for about 2 years, and I’ve heard of adding cocoa powder for awhile. I am extremely into natural and organic living, because of the health benefits and I KNOW it’s not tested on animals (when I make it). I really appreciate all of your ideas, and will be using so many of them. Thank you for all the help, and simple ideas. (:

  6. Amanda R Baker Avatar
    Amanda R Baker

    I’m trying to go no ‘poo (I started with the BS/ACV method, but it left my hair feeling like straw – further research showed that it’s actually BAD for your hair – not PH balanced) but I haven’t yet found a ‘wash’ recipe I like. I’m currently trying aloe gel & coconut oil, but my hair is greasy the day I use that. Some days I just scrub really good with water only, but I still have issues with oily hair (I’ve always had oily hair/face) so I decided a dry shampoo was the way to go. I finally picked up some arrowroot today and, while I LOVE my essential oils, I was to lazy to blend everything together, so I did cocoa and also added in some cinnamon. Smells delicious! It gets rid of that oily look and makes my hair look fuller. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Halley Sissom Avatar
      Halley Sissom

      Have you tried a rhassoul clay shampoo? I’m currently doing a 3:2:1 of Aloe Juice, ACV and Rhassoul Clay and it leaves my hair feeling so clean! Worth a try and you only need to use like a tablespoon at the most per wash.

  7. Anz Avatar

    Thank you so mush! i just started to do the no poo method and working out. so I really needed a good dry shampoo on the in-between washings. 🙂 I noticed for me, brushing with the dry shampoo really for my roots and spaying the middle of my strands and the back of my head with the wet shampoo is a really good combination. ( I have long think black hair- a big pain to do each separately for my whole head)

  8. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    Okay one more question…..where is a good priced place to get essential oils (seems that they are very pricey) and things like beeswax shea, cocoa, and other types of butters in the other recipes for lotions and deodorant? I am most definitely on a budget and a cheapo!

    1. Elysia Avatar

      I don’t know if you’re still looking, but Mountain Rose Herbs has good prices on very high quality and organic products – everything you mentioned. I 1st discovered them when looking for a reasonable price on organic lavender EO and then when I stumbled upon Wellness Mama months later I saw that she also buys her supplies there.

    2. Shirley Avatar
      Shirley

      If you’re still looking for essential oils I like to buy from brambleberry.com and bulkapothecary.com because both sell in either bulk quantities or “sample” sizes. I like to have many fragrances on hand at a time so buying a few of them in .5 oz quantities and seeing which ones I like and which I don’t works well for me.

  9. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    Also, how do you use the wet/dry? Never seen that before 🙂

  10. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    Does the powder leave residue and rub off on clothes, sheets, etc.? you know kinda like make-up does.

  11. Whitney Hempsey Avatar
    Whitney Hempsey

    Thanks so much for this. I no poo and didn’t have time to shower before church so this is saving me from looking like a greaseball. The dark hair version works great!

  12. Andrea Bechtel Avatar
    Andrea Bechtel

    My mom taught me to use baby powder on my roots for oil absorption. I’ve been doing this for a decade now, and it keeps my hair looking spiffy. Since I have curly hair, I don’t brush and using a little on my roots is all that is needed, as the ends are drier. I love this post!

  13. Vannessa Miller Avatar
    Vannessa Miller

    baby powder!!!
    It is cornstarch and already smells great!!! I am blonde so I just lightly sprinkle in my hair before bed and brush and style the next day! Been doing this for years as I have dry hair that is waist length
    and a pain to wash and dry. This way I wash only twice a week:)

  14. candice H Avatar
    candice H

    holy crazy amazing astronauts from another planet on drugs! I am in shock! the wet/dry formula just wiped out my nasty oily hair, added body, didn’t cause ‘powdered wig’ look, and took all of 4 minutes to make including cleaning out an old spray bottle and shaking!!!! My hair looks like I just blow dried it after a shower and added product to make it tame! granted, i did do a hot oil treatment a few days ago, my hair is AWE—SUMM!

    Thank you for all these insanely wonderful things, I found out about your site literally last week on tuesday like less than 12 days ago, since then I have made sunblock, shampoo, dry shampoo!!!!, lip balm, have ordered the toothpaste ingredients, made deodorant, ordered water kefir grains, learned about kombucha, will be ordering a ton of herbs including yarrow (probably through mountain rose herbs-I’ll navigate from your site so you get the points) and stocked up on some others at the local indian market and found out how versitile coconut oil is!!! My mind is totally blown, seriously my husband thinks I’m having an outer mind experience. I literally jumped up and down at the Mother’s market when I saw 30oz glass jars of coconut oil on sale for $12 bucks each… Your site and my reading and research (‘genetic heavy metal toxicity’, ‘the hundred year lie’) is changing how I live and how I feel! I am on such a high, a life High! thank you for pooling all your information on this resource! i just prayed and thanked God for the internet thismorning! My family is going to be heck of healthy and in so much better shape than the norm! I can’t wait to get some more ideas of what to make next! Thank YOU!

  15. Eliya Syaza Avatar
    Eliya Syaza

    Hi! I wanna make the DIY dry spray shampoo but i dont have alcohol, wht should i use?

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      Just mix the ingredients and use it dry instead like a dusting powder…

  16. Adel-Alexander Avatar
    Adel-Alexander

    How do I mix the Arrowroot and Cocoa powder? Should I wet it or should I just mix the dry powders together?

      1. Adel-Alexander Avatar
        Adel-Alexander

        But do I mix it together in a bowl or.. Do I first add the arrowroot in my hair and then add the cocoa powder later?

        1. Wellness Mama Avatar
          Wellness Mama

          I mix in a bowl and store in a small jar… then I use an old blush brush to apply to hair…

          1. Adel-Alexander Avatar
            Adel-Alexander

            Alright! I have dark hair as you obviously could guess, will the cocoa powder change my hair colour or?

  17. Katey Avatar

    Love this recipe, and as long as you don’t use too much it works wonders!! I have used every store bought dry shampoo out there, and the cocoa powder and corn starch leaves no residue, and my hair feels like I just washed it!!!

  18. Elissa Wery Avatar
    Elissa Wery

    I just tried the spray and my hair seemed more oily than before the spray. Could the essential oils be the problem? I used 2 drops rosemary, 2 drops peppermint, 2 drops lavendar. Should I add more arrowroot the the mixture?

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