The 12 Very Best Dry Shampoos

Ingredients: Oat milk | Powder

I tested this Strategist-favorite dry shampoo over the festive season and finally understood why, for three years, this dry shampoo has sat at the top of our list of favorites (and why Strategist readers buy it in droves).

I’d never dealt with a powder dry shampoo before, so I was careful to follow hairstylist Ben Talbott’s advice to “go easy” to prevent any product buildup as I tapped on a layer each morning. I could get a color appointment only in early December but wanted my hair to look freshly red for New Year’s, so I used this dry shampoo consistently over the course of five days. Even after daily use, there was no visible layer, itchiness, or tackiness across my scalp or hair, even though my hair is on the thinner side. As someone with thinner hair, my only tiny gripe is that on day four, the dry shampoo makes my hair slightly too soft and slippery to style.

I think this is a great choice for all hair types (and four of the hairstylists who recommended this product to me agree) — and combined with its grease-zapping abilities and fresh scent, I’m calling it my top pick.

Ingredients: K18 odorBIND™ (microbeads and glycerin) | Spray

It can be so annoying when a really expensive item proves itself worth its price tag. I bought the Dyson AirWrap secretly hoping to be disappointed so I could return it, but three years later, I can’t even spend a weekend away without it. Unfortunately, I’ve had the same experience with K18’s AirWash. I love the brand, but at nearly $50 for a bottle of dry shampoo, I was skeptical. There’s also very little information online about the ingredients list (patented K18 technology), but my guess is that it uses imperceptible microbeads that contain hair-safe salts and glycerin. From using it, I now know that the spray is on the wetter side — more like a hairspray — than the average powdery dry-shampoo formulas. That means it doesn’t leave any white cast at all on the hair (not even on my offensively cherry-red color).

I used it on two-day-old hair and was impressed, but I decided that I still needed to put it through its paces if I was going to justify the price point. So I packed it in my gym bag for a particularly gnarly, Sabrina Carpenter–themed spin-class session. Before applying, my hair was so greasy that I could slick back my full fringe without any product (gross, yes, but a necessary visual). After applying two pumps on five or six sections across my head … it looked freshly washed and blow-dried. I was truly in awe, and also dejected, because I knew this meant I’d be spending $50 on this dry shampoo for the foreseeable future. The worst bit? That freshly washed feeling lasted for the following two days. Can I fault it? A little: If you use the three-pump application the bottle recommends, your hair will feel a little bit dry and be in desperate need of some oiling. (But in all honesty, that’s something I tend to do after dry-shampooing, anyway.) A splurge, yes, but a regrettably worthwhile one.

Ingredients: Rice powders | Spray

Usually, a dry shampoo would give my hair an extra day or two between washes. But since using the Drybar dry shampoo, I can easily get away with washing my hair once a week. (As someone that’s had to wash their hair every other day since being a teenager, this is no small feat.) What makes this dry shampoo stand out is that it doesn’t just neutralize grease, but gives the hair a plumper, fuller look from the scalp down.

Unlike the soft and slippery Klorane, the Drybar spray adds some serious grip to my hair, from root to tip. Even with this grip, I still don’t notice any itchiness or buildup. After using it for two or three days on the go, I can easily work through my hair with a round brush and a hair dryer, meaning my hair still looks freshly done — even on day five. I love the smell, which is a subtle and not-at-all sickly vanilla, and even enjoy how the buttery yellow can looks when it’s perched on my shelf.

It’s not my top pick, though, as a bottle will last me only around three to four weeks — unlike Klorane, which is a similar price and can last double that.

Ingredients: Rice starch | Spray

For me, “root plumping” foams and powders just further weigh my hair down, having the complete opposite effect. That’s where some good body from a dry shampoo comes in. If you’re only going to use this product as a volume booster before styling, you can afford to spend less — don’t waste your Drybar in pursuit of a beehive. Hairstylist Henry de la Paz, recommends Sexy Hair, telling me “you’ll get the va-va-voom volume without the product buildup”. If you get this, he notes you’ll want to apply it a bit differently: In order to get maximum volume, you have to let this dry shampoo sit on your hair for two minutes before brushing it out or styling.

Ingredients: Rice starch, argan oil | Spray

As a natural brunette, I noticed that while the sprays that come out white — such as Moroccanoil or drugstore options like Batiste — are imperceptible in daylight, they can leave a really obvious faded glare when a flash or an LED is involved. But this dry shampoo actually has a neutral brown tint to help it blend into darker hair colors. Hairstylist Aviva Jansen Perea uses this Kristin Ess shampoo on clients before they step in front of a camera. “This product lets me breathe easy knowing that when the cameras flash, they won’t pick up any of the white powder,” she says. De la Paz also told me about this dry shampoo, noting it lacks sulfates and parabens and contains vitamins that he says help nourish hair that has been damaged from years of dyeing or being styled with heat. If you have darker hair but aren’t a fan of this shampoo’s floral scent, Redken also make a dry shampoo for darker-colored hair that is entirely fragrance free.

Ingredients: Various starches | Spray

Curly hair requires a lot of moisture, so using a dry shampoo might seem counterintuitive. But Talbott says this one from celebrity stylist Sam McKnight works particularly well for hair that’s “thick, kinky, and curly.” The ultralightweight translucent formula won’t dry or weigh down delicate curls, and with notes of water lily, green stem, and juniper wood, it also smells “sublime, like a breath of fresh air,” he promises.

Ingredients: Rice starch | Spray

If you want volume in your hair, you need to avoid any overly heavy ingredients that will weigh it down. This spray from Redken uses a mixture of starches to absorb excess oil across the scalp, but in lightweight, buildup-resistant layers to help the hair achieve some volume. It can also be spritzed through the ends of the hair for added volume from root to tip. It works best on second- or third-day straight and wavy hair, when there’s just a hint of oil. “This spray will create instant undone texture and volume with a soft, weightless finish,” says hair colorist Tara Burke.

Ingredients: Potent form of silica | Powder

Several hair-care experts mentioned R+Co to me. One of those experts, celebrity hairstylist Anthony Campbell, says it’s not only great for minimizing gunk built up from sweat but also for “extending your blow-dry or style for the next couple of days.” The same ingredient that absorbs oil — diatomaceous earth — also adds a bit of texture and grip to hair, which is what helps extend a style. This dry shampoo also contains jojoba-seed oil to help condition hair and add a bit of shine. Hairstylist Jasmine Burnside calls it her “all-time favorite dry shampoo” because, like the Klorane product that tops our list, this is a powder, not an aerosol spray. “I find it way more effective than an aerosol at absorbing excess oil from your scalp.” Like the Hairstory dry shampoo, this powder’s concentrated formula makes the product last longer. “I have had one bottle for almost two years,” says Burnside, who cautions it may not be the best for darker-colored hair because you “really have to work it” if you apply too much or too close to your scalp.

Ingredients: Various starches, bamboo and rice silk | Spray

Oribe is a brand I associate with luxury, so I wasn’t surprised to hear that even its dry shampoo smells expensive. Two hairstylists raved about Oribe’s dry shampoo. Sahar Hissami describes it as “smelling like a luxurious perfume.” It’s worth noting that Oribe’s is by far the most expensive dry shampoo on this list, but De La Paz promises it’s “worth every penny.” The fragrance is based on Oribe’s signature Côte d’Azur scent, which includes notes of bergamot, jasmine, and sandalwood. While the smell is palpable, the experts say it’s not too overwhelming. The formula, which works for all hair types and textures, contains a blend of starches and is translucent, allowing it to quickly absorb oil and treat scalp impurities without weighing hair down or leaving white spots.

Ingredients: Charcoal, white-tea powder | Spray

Those familiar with charcoal masks for the face or skin will recognize the ingredient in this dry shampoo. Hissami says the formula combines charcoal with white-tea powder to create a dry shampoo that “deeply cleanses your scalp,” regardless of hair type or texture. Its marquee ingredient helps to lift dirt and absorb excess oil, while the white-tea powder acts as a calming agent to prevent any irritation.

Ingredients: Starches, aloe vera | Spray

If you have issues with your scalp, then you’ll want to make sure you’re not washing your hair every single day as this may exacerbate the problem. However, that’s not to say you should barely wash your hair at all — a few times a week is the sweet spot. A good dry shampoo can help prolong time between washing — Talbott calls this “the perfect solution if you have dandruff or scaly scalp issues.” As he explains, “it’s been formulated to target the root cause of dandruff and clears up any excess sebum, keeping you balanced and refreshed.” The product absorbs oil with a blend of starches, while ingredients like bisabolol (a derivative of chamomile), niacinamide, aloe vera, and methyl lactate (a cooling agent) all work together to soothe and calm inflammation as well as improve the scalp’s appearance.

Ingredients: Rice starch | Foam

A foam might seem like an odd texture for dry shampoo, but several brands from Strategist-favorite Verb to Bumble and Bumble have them in their range. Perea says this is because they’re actually fantastic for volume if you have thin, fine hair. “You give the can a really good shake and pump out a golf-ball-size amount of foam and rub it on the scalp,” she says. “The wetness will dissipate and provide a lift that is hard to achieve with powder.” The foamy consistency, she adds, makes it easier to dictate where the product goes. Plus, “this stuff smells amazing,” Perea says.