How to make your own dry shampoo at home

Been caught-out with greasy hair in the morning and need a quick greasy-hair fix? Want a more natural alternative to shop-bought dry shampoo? Or maybe you're on the look out for a vegan dry shampoo? Whatever your reason for wanting to make your own dry shampoo at home, we can help! We know dry shampoo is a modern-day superhero for our hair. It can refresh hair quickly if you haven’t got time to wash, condition, dry and style your hair in the morning. Did you know that using dry shampoo can actually help your hair get less greasy in the long run? It allows you to leave your hair for longer in-between washes, helping to balance oil levels naturally. Here’s how to make your own dry shampoo at home:

1. Choose a base for your DIY dry shampoo

Scour your cupboard and see if you have either of these dry shampoo bases: Cornflower: this natural flour absorbs oil and grease Or Blended oats: also absorbs excess oil with added antioxidant benefits – it’s great for itchy scalps! If you only have regular oats, you can give them a whizz in your blender or food processor

2. Add ingredients that complement your hair colour

Brunettes everywhere know the pain of dry shampooing your hair, only to end up with white roots that take some seriously frantic brushing to get rid of! Don’t worry though, there is a way around this. See what ingredient to add to your home-made dry shampoo depending on your hair colour: Blondes: Arrowroot Red heads: Cinnamon Brunettes: Cocoa Powder Black-haired beauties: Charcoal Colourful barnets: Coloured Chalk

3. Bonus ingredients for extra benefits

Dandruff: if you suffer with a flaky scalp, add a little fenugreek (for light hair) or coffee (for dark hair) Sun protection: spend a lot of time in the sun? Rice flour can help protect your hair from those rays Oily / greasy hair: calcium bentonite clay (for light hair) or activated charcoal (for dark hair) can help those of you with oily hair Smelly stuff: a teeny drop of essential oils like peppermint oil and orange oil will make your hair smell lovely And you’re done!

How to apply your DIY dry shampoo

1. Mix your base and colour in a bowl to a 1:1 ratio, and add your bonus ingredients a little at a time. Adjust amounts after you’ve blended the ingredients to match your hair colour better.
2. Use your fingertips or an old (washed) makeup brush to apply the powder to your roots / any oily parts of your hair and massage it in well for full absorbtion. Then comb the powder through and style as you usually would.
3. Please make sure to apply a patch test on your scalp 24 hours before you use it properly – better to be safe than sorry!

How does dry shampoo work?

All dry shampoos have a main aim: to absorb excess oil from your hair quick-time!

So what’s the difference between homemade dry shampoo and shop-bought solutions?

For one, homemade dry shampoos are a lot cheaper – you may have all the necessary ingredients in your cupboard. They also won’t contain the alcohol and drying agents that many shop-bought dry shampoos will contain. If you want a more natural dry shampoo but don’t want to make your own, we sell a variety here at H&B, take a look! Why go with a natural dry shampoo? Like with any hair product, natural is always best. Scalps can be sensitive, so applying lots of different chemicals could be damaging. Going au natural with your dry shampoo allows you to be in control of ingredients, avoid those that don’t agree with you and still give you the greasy hair relief you’ve been looking for. Play around with the formulas detailed above and make the perfect natural dry shampoo for you hair! Last updated: 29 April 2020