CAUGHT short and don't have time to wash your hair? The best dry shampoos offer a lifeline to greasy locks, so we put some of the most coveted products to the test to see how they fared.
Whether you're dealing with a sweaty commute to work, festivals with no showers or good old-fashioned pollution, life is just constantly throwing us curveballs that make maintaining a freshly washed 'do near impossible.
Grease inevitably sets in, and if you're anything like us – you either don't have time to style and dry your hair every single day, or you want to give it a break from a constant cycle of washing and heat damage.
Praise the hair gods, then, for dry shampoo: it's a game-changer for mattifying oily roots and even helps to add volume and texture as a hair product in its own right.
Batiste is probably the most recognizable dry shampoo out there, but there are plenty of alternatives and newcomers offering different benefits: from natural and paraben-free dry shampoos to products that even promise to clean your hair.
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These are the best dry shampoos, tried and tested by us.
Best dry shampoos at a glance:
- Best overall: Hair By Sam McKnight
- Best for second-day hair: Bumble & Bumble Pret a Powder Tres Invisible Dry Shampoo
- Best budget dry shampoo: Batiste Dry Shampoo
- Best dry shampoo for sensitive scalps: Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
- Best for glossy hair: Kerastase Fresh Affair Dry Shampoo
Hair by Sam McKnight
- Hair by Sam McKnight Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo, £12 from Cult Beauty - buy here
Pros: Ultra-light formula, adds volume and texture, available in two sizes, vegan, paraben and sulfate-free
Cons: Not the cheapest dry shampoo out there
If the idea of putting anything heavy on your strands that may weigh them down has put you off dry shampoo up to now, then let us introduce you to Lazy Girl.
Firstly, anything called Lazy Girl is a big 'yes' from us because we are all about minimum effort for maximum reward. And secondly, it’s here to alleviate any weighty worries.
An ultra-light formula, it leaves hair with volume and texture while also giving soft body.
It comes in two sizes: 250ml which is great for more regular use and a 50ml mini which is a must for packing into your gym bag.
Size: 250ml or 50ml Fragrance: Sam’s signature fragrance
Moroccanoil
- Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo Dark Tones, £17.85 from Look Fantastic - buy here
Pros: Available in both light and dark tones to balance brassiness/white residue, has UV filter, lightweight
Cons: Quite pricey
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As we know, not all hair is created the same. Some are naturally dark, some naturally light, some coloured, and some dry… the point is, there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to dry shampoo.
Moroccanoil has taken this into account and created a product that is specifically for either light or dark tones.
Each formula does its own job, with Light Tones honing in on preserving the integrity of light and blonde tones, while Dark Tones is all about maintaining the richness and dimension of darker colours.
How do they do this, you ask? Light Tones features subtle violet undertones, which is all about balancing out brassiness, while Dark Tones puts the banishing of white residue at the forefront.
Created using ultra-fine rice starches that break down and dissipate straight away, it makes sure that the natural warmth of darker tones isn’t compromised by using the dry shampoo. Dreamy.
It also protects your strands and scalp from the sun by including a UV filter – an often overlooked area of our sunscreen application.
Size: 205ml or 60ml Fragrance: Signature Moroccanoil fragrance
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Living Proof
- Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo,
£27£22.32 from Sephora - buy here
Pros: Cleans hair, adds softness and shine
Cons: Quite pricey, contains benzyl salicylate which has been identified as an allergen by the SCCS
Living Proof is always innovating and this dry shampoo is absolutely no different. This one actually cleans the hair.
Yes, you read that right; it cleans rather than simply absorbing oils and lends a little extra time between wash days.
Aiming to give the results that you would get from a regular, rinse-out shampoo without the water, Advanced Clean uses fast-absorbing powders which soak up oil, sweat and oil before the new powder removal system leaves you with fresh hair that has no residue.
Size: 198ml Fragrance: N/A
Batiste Dry Shampoo Original
- Batiste Dry Shampoo Original, £3.25 from Boots – buy here
Pros: Award-winning, instantly refreshing, choice of three scents, cheap
Cons: Can leave quite an obvious white residue on hair (but blonde and brunette versions are also available)
Think of dry shampoo and Batiste will likely be one of the first brands that comes to mind.
Its distinctly vibrant and summery bottles are a mainstay on many dressing tables, and unsurprisingly, it’s been the UK’s number-one dry shampoo for over 50 years.
As is the way with dry shampoos, it banishes oily roots while also adding texture for beachy styling and lived-in looks.
If fragrance is a biggie for you, then you’re in luck because there are three to choose from – Blush, Tropical and the iconic Original.
Before you apply just remember to shake, shake, shake and massage in for a seamless application.
For super soft hair, pair it with Batiste’s brand-new Dry Conditioner – it’s the first of its kind.
Size: 120g Fragrance: Blush, Tropical or Original
Kerastase
- Kerastase Fresh Affair Dry Shampoo, £31.35 from Boots – buy here
Pros: Refreshing scent, enriched with vitamin E and rice starch, lightweight
Cons: Pricey
Whatever your lifestyle, your hair and scalp will be exposed to air pollution, sebum and product and oil buildup – which is why we need to wash our hair. If we don’t, that's when our locks turn slimy, greasy and limp.
To combat strands sticking together at the root, Kerastase’s Fresh Affair Dry Shampoo uses rice starch to absorb leftover product, oil to refresh the hair and scalp and Vitamin E to make sure any dryness is kept in check.
This one’s particularly good for all the time-poor city dwellers out there, backing up its effective technology with a long-lasting, ultra-clean scent. Intertwining lemon, bergamot and mandarin with lavender, bitter orange, white musk and jasmine, it makes for a seriously floral finish.
Size: 150g Fragrance: Neroli
Bumble & Bumble
- Bumble & Bumble Pret a Powder Tres Invisible Dry Shampoo, £31 from Boots – buy here
Pros: Adds volume and texture, cruelty-free, UV filters protect from drying effects of the sun
Cons: Not suitable for curly or breakage-prone hair
With a focus on refreshing styles rather than fully cleaning hair, this dry shampoo from Bumble and Bumble adds volume and texture from roots to ends.
Reach for this one if you have straight to wavy hair that errs on the side of oily and non-damaged, but if you have curly or curly strands that are drier and prone to breakage then this one may not be for you.
Bumble and Bumble is a cruelty-free brand which means no testing on animals.
Size: 150ml and 340ml, Fragrance: Lightly scented
Briogeo Dry Shampoo
- Briogeo Dry Shampoo, £22
£27from Sephora - buy here
Pros: Non-irritating, relieves greasiness, easy to apply
Cons: Small size
Rating: 4/5
It can be frustrating having to constantly wash your hair when you have a greasy scalp, but Briogeo’s dry shampoo is designed to specifically soothe itchy heads.
Formulated with Charcoal and Biotin, it’s free from silicones, sulphates and parabens, and is designed to even out sebum production, while nourishing the scalp and refreshing the roots, helping the extend wash days.
You simply shake, twist and press the bottle a few inches away from your scalp to apply to your hair. It first appears as fine white powder, but after a few massages on the head, we found that it disappeared easily into dark hair, leaving no traces of white powder.
We tested this on day three hair and were pleasantly surprised by how it instantly refreshed greasy strands and the feeling of dry shampoo on the scalp was barely noticeable.
We also applied this on day two hair before doing a sweaty workout and were impressed by how the dry shampoo managed to absorb most of the sweat from the scalp and our hairline, and helped our blow dry last for longer.
The only downside is that it comes in a smaller size so if you were to use this frequently, it would finish in a month or so. With that being said, it would be a great pick to take away on holiday with you.
Size: 50ml, Fragrance: 'Whipped cream infused with fresh mint and a warm vanilla finish'
Review by Natalie Chui
Monday Dry Shampoo
- Monday Dry Shampoo, £4 from Boots - buy here
Pros: Instantly refreshing, targets greasy spots, adds volume
Cons: Can be intense on sensitive scalps
Rating: 4/5
Monday’s dry shampoo is infused with Keratin to help nourish the hair while absorbing the greasiness, and we found that the spray nozzle allows you to target greasy spots on the head.
It’s intensely cooling so if you have a sensitive scalp, it might not be as suitable and you may need to spray it from a few inches further away.
It comes out in a fine white powder but is a lot more subtle in look than other dry shampoos and after leaving it for 10 seconds, we found that it absorbed well into dark black hair.
The dry shampoo also does a great job of giving instant volume, making the roots look refreshed and is probably best for day two or three touch-ups.
As one of the cheapest options, this is a great budget buy that will help to relieve greasy hair, extend hair wash days and isn’t too intense for everyday use.
Review by Natalie Chui
Size: 200ml, Fragrance: Subtle gardenia scent
Olaplex
- Olaplex No. 4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo, £28 from Cult Beauty - buy here
Pros: Bond-building tech, detoxifies hair, adds volume
Cons: Pricey
Olaplex launched No. 4D at the beginning of last year with much fervour.
The excitement was unsurprising when you consider the unbelievable success of Olaplex's bond-building technology, which has been adopted both by salons and people at home.
But what makes the dry shampoo special? Well, it focuses on detoxifying the scalp rather than absorbing the oil from the strands. And of course, it includes that patented bond-building technology. Nifty.
Transparent and lightweight, it contains Rambutan Seed Extract which is a sustainable source of antioxidants to soothe and detoxify the scalp while also getting rid of odour and impurities (which is a must).
Other ingredients include ultra-fine micro starch which, like in other similar products, nullifies obvious residue.
And when you get down to the nitty-gritty, it’s also 100% free of sulphates, phthalates, parabens and gluten as well as being vegan. Tick, tick, tick.
Size: 250ml Fragrance: N/A
Klorane
- Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, £11.50 from Lookfantastic - buy here
Pros: 99% ingredients of natural origin, oat extract softens hair, adds volume and texture, protects from breakage
Cons: None
Klorane is a big deal in Europe and is stocked in pharmacies in countries like France, Spain and Italy, but it isn’t quite as notorious in the UK – yet, despite its dry shampoos being number one over on the continent.
If you’re somebody who suffers from a particularly sensitive scalp, you'll love the fact that the dry shampoo with oat milk restores volume and adds texture to the hair while being gentle to your scalp.
Also, if you swap out one shower a week and opt for a dry shampoo you could save around 500l of water a year which is a big green (in every sense) tick.
Size: 150ml Fragrance: N/A
Arkive
- Arkive The Reset Dry Shampoo, £12 from Boots - buy here
Pros: Vegan and cruelty-free, soft on scalp, cleanses and refreshes
Cons: Reasonably priced but you can find cheaper
Founded by famous hair stylist Adam Reed (you may recognise his name as one half of another hair brand, Percy & Reed) Arkive’s big sell is that it’s all about headcare, which means giving your hair and scalp the same treatment as your skin.
The Reset Dry Shampoo is infused with rice starch (notice how this ingredient keeps coming up? It’s a dry shampoo must-have) to suck away oil and sebum and give that clean feeling.
You’ll benefit from extra volume and a signature scent to give your unwashed hair that boost of longevity.
Size: 200ml Fragrance: No One Elsie (inspired by fresh leafy greenery)
Virtue
- Virtue Refresh Dry Shampoo, £34 from Lookfantastic - buy here
Pros: Loved by celebs, contains added keratin protein promotes stronger-looking hair
Cons: Pricey
Virtue is no slouch – the brand has been used by proper A-Listers like Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Garner, and Nicola Peltz-Beckham used Virtue for her now infamous wedding day.
One of the brand's offerings is the Refresh Dry Shampoo which is a lightweight aerosol spray that uses Virtue’s patented Alpha Keratin 60ku to remove impurities and revive style.
Inside the formula, you’ll find Kaolin clay and Tapioca starch which help to make hair feel cleaner and a fresh lemon scent for that finishing touch.
Size: 51g or 128g Fragrance: Lemon essential oil and floral notes
Matrix
- Matrix High Amplify Dry Shampoo,
£16.78£14.98 from Amazon - buy here
Pros: Volumising, great for fine hair,
Cons: Unscented (also a pro, depending on your preference for fragrances)
Matrix may not be on your radar, but it’s a brand that has a lot of really great products – from shampoos and conditioners, to seriously strong-hold hairspray and pomades.
Included in this collection is the High Amplify Dry Shampoo. It works by absorbing everyday oil build-up for refreshed locks between washes.
Because it sucks up all the oils that would ordinarily weigh down strands, it’s particularly good for fine hair (if you have fine hair, you’ll know that grease doesn’t go hand in hand with volume).
Hold four to six centimetres away from your hair and massage thoroughly into the scalp to avoid the dreaded residue that comes with dry shampoo and spread evenly for maximum benefits.
Size: 4oz Fragrance: None
Where to buy dry shampoo in the UK
Dry shampoos are readily available from many different beauty stockists and specialists, down to your local supermarket.
We've rounded up our go-to places below, which are recommended for stocking a wide variety of dry shampoos at different price points as well as being convenient for ordering online.
- Cult Beauty
- Lookfantastic
- Sephora
- Boots
- Amazon
How much does dry shampoo cost?
Dry shampoos can vary in price by quite a lot – which is great news whether you're on a budget or don't mind splashing out a bit more for a premium product.
In our roundup above, we put a range of products to the test which all came in at different price points. The cheapest was Batiste Dry Shampoo Original at £3.25, while the most expensive was the Virtue Refresh Dry Shampoo which is currently selling for £34.
How to use dry shampoo?
Zoe Irwin, Colour and Trend Ambassador at Matrix, explains: 'Dry shampoo is a product that’s designed for adding texture and lift to hair as well as removing oil in between shampoos, normally on the second or third day.'
'Dry shampoos are amazing for giving styles longevity after a blow dry. One of my top tips: on the night that you’ve given yourself a blow dry, spray horizontally from the nape of the hair in 6cm sections, massage it in and then sleep in it. As you’re sleeping it keeps your roots fresh and absorbs any oil.'
Originally designed as a waterless shampoo alternative, people quickly began to notice that with a few spritzes and a little zhuzh, dry shampoo is also a must-have tool to add volume and texture to otherwise flat and lacklustre hair. Result.
So how should we be using it? Zoe says: 'Give it some time to work. A lot of people spray it on and then brush the hair immediately. I always give it 30 seconds to a minute before I then style the hair. I usually like to keep everything around a centimetre or two away from the hairline and it’s also really great to use a bristle brush.'
'For a light application, spray your dry shampoo on a big face powder brush and then just lightly tap along the front hairline for a diffused amount of product.'
