If you love dry shampoo, but don’t want to use a store-bought aerosol can of questionable ingredients like isobutane, butane and propane – this DIY dry shampoo recipe is for you! There are some natural alternatives that you can buy pre-made, but making it yourself is a more frugal way to go. Really, it costs so much less to make it yourself; it only takes a couple minutes, and the dry shampoo lasts for months.
Basically, with dry shampoo we need a way to absorb the oil and make our hair look clean and pretty, a little more volume and lift doesn’t hurt either. Some natural products that absorb oil are cornstarch, baking soda, and arrowroot powder. By simply shaking 2-3 ingredients together with one of those items we can make a product that smells amazing, saves times, is on-the-go ready, and extends time between hair washings (which helps the hair stay healthier).
Table of Contents:
Essential Oils for Hair Health
Here are some suggestions of essential oils to add to your DIY preparations to get glowing, healthy hair.
- peppermint – helps with blood flow and is invigorating.
- geranium and rosemary – make hair smooth and silky.
- tea tree – helps to heal your scalp of any issues that may be causing itchiness because it is anti-fungal. It was one of my favorite essential oils when I experienced hair loss post-pregnancy. The combination I found most effective during that time was lavender, tea tree, rosemary and peppermint in equal parts.
- lavender & Roman chamomile – soothes skin and helps dry skin.
Note, you cannot use any essential oil you want. Stay clear of aggravating, caustic “hot” oils like clove, oregano, lemongrass, and cinnamon.
DIY Dry Shampoo Recipe
See all our Homemade Hair Care Recipes with Essential Oils Here!
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder or corn starch
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 4-8 drops essential oil per ounce of final product**
- For dark hair: Add up to ¼ cup cocoa powderr depending on hair color
- For auburn hair: Add up to a tablespoon cinnamon and 2 teaspoons paprika, depending on hair color
- Food processor or blender
- Refillable makeup brush or powder sifter
- Add the arrowroot powder, baking soda, colorants, and essential oils to a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture reaches a fine powder consistency.
- Add the dry shampoo to a refillable makeup brush or powder sifter.
- To use, dispense a little powder and apply it to the roots of your hair.
- Let sit for a minute or two, then use your fingertips to distribute the mixture throughout your hair evenly.
For auburn hair: Add up to a tablespoon of cinnamon\ and 2 teaspoons paprika, depending on hair color
**Essential oils for hair care include: peppermint, geranium, rosemary, tea tree, lavender, and Roman chamomile.
Trouble shooting your dry shampoo recipe:
- If you notice that your dry shampoo is starting to melt or is really clumpy, you might have used too much cocoa.
- If you have dark hair and don’t want to put cocoa in your hair, apply the dry shampoo before going to sleep at night. That will give the DIY dry shampoo time to absorb the oil and you can brush or comb it out in the morning.
Need something to help your hair stay in place? Try this DIY Hair Gel and DIY Hair Spray.
