I’m finally getting around to reviewing the best dry shampoos! This post has been a long time in the making. I started researching and asking for my Instagram follower’s opinions about 3 months ago and have been trying out dry shampoos ever since. I wanted to give each dry shampoo a fair shot, so I used each one of these that I reviewed for about a week – hence the wait for this post. Sorry if the suspense has been killing you!

If you follow me on any social media, then you know that I’m a huge fan of dry shampoo. Because my hair is so long and thick, it’s a giant pain to wash and dry it. Cue the dry shampoo! I seriously don’t know what I did before it. While I still rinse off daily, using dry shampoo allows me to put off washing my hair and allows me to go 3-4 days without washing it!

Because I’m such a lover of dry shampoo, I’m always getting asked about my favorite brands. And to be honest, before I researched for this post, I hadn’t tried a ton of brands. So in order to be extremely thorough for y’all, I tried as many of the popular brands that I could find. I basically picked up a new dry shampoo every time I stopped at Ulta and Target.

For those of you that aren’t super familiar with dry shampoo (how is that even possible?!), I’ve put together some helpful tips for applying it:

• Shake it A LOT. There have been a few times that I’ve used dry shampoo without shaking it first, and it came out really weird.
• Spray it at least 6 inches away from your scalp.
• Let it set for 30-60 seconds (sometimes it takes a little bit for the dry shampoo to activate and begin to soak up the oil in your hair).
• Massage the dry shampoo into your roots then brush your hair from root to tip to give it extra volume before you actually style it.

|| The Best Dry Shampoos ||

Before you read my reviews, I wanted to break down a few things for you so you understand what I personally look for in my dry shampoos and what some of my terminology means (because I’m pretty sure I made up some words!).

First of all, the most important things I look for in dry shampoos are how powdery or translucent they are (explained below), the application/residue, the smell, and whether or not it adds volume to my hair. All of my reviews include information regarding these categories.

Another thing that matters to me that I mentioned above is how powdery or translucent the dry shampoo is. To understand what I mean, look at the picture below. The spray that’s closest to my wrist is an example of a powdery dry shampoo. The spray that’s furthest away from my wrist is an example of a translucent dry shampoo. I personally prefer the more powdery dry shampoos because I think they add more volume to my hair whereas the translucent sprays seem to be a bit more greasy and weigh my hair down. Each review includes whether the dry shampoo is more powder-based or translucent.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that these are my own personal opinions. The only way for you to find the best dry shampoo for you is to actually try out a few for yourself. While I personally love the more powder-based dry shampoos, you may like the translucent ones. So my hope is that you could use my opinions as a guide in your very own search for the perfect dry shampoo!

And, side note: I’ve only linked the dry shampoos that I like or loved so y’all can check them out. There was no sense in linking to the products that I didn’t like! I also thought it’d be helpful to write out the average price of each full-sized product to give you an idea of each dry shampoo’s price range.

|| 13 Popular Brands Reviewed ||

Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder Dry Shampoo, ~$27

Review: Bumble and Bumble is the only actual powder (versus aerosol) that I reviewed. I had never tried a powder that you actually have to shake out, so I was a little unsure about it and quite honestly am still a bit undecided. It obviously comes out powdery and white, but it very easily blends into your roots. The smell is minimal since it’s a powder but it smells fresh and feminine. I can definitely tell that it adds volume to my hair. I’m still on the fence about this one because while it does its job and adds a bit of volume, I don’t think I’m completely sold on having to shake it out evenly over my entire head (I think I prefer the ease of aerosols, to be honest). But if you can get past the shaking, it really is a great product!

Rating: Like it

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Beautiful Brunette, Dark & Deep Brown, and Blush), ~$8

Review: First things first: Batiste has a few different lines that are based on fragrance, color, and nourishment. “Blush” is from their fragrance line, and “Beautiful Brunette” & “Dark & Deep Brown” are from their color line. I’m reviewing all three together because their makeup is pretty similar, and I’ll touch on how I liked the fragrance and color at the end.
Batiste is power-based, so whichever collection you choose, it’s going to leave a bit of a residue. Normally the residue is white which is an issue for me, but because Batiste has tinted dry shampoo, I don’t mind it. In fact, I’ve learned from doing this post that I actually prefer the more powdery dry shampoos because they seem to give the best volume. So tinting them makes the most sense!
As far as the individual ones that I tried out go, “Blush” smelled amazing! It was very floral and pretty potent. I’ve smelled a few of their other fragrances like “Cherry” and “Neon Lights“, and they’re all great and exceptionally strong. So, if you don’t like strong-smelling dry shampoos, this may not be a good one for you. But  I loved it! For the tinted dry shampoos, “Beautiful Brunette” is perfect for me. “Dark & Deep Brown” is very dark and the first time I used it, I sprayed it into my hair and got a little on my forehead, and it turned my forehead brown! It also turned my pillow brown that night. If you have dark hair, it will definitely blend in, but be extra careful when spraying around your face and near your clothes.
Overall, Batiste is a bit powdery, but really refreshes your hair and adds volume. Not to mention, it’s a great price for its effectiveness!

Rating: Love it!

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle, ~$20

Review: Klorane comes out powdery, leaving a bit of white residue at first. But after massaging it into your roots, the white disappears fairly easily . The one thing I couldn’t get past with this dry shampoo was the smell. Klorane prides themselves on being a pure botanical company, which I absolutely love. However, because of that, the dry shampoo basically smells like chemicals and plants. I never thought I’d be such a lover of artificial smells, but after reviewing all of these dry shampoos, I definitely lean towards the amazing-smelling ones. Klorane worked well once the powder absorbed the oil in my hair and I can tell that it added a little volume to my hair, but I just couldn’t get over the boring smell.

Rating: Dislike it (simply for the smell; works fairly well)

Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo, ~$5

Review: Suave comes out just a tad powdery, but not too much. It’s fairly easy to blend into my hair, and the smell is pretty good. I’ve actually written about this dry shampoo in the past in my Straight Hair Routine post because it’s been one of my favorites for years. What I love most about it is how lightweight it is and how much volumes it adds to my hair. While there’s a little bit of powder that I have to blend in after multiple applications of it, it still doesn’t ever weigh my hair down and gives my hair that volume I love!

Rating: Love it!

Dove Refresh + Care Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo, ~$5

Review: Upon initial application, it’s mostly translucent with just a little bit of white residue, but after it sets and you run your fingers through your hair & style it, the white disappears. The smell is very fresh and clean. I couldn’t tell a noticeable difference in added volume to my hair, and because it was more of the translucent dry shampoo, it left my hair feeling a bit greasy and heavy.

Rating: Dislike it

Kenra Volume Dry Shampoo, ~$17

Review: Kenra came out really translucent and rather greasy upon the first spray. But once it set, that greasy feeling went away and didn’t leave any white residue. The smell is nothing crazy or overwhelming, it simply smells like hairspray. I could tell that it added a bit of volume to my hair with only one application. If you like the translucent dry shampoos better, this would be a great option for you.

Rating: Like it

AG Simply Dry, Dry Shampoo, ~$25

Review: AG is powder-based, so it comes out extremely white at first. Like, extremely. But after it sets and soaks up the oils in your hair, the white residue mostly goes away after massaging it into your roots. This is by far my most favorite smelling dry shampoo of the bunch! The best way I can describe it is as a more feminine-smelling cologne, if that makes any sense at all! And because it’s more powdery, I noticed a difference in added volume. AG has 4 more dry shampoos for colored hair (blonde, light brown, brunette, and jet black), so I’m super eager to try the light brown one soon since I love this one so much. I’m hoping the light brown dry shampoo is the same consistency and smell as this one without the white residue. That would be absolutely perfect!

Rating: Love it!

Not your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo, ~$6

Review: Not Your Mother’s is fairly similar to the Dove dry shampoo in that it comes out fairly mostly translucent with just a bit of white residue. I can’t get past the smell on this one either – it’s just not my taste. I honestly can’t quite describe it other than kind of fresh but kind of chemically. It also left my hair feeling a little greasy and weighed down rather than adding volume.

Rating: Dislike it

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, ~$22

Review: Living Proof is extremely powdery and comes out super white. If you leave it in your hair for about a minute and work it into your roots, the white will mostly go away, but it’s still not totally gone and kind of leaves your roots an ashy color. It has a fun citrus smell, and while it leaves some residue behind, it’s actually so great for adding volume. If my roots were blonde, this one would be at the top of my list!

Rating: Like it

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast, ~$29

Review: Okay, so this one isn’t exactly a “dry shampoo”, but I’ve heard SO many people talking about it, so I just had to try it out for myself. It’s advertised as giving “instant, lasting volume & texture”, and the directions say it should be used from roots to tips. It comes out completely transparent with no powdery residue at all. The smell is very strong and citrus-y, which I absolutely love. However, if you’re not a fan of strong-smelling products, then this one isn’t for you. After applying it to my roots and leaving it for about a minute, it actually slightly hardened like a hairspray would. Because of this, it adds incredible texture to my hair. However, I wouldn’t recommend using it as a dry shampoo. Rather, it’s better used in conjunction with dry shampoo in the body of my hair to give it that texture I love.

Rating: Love it!

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo, ~$6

Review: Herbal Essences comes out pretty cold and translucent, and it doesn’t leave much residue behind. The smell is actually great and smells similar to a floral-y hairspray. However, it left my hair feeling pretty greasy and heavy without any added volume.

Rating: Dislike it

Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist, ~$12

Review: Nexxus is completely translucent with zero powdery residue. It comes out fairly greasy at first, but after letting it set for about a minute and then styling my hair, it blended pretty well. I like the smell as it’s pretty fresh and floral smelling. I didn’t necessarily notice any added volume to my hair, but it absorbed the oil fairly well. I’d be careful not apply too much though because a few applications made my hair feel a bit heavy.

Rating: Like it

Kristin Ess Style Reviving Dry Shampoo, ~$14

Review: Kristin Ess leans more towards the powder side of the spectrum as it comes out just a little powdery with some white residue. But the powder is really easy to get rid of with just a little brushing and styling. This is actually my second favorite smell out of the dry shampoos and smells very feminine and maybe leans a touch towards floral baby powder. It added a bit of volume to my hair with just one application, but I had to be careful not to add too much because the powder became too visible.

Rating: Love it!

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo, ~$23

Review: Drybar is super powdery, so it leaves quite a bit of residue in the hair. What’s interesting about this powder is, although it’s not advertised as a certain color, it’s actually a tan powder instead of white. I found that to be pretty interesting and a bit easier to massage into my roots than a white powder. The smell is good, smelling like a mixture of freshness and florals. It definitely adds volume since the powder is rather thick. Is it life changing? No. But it’s pretty good!

Rating: Like it

Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1, ~$26

Review: Although this isn’t technically a “dry shampoo” either, one of it’s 3 features is to refresh – along with texturize and amplify. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about this product as well, so I had to throw it in my review. And I must say, I love it! It does the job of a dry shampoo (soaking up oil) while also adding some great volume and texture. It’s an interesting mix of the powdery and translucent textures, and the smell is good too. This is one of my favorites because it doesn’t leave too much residue and refreshes my hair while adding a great amount of volume!

Rating: Love it!

Other brands I’ve tried in the past that weren’t worth purchasing again for this review (aka, Rating: Dislike it):

• Salon Grafix (SG) Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo
• Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo
• Tresemmé Fresh Start Basic Care Dry Shampoo
• Pantene Pro-V Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

SO, TO SUM IT ALL UP FOR YOU, HERE ARE ALL OF THE “BESTS”:

• Best smell (+ great quality): AG Simply Dry, Dry Shampoo
• Best budget-friendly dry shampoo: Batiste or Suave
• Best translucent dry shampoo: Kenra Volume Dry Shampoo
• Best powder dry shampoo: Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1, AG Simply Dry, Dry Shampoo, or Kristin Ess Style Reviving Dry Shampoo

Most importantly for this whole review, here are the items I’m going to purchase again and continue to use:

• For everyday dry shampoo, I’m going to continue using Batiste Beautiful Brunette because I use so much of it and the price is fabulous.
• When I want my hair to be extra special, I’m going to use Drybar’s Triple Sec 3-in-1 as a dry shampoo and Living Proof’s Dry Volume Blast to spritz throughout the rest of my hair once I’ve styled it since it’s almost like a waxy texture spray that will keep my hair textured and voluminous!

|| SHOP MY FAVORITES ||

Whenever I’m curious about something, I typically take to social media to ask my audience what they think. A few months ago when I first started researching the best dry shampoos, I asked everyone what their favorites were. I reviewed most of them above, but there were a few popular answers that I didn’t get to:

• Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray – I’ve heard such incredible things about this product, but with the full size bottle being $46, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much. Especially since I use so much dry shampoo on a daily basis. If you have a bigger budget or don’t use too much dry shampoo, Oribe would definitely be worth trying out based on everyone else’s opinions!
• Stranded – A few of you mentioned that you love Stranded that was co-founded by Lauren Scruggs Kennedy. Because I grabbed most of the dry shampoos in this review from Target and Ulta (and Stranded is only sold online), I never got around to trying it out. It’s important to note that this is a powder, not an aerosol, so you should factor that in!

If you found this review of the best dry shampoos helpful, would you be ever-so-kind and pin the photo below to one of your Pinterest boards?

Thanks for taking the time to read all about the best dry shampoos! If you loved this post, think I missed any dry shampoos, or want me to try out a brand, leave a comment below! I always love hearing from you! 🙂