DIY Dry Shampoo Spray

Heather Dessinger

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DIY Dry Shampoo Spray For Light Or Dark Hair

It’s alchemy for your hair. Okay, not exactly, but DIY dry shampoo spray – or dry shampoo powder for that matter – does feel pretty magical on days you need a quick way to “wash” your hair without, er, washing it. Now, if you’re thinking that a dry spray doesn’t quite make sense, here’s the deal: Your hair is dry, the spray is wet.

Interesting, no? Let me tell you more: By absorbing excess oils, dry shampoo transforms limp, oily strands into voluminous, grease-free tresses in just a matter of minutes. It can help your hair look great while washing less often, and that’s a good thing because:

  • Most store-bought shampoos contain detergents that strip oils from your hair (This one is an exception)
  • Washing your hair too often will stimulate your scalp to produce extra oils in order to compensate.
  • This often leads to a situation where the scalp is very oily, but ends are dry and possibly damaged

DIY dry shampoo spray and dry shampoo powder can both be helpful in breaking the cycle of overwashing/excessive oil production. Over time, most people find that they need to use less dry shampoo between washes as their scalp adjusts to the new routine.

Powder Or Spray ~ Which One Should I Use?

I’ve found both to be helpful in different situations. When my hair is already styled and I just need a little volume/oil control at the roots I use homemade dry shampoo powder. On days I need to style from scratch or have all-over oiliness I prefer the spray. The method that works best for you might be different, though, so you might try making both at the same time to see what you like more. They both call for the same ingredients and together they’ll take about five minutes to make, so it’s easy to try them both.

Bottom line: Whether you hit the snooze button one-too-many times, spent your “getting ready” time trying to convince your toddler that he must, in fact, wear pants, or just want to extend the time between washes for healthier hair, give this stuff a try.

Bonus fact: Your hair may actually already contain trace amounts of gold – no alchemy needed! (source)

Tip For Avoiding Clogs

Use a high-volume styling spray bottle like this one to avoid clogs. If you’re using a different bottle and it does become clogged, try soaking it in hot water and clearing the nozzle with a needle to get it working again.

DIY Dry Shampoo Spray

DIY Dry Shampoo Spray For All Hair Colors

I have almost black hair and this recipe does not leave any light spots on my hair, but for those who have issues with some shampoo being visible after styling I’ve included another recipe below.

Ingredients

To Make

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and pour into a spray bottle.

To Apply

Arrowroot and cornstarch powder tends to settle at the bottom between uses, so shake thoroughly. (Also, apply before you get dressed to go out. The spray may land on clothing and leave a light layer of powder.)

Hold spray bottle about three inches from hair and apply wherever it looks greasy. Hair should be damp, but not soaking wet. Dry with a hair dryer – this will only take a couple of minutes because it’s just damp-  then touch up any spots you missed if necessary. Style like you normally would.

DIY Dry Shampoo Spray For Dark Hair

I have almost black hair and this recipe does not leave any light spots on my hair, but for those who have issues with some shampoo being visible after styling I’ve included another recipe below.

Ingredients

To Make

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and pour into a spray bottle.

To Apply

Arrowroot and cornstarch powder tends to settle at the bottom between uses, so shake thoroughly. (Also, apply before you get dressed to go out. The spray may land on clothing and leave a light layer of powder.)

Hold spray bottle about three inches from hair and apply wherever it looks greasy. Hair should be damp, but not soaking wet. Dry with a hair dryer – this will only take a couple of minutes because it’s just damp-  then touch up any spots you missed if necessary. Style like you normally would.

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About HEATHER

Heather is a holistic health educator, herbalist, DIYer, Lyme and mold warrior. Since founding Mommypotamus.com in 2009, Heather has been taking complicated health research and making it easy to understand. She shares tested natural recipes and herbal remedies with millions of naturally minded mamas around the world. 

Leave a Comment

50 thoughts on “DIY Dry Shampoo Spray”

  1. I have been making this recipe for a while now, but in place of the water I like to use rose or lavender scented witch-hazel. I found that the arrowroot powder or cornstarch that I used would make my scalp itch, and the witch-hazel offset that!

    Reply
    • Thank you for the witch hazel tip! I far prefer that option over using alcohol…and have a TON of it! I have a few different essential oils, so I should be able to infuse the WH myself 🙂

      Reply
  2. I have curly hair and I have found that most treatments/ shampoo etc do not work the same with curly hair as they do straight, especially natural or homemade products. Do you have any tried and true shampoo, conditioner, and other care products for us curly girls?

    Reply
    • I forgot to mention! It took a few weeks for my hair to get used to natural shampoo and conditioner after store bought, don’t get discouraged if your hair goes out of whack right after switching.

      Reply
    • I’ve found it improves my results. You might want to try it with/without blow drying and see what works best for you.

      Reply
  3. I’m so excited about this recipe!!! We do quite a bit of hiking/backpacking, and I’ve been looking for a solution to the hair washing issues you get when you’re traveling in the backcountry – thanks so much for this!

    Reply
  4. I just finished my first batch of the spray, and my sprayer no longer works. I think it got clogged. Any recommendations on a sprayer that works long term? I used one similar to the picture with a glass bottle. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. I made the spray a few days ago with a sage-infused vodka and it works amazingly! I’m having problems now with the spray bottle clogging up. Each time I use it it gets clogged! Has anyone tried using an applicator sponge or cotton ball? I’m desperate!

    Reply
  6. I am curious if you have had the problem of this solution not being as effective toward the end of a batch. Before every use I shake the mixture to make sure the water, vodka, and arrowroot powder are mixed well. After each use I clean out the spray nozzle to avoid clogging. When I make a brand new batch it works wonders for a few weeks. Once I get to less than half a bath or about a fourth of the batch remains, it is not very effective. Do you have the same problem?

    It’s not a big deal as I could just make a new batch when this starts to happen, but I’m just trying to not waste my ingredients.

    Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  7. I have dark hair and want to use cocoa powder and witch hazel, with a water and cornstarch. Would there be any issues with this mixture?

    Reply
  8. Do you think it would work if i used baby powder instead of cornstarch? im asking because i’ve heard that both would do fine as a dry shampoo on their own, but i dont want to try it and find out that it is horrible for my hair

    Reply
    • Baby powder often contains cornstarch, but it sometimes contains clay as well. Clay would be too drying for hair, so I would stick to cornstarch or arrowroot.

      Reply
  9. I was thinking of using an old ”cleaning product” type spray bottle,maybe it will not clog up . Once i rinse it out hehe, I’m definitely trying this dry shampoo, thanks!!

    Reply
  10. Very late to the party, but THANK YOU. My hair has got very greasy transitioning away from commercial shampoo (your coconut oil shampoo bar is amazing, by the way). I’ve just used this and as though by magic my locks are soft and shiny. Fantastic stuff.

    Reply
  11. I made the no color recipe above & overall, I love it, but I have dark brown hair….Will adding cocoa powder be an issue with clothing or pillowcases?

    Reply
    • I did notice it on my clothes, etc…pretty much anywhere other than my hair that the spray landed. Now I put my robe on and stand in the shower. Sounds silly, but it’s so much easier than washing my hair every day.

      Reply
  12. I just made this recipe – I used arrowroot powder and a combination of jasmine and orange essential oils. I have dark hair and it worked quite well, however I felt that I could see maybe the slightest white residue, so next batch I’ll add in the cocoa just to see. I’ll use this recipe again!

    Reply
  13. Just a suggestion…try citrus essential oils that are not photosensitive – they can cause reactions like sun sensitivity abs hair lightening…unless the desire is to highlight hair…like grapefruit or a steam distilled citrus….i like rosemary and mint to help support healthy scalp and hair growth…?

    Reply
  14. This dry shampoo has changed my hair completely!! I have thin, oily hair, and it gives it life, body, and volume. Wow. Thank you.

    Reply
  15. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first, but I’m trying to transistion to as many natural beauty items as possible, so I decided to give it a try…This spray has worked wonders on my hair! It works even better than my Batiste dry shampoo, AND I don’t feel like my lungs are full of powder when I’m done! Thank you for sharing!!!

    Reply
  16. This clogged 2 spray bottles so far, expensive spray bottles. I am getting a bit frustrated now, tried quite a few recipes of Mommypotamus, some work well, others are complete disaster. I dont think I will try any more recipes as they are all hit and miss and I have wasted enough money now.

    Reply
    • Hi Boryana, so sorry you had that experience. You might try soaking the sprayer in hot water and then using a pin to clear the nozzle if needed. A few other readers that use this recipe have said their bottles occasionally become clogged and that’s what has worked for them.

      Reply
      • Thanks Heather, I did soak them and used a needle to try and unclog them, but it didn’t work! I will have to buy a different type of nozzle, will see if I can get the one you recommended above!

        Reply
        • Hi there!
          I had this problem with the first spray bottle I used. The key is to find a spray bottle with a larger tube. Some of the spray bottles have a very thin tube that gets clogged easily. I found one that has a wider tube at the dollar store and I never have issues with it getting clogged!

          Hope this helps!!! 🙂

          Reply
  17. Quick question about the vodka. I’ve never tried this, but am very interested. Once the spray dries, would you be able to smell the vodka? Like if I wanted to use it before I went to work, I wouldn’t smell like a party animal right? Haha.

    Reply
  18. okay i have dark so looked up Can rubbing alcohol change hair color? and the answer was It will turn your hair blonde, but it will also dry out your hair pretty bad, all the smoothness will be gone. So, not a good idea.

    Reply