The best dry shampoo you can buy

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The best dry shampoo you can buy

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Living Proof

  • Some days you just run out of time to wash your hair, or you just don't want to at all, but that doesn't mean your hair has to look greasy.
  • Dry shampoo is here to save you from a bad hair day. Just spritz your roots, give it a little fluff, and you're done.
  • Of all the dry shampoos around, Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo is the best because it makes your hair look - and smell - like new.

Although you may feel guilty for not washing your hair as regularly as your scalp wants, you're actually doing your hair a favor by not washing it daily. According to dermatologists Paradi Mirmimani and Lynne Goldberg, no one should be washing their hair every day.

Now you're probably thinking, "But won't my hair get greasy and oily if I don't wash it?" - and you'd be exactly right. Enter dry shampoo, a product that is meant to be applied to your hair on no-wash days to absorb oil and keep your hair looking clean.

Picking out dry shampoos can be tricky. Long-haired people already spend enough money on hair products as it is, but buying a cheap dry shampoo can mean that you'll end up with stiff, Troll doll-like hair ornamented with white flecks.

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It feels frivolous to spend too much money on a good dry shampoo, because, well, why not just spend your money on actual shampoo? However, a good dry shampoo can be the difference between a great hair day and a terrible one, so it's a good idea to get the best one for your needs.

After doing some research on the most buzz-worthy dry shampoos on the market, taking a look at recommendations from pro hairstylists, as well as buyer reviews and our own experiences, we have found the best dry shampoos for any hair type and price point.

Here are the best dry shampoos you can buy:

Updated 5/8/2019 by Jada Wong: Updated formatted, prices, and added Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo.

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

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The best dry shampoo overall

The best dry shampoo overall
The beloved 3-in-1 formula in Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo gets rid of oil, sweat, and odor so your hair looks and smells fresh.

What sets Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo apart from the rest is its innovative formula that aims to cut down on oily roots, sweat, and natural-but-not-pleasant odors that come with skipping a wash (which no one except maybe your S.O. will notice, but you know it's there). The result is basically clean hair without jacking up your water bill.

The key though is to let the product sit for at least 30 seconds so it can actually clean, degrease, and deodorize, instead of just sitting on top of your hair and masking oil. Then you just massage it into your roots, which I find that it gives me better results than brushing out.

I'm not too proud to admit that I have two bottles of Perfect Hair Day underneath my bathroom sink in case I ever run out, which happens more often than you'd imagine since I use this three times a week. I also have four bottles of our much more affordable Dove pick because it's $4 compared to $24.

Don't get me wrong though — Perfect Hair Day is still worth every penny. Byrdie's Victoria Hoff put it through the ringer with a SoulCycle class and Refinery29 said it made the writer's hair actually feel clean instead of masking oil and sweat in its Cult Classics column.

One Sephora reviewer actually said it dethroned her old favorite, though we're not totally surprised since Perfect Hair Day has an impressive 4.4 out of 5 stars with more than 2,000 5-star reviews. Some commenters complained about a too-strong scent, but I don't mind it — especially if it's going to help remove and neutralize the smell of second-day hair. — Jada Wong

Pros: Removes odors from scalp and hair that result from not washing, massages and brushes out well without residue, adds volumize, easy spray application

Cons: Some users have complained about the strong scent, can be pricey, needs to set for 30 seconds before brushing out

Buy Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo at Sephora for $24

The best cult classic dry shampoo

The best cult classic dry shampoo
Sometimes you don't have time for a full wash, but Batiste Dry Shampoo is here to save the day.

Part of adulthood is coming to terms with the fact that you will occasionally sleep through your alarm and not have time to shower before work. There's no shame in that. It happens to literally everyone (some of us with more frequency than others). But it does mean you should have a contingency plan — i.e. a really good dry shampoo.

There are countless options on the market, but shoppers really go wild over the wallet-friendly Batiste Dry Shampoo. The cult classic dry shampoo has 31,702 reviews and a 4.5 rating out of 5 on Influenster, and it also won Best Dry Shampoo in the 2017 Influenster Reviewers' Choice Awards. Fans love it for its ability to de-grease your hair without making your roots unnaturally stiff.

Our guides editor Malarie Gokey also loves this dry shampoo and uses it on those in-between days when she doesn't have time to wash her hair.

Batiste comes in a bunch of different scents with funky names like "Wild" and "Neon Lights," and there are even some tinted versions, which is great if the original gives you the dreaded white cast, as some darker-haired reviewers noted that it did for them, or if you're looking to cover up grown-out roots.

Still, even with that minor caveat, Batiste Dry Shampoo is a great dry shampoo with an unbeatable under-$10 price tag. As one Influenster user puts it, "Let's just say if I️ was to have $10 til payday and I️t was between buying a bottle of Batiste or eating a meal... I️ pick the dry shampoo. I️t is a lifesaver!" — Erin Mayer

Pros: Bargain price tag, cuts down on oil without making hair stiff and crunchy

Cons: Might leave white residue on darker hair colors

Buy Batiste Dry Shampoo at Ulta for $8.99 (originally $7.99)
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The best drugstore dry shampoo

The best drugstore dry shampoo
At an affordable price, it's almost impossible to turn away from Dove's Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo.

Most of the time, beauty junkies won't look twice at a product that sells for only $4. That price point means the quality suffers, right? Well, not when you're looking at Dove's Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo.

This gem is easy to find and easily distinguishes itself from the masses of competing drugstore dry shampoos. Like the R+Co Death Valley, it contains silica — a rarity for lower-priced products, which normally use talc instead — ensuring that the dry shampoo instantly volumizes and goes on without residue.

Awarded an Allure Best of Beauty certification in 2014, the official review from the magazine notes how powerfully the spray distributes product, ensuring a generous application for the days when your hair is needing that extra oomph.

A number of verified Amazon reviewers note that the dry shampoo far exceeded their expectations at such a low price point and that it even works on wigs.

Pros: You can't beat the affordable price point, four different options from the line

Cons: Some users complained about white residue and a too-powerful smell

Buy Dove's Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo at Target for $4.89 (originally $3.99)

The best high-end dry shampoo

The best high-end dry shampoo
Splurging on the Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo doesn't sting so bad when you feel like you're spraying actual powdered gold into your hair.

It's no secret that Oribe products run on the pricey side, but for good reason. In addition to featuring Oribe's signature scent, the products are known to leave hair soft and airy. The Gold Lust Dry Shampoo is no different. The truly transparent formula is so lightweight, it appears as though nothing is coming out of the bottle, and applies to the hair without caking or adding texture.

This does-it-all spray not only leaves hair feeling so fresh and so clean, but is also as good for your hair as a normal shampoo. Oribe's Signature Complex which contains watermelon, lychee, and flower extracts and is featured in all their products, simultaneously protects hair against the elements and strengthens your strands.

Bamboo and rice silks leave hair feeling silky smooth, while lavender and chamomile ensure that the dryness of the spray doesn't leave your scalp itchy. Meanwhile, the spray's fragrance retention technology keeps hair light and perfumed throughout the day — no reapplication necessary.

The shampoo is formulated vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free without parabens, sulfates, or sodium chloride, ensuring that even the most sensitive of heads can use it. Refinery 29 gushes, "Nothing beats the feeling of fresh, clean hair — but this is a close second."

Pros: It's arguably the best dry shampoo on the market, as it leaves no trace of its use aside from the look of freshly-washed hair

Cons: The high price point is a bit of a splurge

Buy Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo on Amazon for $46 (originally $44) Buy Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo at Nordstrom for $46 (originally $44)
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The best powder formula dry shampoo

The best powder formula dry shampoo
Bumble and Bumble's Prêt-À-powder takes the intimidation factor out of powdered dry shampoo with its easy application and versatile formula.

Throwing a powdered dry shampoo in your hair could make you feel like you're dumping baby powder on your head, but not with Bb's Prêt-À-powder. This heavy formula ensures that even just a pinch of the powder works wonders.

As a verified Amazon reviewer states, "When I received [sic] this in the mail I was shocked to see how tiny the bottle was. However, a little bit of product goes a very long way on my fine hair." Bumble and Bumble brags that the shampoo works on all hair types, from fine to thick, straight to wavy, natural to color-treated.

The formula features unique ingredients including polysilicone-22, a hybrid silicone powder that absorbs oil and leaves hair feeling fresh, as well as montmorillonite, "a natural clay from the Poitou-Charentes region of France that absorbs oil to dry cleanse."

Its full-size bottle weighs in at 2 ounces, making it easy for on-the-go application throughout the day. With over 1,000 reviews averaging at four stars on Sephora's website, it's clearly a fan-favorite, with one reviewer stating, "I can easily go three days between washings with this and my hair stays presentable."

At $27, this dry shampoo isn't cheap by any means — especially considering how small the bottle is — but the formula is manufactured to allow you to use as little as possible, with the bottle dispenser even featuring a tiny hole to make light application easy.

Pros: A little bit goes a long way, so the tiny bottle lasts forever, easy application directly from the bottle

Cons: On the pricey side, bigger learning curve with a powdered formula, some users have complained about a white cast in their hair after application

Buy Bumble and Bumble's Prêt-À-powder on Amazon for $27 (originally $29.99) Buy Bumble and Bumble's Prêt-À-powder at Nordstrom for $13-$28

The best foam formula dry shampoo

The best foam formula dry shampoo
The totally unique foam formula of the Ouai Dry Shampoo Foam will volumize your hair with the familiarity of a mousse.

Many people have tried hair products in the form of sprays and mousses, but never have the two come together in perfect harmony like Ouai's Dry Shampoo Foam. With the ease of a mousse and all the qualities you love about a good dry shampoo, this product is a true beauty innovation. The foam formula ensures that you'll never have a powdery residue stuck in your hair and gives your hair the right amount of bounce and shine.

Lauded with Cosmopolitan Magazine's "Best Dry Shampoo" Beauty Award, the foam is a new beauty go-to, with 154 five-star reviews on Ouai's website. It boasts diatomaceous earth as one of its key ingredients, which acts as the oil-absorbing component of the product. The foam goes into hair as you would expect a mousse to, but miraculously evaporates, leaving hair light and refreshed.

Cosmopolitan's Carly Cardellino writes that the dry shampoo made her six-day-old hair feel like it was freshly washed, while her coworkers gushed about the perfumed scent and easy application. Some Sephora reviewers complained that it didn't work well for their hair types — even noting that it made their hair feel more greasy than before — but the positive reviews far outnumber the negative.

Pros: Easy application, instantly volumizing

Cons: Some users have complained about it not working well for their hair, pricey

Buy Ouai Dry Shampoo Foam at Nordstrom for $28
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The best volumizing dry shampoo

The best volumizing dry shampoo
The R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo has a lightweight formula that instantly refreshes your hair with a swoon-worthy scent.

Suitable for all hair colors, R+Co's miracle-working dry shampoo makes hair look clean days after a wash, and it even works to volumize and extend styling. Rich in healthy natural ingredients, this spray contains Brazilian rice protein to moisturize hair, while antioxidant-rich vitamin E extract strengthens and keeps hair shiny. To volumize your hair, the spray contains pro-vitamin B5.

R+Co's dry shampoo is also made from vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. It's incredibly easy to apply — just aim and spray. With enough distance from the bottle to your head, the product won't leave any white streaks, and luckily, just a little goes a long way.

Many reviewers on Influenster noted that this is a pricier option for dry shampoo because it costs $29, while drugstore options start around $4. However, those same reviewers mention that it is worth every penny, and that they will continue to repurchase the dry shampoo.

One featured reviewer on Influenster gushes, "When I have those mornings where I wake up late and have to scramble to get ready for work, this dry shampoo is my go to! ... all it takes is a few sprays and my hair goes right back to being voluminous and soft. I just brush it out, and it feels and looks just like I showered and blew my hair out."

Allure experts have also shown some love for this hair care staple, noting that the inclusion of silica in its ingredients instead of cheaper talc "absorbs oil, is extremely lightweight, and goes on sheer."

Pros: Suitable for all hair types and colors, vegan and cruelty free, contains healthy and natural ingredients, good for layering day after day

Cons: On the pricey side

Buy R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo on Amazon for $32 (originally $30) Buy R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo at Nordstrom for $32 (originally $30)
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