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There was a time in my life when I showered and primped my tresses each day to hit up a Starbucks with the same verve as I did to head for a night out on the town. But age and dwindling free time has brought about a lot more loungewear, a lot less makeup and a lot less hair washing. There’s also been a lot more reliance on a little miracle product known as dry shampoo. But not just any dry shampoo is up to the task of taming my mop. As someone with hyperactive sebum production of the scalp, I’ve been #blessed with next-level slickness that only the best dry shampoo for oily hair can tame.
By now, I’ve tested a good number of bottles, so to help you learn from my previous wastes of time and monetary resources, I’ve ranked nine formulas below, highlighting the ones that are more effective, don’t stink and won’t leave you with a bright white streak in your hair (hallelujah!). And so, without further ado, I give you the best dry shampoo for oily hair that will be well-worth your hard-earned dollars — and tell you which ones to skip.
The Best Dry Shampoo for Oily Hair
8. Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo
I really wanted to love this high-end formula. After all, the packaging is nice, it has a pleasant scent, and it’s extremely lightweight. Unfortunately, it was a bit too lightweight to actually accomplish much of anything — least of all sopping up my excess grease. If anything, I would venture to say it made my hair more greasy (if that’s even humanly possible). After a few uses, I found myself tossing in the towel, resorting instead to the old standbys I use in a REAL pinch: baby powder and flour. They don’t exactly offer the most spa-like experience, but at least they refresh my hair, which is more than I could say for the Oribe. At $48 a bottle, I expected a LOT more.
- The Verdict: Skip
7. Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo
I don’t give a sh*t what Allure or any other Best Dry Shampoo list tries to tell you — this stuff REEKS. Sure, it will work just fine to cut down on oil, but you’ll be left smelling like a grandma for the rest of the day (and so will your bathroom). So stinky was this stuff, in fact, that both my boyfriend and my cat, who meowed at me angrily for the duration of its reign, begged me to lay off of it. It also leaves a thick, white powder that takes a bit more effort than I’d like to work into your roots. Ultimately, for me, the payoff wasn’t worth the stench. NEXT!
- The Verdict: Skip
6. R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo
Just like Lancôme is the luxury version of L’Oreal (the former, is, in fact, owned by the latter), Oribe and R+Co are closely related, namely in the sense that both were once owned by Luxury Brand Partners. It’s only logical, then, that R+Co’s less pricey dry shampoo, Death Valley, would also leave me less than impressed by its performance. I felt like I had to use half the bottle to get any real gain, and even then, I was found wanting. While I suppose it’s better than nothing, I didn’t exactly feel confident leaving the house on an über-oily day— even after spraying this all over my head. Add in that black licorice smell that accompanies this spray (gag), and it’s gonna be a solid no from me, dawg.
- The Verdict: Skip
5. Goldie Locks Dry Shampoo Powder
Goldie Locks makes some of the best-smelling hair products I’ve ever used. (Truly, it puts Herbal Essences to shame.) The brand’s dry shampoo powder was also my first introduction to this type of dry shampoo. Unlike your run-of-the-mill can, which comes out as a hairspray-like mist, this comes out in powder form, which, as I’ve mentioned above, can be highly effective, as seen in baby powder or flour. It wasn’t wholly perfect—the dispenser took quite a bit of effort to get the desired amount of powder out, which made it difficult to fully coat—and degrease—my locks—but I definitely preferred it to the options above.
- Verdict: Buy
4. Violette_FR Frange Puff
I love the idea behind this one’s design. The bottom unscrews so that you can add in—and refill—the dry shampoo powder, which comes out through the brush bristles when you tap it into your hair. While the powder itself was effective and didn’t leave too much of a white residue behind, this one required a bit more product than would be feasible for someone with hair like mine to use on a daily basis. The scent was also a bit strong for my liking. That said, this is absolutely perfect for a quick root touch-up or travel.
- Verdict: Buy
3. Curie Hair Freshener
Generally, I like this formula a lot. Unlike the Goldie Locks bottle, Curie’s dispenser is a dream, doling out a just-right amount of powder for sopping up grease, every time. The powder blends into the hair more easily than the dry shampoo mists, and my hair feels fully refreshed after using it. In fact, I find myself reaching for it the most of any dry shampoo in my bathroom. There are just two problems with this one: I haven’t found my go-to scent (I’ve tried both Coconut Nectar and Grapefruit Cassis and found both to be highly disappointing, though Grapefruit is the more bearable of the two), and it’s currently sold out in all five scents, so I can’t continue my experiment just yet. Should I find one I like, however, it just might become my top pick for the best dry shampoo for oily hair. Next up? White Tea.
- The Verdict: Buy
2. Batiste Divine Dark Dry Shampoo
This stuff is pretty OK. As the first tinted dry shampoo I tried, it had me nervous I’d be walking around with an out-of-place black or off-color brown streak in my ‘do. In action, though, it blended in so well, I couldn’t even see it, making me mentally kick myself for all those years spent desperately trying to tone down other bright white formulas. As an added bonus, Batiste Divine Dark can cover up any grays that may be poking through (at least temporarily). Performance wise, Batiste lives up to all the hype — my hair felt fresh and clean more than 24 hours after spraying. It’s quite heavy on the scent, though, which I don’t exactly appreciate. (Look, if I wanted my hair product to replace my perfume, I wouldn’t be throwing money away on DKNY Be Delicious Orchard Street, OK?) That said, it was far more bearable smell than, say, Drybar, and faded quite a bit quicker, too. It should be noted that Batiste also makes a “Bare” (barely scented) option that does the trick without the stench, although what you gain in lack of scent you lose in appearance—it goes heavy on the white powder residue.
- The Verdict: Buy
1. TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo
This dry shampoo was recommended to me by a stylist, and while I had my initial doubts (What can I say? I’m a brand snob), it far exceeded my expectations for the price. Though not quite as powerful as Batiste, it sufficiently sopped up my excess oil with a non-sticky, non-stinky formula that I found to be plenty adequate in a jam. The bottle lasted a good long while, too. You’ll want to stock up quickly, however, as it appears I’m not the only one that’s in on the secret: This stuff was sold out nearly everywhere I looked!
- The Verdict: Buy
Keep checking back for updates as I’ll add them to the list as I go!
What’s your dry shampoo go-to? Tell me in the comments below.
Xo, Nicole
