So many of my DIY products are self-care based (like this silky body butter with beeswax!). But this easy DIY dry shampoo recipe is a life necessity… especially for busy moms! Made in under five minutes this easy dry shampoo uses minimal ingredients and works for both light and dark hair.
As a super busy mom, my hair either gets flat ironed or put into a pony/messy bun. But rarely does it get washed (not just me, right?!).
Which means I have come to live off dry shampoo and these greasy hair hacks.
What I didn’t realize until last year was that it can be made multiple ways! I’ve always just used arrowroot powder but after a bit of experimenting, I’ve found that there is a much better way to rock this natural hair care hack.
Why You’ll Love These DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes
- Minimal ingredients
- 5-minutes to make
- Smells amazing
- Works for all hair
Ingredients
The main ingredient in this DIY shampoo is arrowroot powder. Arrowroot and cornstarch are pretty interchangeable but both work because they absorb.
When you rub the arrowroot powder into your scalp it helps absorb and pull the grease which leaves your hair a little bit lighter than it was before.
This means you can definitely use just arrowroot powder as a homemade dry shampoo.
Adjusting the Powder for Hair Color
The problem with just arrowroot is that it only really works if your hair is blond. Otherwise, you’ll look a bit dusty around your roots.
To adjust the DIY dry shampoo for your hair color, add in a bit of cocoa or cacao powder. My hair is light but not blond at its roots, so I add in a teaspoon of cocoa powder.
The darker your hair, the more cocoa powder you’d want to add though one teaspoon is a great start.
If your hair is reddish, cinnamon tends to work the best.
Essential Oils
While the essential oils are not necessary, they do make the DIY dry shampoo recipe a bit more luxurious (just like this aloe vera shampoo)! I like to choose essential oils that both smell good as well as compliment my hair.
Both lavender and cedarwood essential oils have been shown to help hair grow and keep it thick. So, I tend to use those most often and even put them into DIY hot oil treatment.
Geranium essential oil is simply one of my favorite scents which is a nice pick me up when I’m feeling greasy and unkempt.
Mix and match blend that you love personally but also know that essential oils are not crucial to the dry shampoo recipe.
Making It Into A Spray
I have forever used a powder for this recipe but within the last year, I’ve begun to use a dry shampoo spray. Both recipes work to grab the grease out of your hair. However, the perk to the spray is that it doesn’t make a big mess.
The dry shampoo powder tends to get everywhere when you use it whereas the spray keeps it confined to your head.
The spray uses witch hazel as a base which is a staple for a lot of DIY skincare recipes (like this DIY face toner). Witch hazel is an astringent which helps curb inflammation. For your scalp though it can help cleanse your scalp and reduce flaking.
How To Use It
Using this natural hair care product is as easy as 1-2-3 for both recipes!
- Use a brush to apply the powder to your hair at the roots (or spray the mixture)
- Massage the DIY shampoo into your scalp and let sit
- Brush it out
You really want o to make sure you’re getting the shampoo at the scalp or one inch from as this is where oils tend to build-up
The reason you let the dry shampoo sit for a few minutes is so that the arrowroot can do its job. I’ve actually even applied the powder before bed and left it in overnight and had amazing results.
Don’t forget to pin these awesome dry shampoo recipes!
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DIY Dry Shampoo - 2 Ways
Equipment
- Mini Mason Jar
- Spray Tin
Ingredients
- For The Powder
- ½ cup arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
- 6 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 6 drops geranium essential oil
- For The Spray
- ⅛ cup arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ⅛ cup witch hazel
- ⅓ cup water
- 6 drops geranium essential oil
- 6 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- For both recipes, combine all the ingredients in the appropraite containers.
- Shake well.
- To use: use a makeup brush to distribute the powder along the roots (or spray the mixture).
- Massage into the scalp. Let sit a few minutes. Brush through.
Notes
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Keep life simple and still look glamorous when you haven’t showered with a DIY dry shampoo.
Made two different ways to best suit your lifestyle this natural hair care recipe is a necessity for busy moms.
Paxton says
Hi Shelby!
I'm excited to try your dry shampoo recipe. I have been making my own spray for quite some time now but sooner or later my bottles ALWAYS clog. I was wondering what you use and if you've had the same problem? If I don't flush out the line each time it will without fail be unusable after a while. A normal spray bottle sprays out way too much and the fine mist ones clog on me.
fitasamamabear says
Hey! Ugh that's beyond frustrating! I find it happens a lot with the blue cobalt small spray bottles that I use for air fresheners and whatnot but I haven't had an issue with the larger (I want to say industrial) spray bottles? More like this one: https://amzn.to/3ktRPdr (affiliate link FYI). Arrowroot is an absorber so it makes sense that they clog. I'll be honest through, I use the powder more often than not and just whip up a batch of spray when we're camping/traveling etc.