Besides Vegamour, Amika, SexyHair and Living Proof are among the best dry shampoos 2025.
Here's the thing about dry shampoo: it's a little odd — even for me, a longtime beauty editor. As a hair-care item, it soaks up excess oil and relieves you from having to cleanse your hair all the time, but it doesn't actually clean anything. It is not a replacement for shampoo but more of a stopgap solution, a way to freshen up without going through the sometimes arduous process — or the potentially damaging effects — of more regular washing/drying/styling. Still, when used properly, the best dry shampoos are a major time-saver, especially when you find the right one for your hair type.
"When choosing a dry shampoo, I look for a formula that's able to absorb excess oil and eliminate odors," says celebrity colorist Cassondra Kaeding (her client list includes Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Kendall Jenner and the cast of the latest Mean Girls movie). "It should have lasting results, allowing me to go longer between shampoos." I tried more than two dozen dry shampoos for this story — testing them on the quality of oil absorption, value, scent and hair volumizing and texturizing ability. Here are my favorites.
Update, Mar. 4, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability. Our number one pick for best dry shampoo remains unchanged.
After testing dozens of dry shampoos, I finally found my dream middle-aged hair product from the Nicole Kidman-approved hair-care brand Vegamour, a product so good it does triple duty: absorbs excess oil, texturizes hair and promotes growth, too. Best of all, it made my hair look instantly thicker. While the regular size can be a bit pricey ($36), this travel size is the perfect entry point — it's affordable, compact and a little goes a long way.
Read my complete Vegamour Gro Dry Shampoo review.
Amika's natural formula employs rice starch — a highly absorbent powder — instead of talc, which makes it both lightweight and residue-free. It sprays on absolutely clear, soaks up grease instantly and is ideal for all hair types and shades. (For more, check out my full review.)
This affordable, old-school dry shampoo is a classic and has more than 30,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, where customers rave about the texture, the spray quality, the price and, especially, the scent. "This has the BEST smell of any dry shampoo I’ve ever tried," said one. "A 'just left the salon' smell, SO good."
This SexyHair dry shampoo is the one you want when you're on day three of a "good hair" day. It’s perfect when you don't want to wash and style on a night when you are about to throw on your going-out top and slip into your favorite heels for the first time in months. It sprays on more wet than dry (more like a hairspray-dry shampoo hybrid) but does quick work of both freshening the scalp and adding bombshell volume. Pro tip: For best results, apply to the roots and let the formula soak in for at least 60 seconds before brushing and styling.
This version of dry shampoo for darker hair does everything you want: soaks up oil and sweat, adds texture and volume and carries a light, fresh floral scent. It has a slight brown tint, which is excellent for brunettes compared to dusty-white formulas. One caveat: It contains alcohol, which can be drying, so use somewhat sparingly.
OGX makes several quality dry shampoos but this one — made with hydrolyzed silk and rose oil — helps keep your blowouts not only grease-free but soft.
This award-winning dry shampoo is a perennial pick of beauty editors and stylists who praise the fine powder formula for its degreasing, volumizing powers. It's made with silica, starch, and a bit of oat milk to soothe the scalp. It’s also plant-based and vegan and works to freshen and soften your tresses.
Living Proof makes some of the best modern hair-care products around, and this standout unisex dry shampoo is no exception. It's formulated in a way so the powders are actually absorbed into the scalp lightning-fast, so it doesn’t leave behind the same level of powdery residue you might find in other brands. Best, though, are the added conditioning agents, which left my hair both free of grease and shiny. The spray bottle takes a little getting used to, and While it’s a bit expensive, it’s a high-quality pick overall.
Charcoal powder is incorporated into this oil-sponge-like formula to naturally soak up extra sebum and sweat while simultaneously neutralizing odors. It's lightweight and feels clean against your scalp — I found it also added body to my hair, though not texture. This smaller size is just right for throwing in a gym bag or when you're traveling and want to extend the life of a blowout while on the go.
This organic, nontoxic, cruelty-free option works particularly well for fine hair, and its natural ingredients (like witch hazel and tapioca starch) quickly soak up oils. Because it's not a powder, there's no white aftermath to deal with, and the mousse-like consistency acts as a bonus styling product to lift roots and lend your 'do extra volume.
I fell in love with Hairstory's Powder a few years ago just as my hair was looking extra limp — and thinning a bit. The only non-spray product on this list, it's made with rice starch and cornstarch to absorb oil, plus chamomile and calendula to calm an itchy scalp. Not only does it degrease-ify your hair instantly, it adds a ton of texture and body to the roots. Plus, the powder is translucent, making it suitable for all hair shades.
Dry shampoo can be a beauty lifesaver for anyone in a time crunch (I started using it when I became a busy working mom). For those with thinning or damaged hair, these products will keep your 'do presentable while alleviating the intolerable wear and tear of overwashing and -styling. Dry shampoos are also a grease-eradicating, fresh-smelling godsend for those with extra oily hair who'd otherwise need to wash every day.
The active ingredients in most dry shampoos are most often alcohol or some type of starch (such as rice starch, tapioca starch, cornstarch). Most traditional versions — like those from Amika or Batiste (see below) — come in aerosol spray bottles: You spray the product on your hair's roots (where oil from your scalp has accumulated) and the starch and/or alcohol can sop up grease. As a result, your hair looks bouncier and cleaner as the dry shampoo powder at the roots will also often give hair texture and extra body. Most dry shampoos have a fragrance, which makes your hair smell cleaner too.
"With hair washing, I typically say twice to three times a week is best, so you are not stripping your hair's natural oils," says San Francisco colorist Tylor Johnson. Though for those with drier, textured hair, stylist Jamal Edmonds explains: "Someone with scalp issues may shampoo weekly, while most women with textured hair only shampoo biweekly." Edmonds, who's also the owner and creative director of the popular Washington, D.C., salon Lamaj in the City, elaborates: "There really isn’t a rule of thumb for how often you should wash your hair; it’s based on specific needs."
When used correctly, dry shampoo is not bad for your hair. As mentioned above, it's not a replacement for regular shampooing, but it will make your hair look clean and smell fresh in between washes. Experts are mixed on how often you can/should use it — some stylists I spoke with said spraying on dry shampoo every day is fine, while others were concerned that it could clog the pores on your scalp, lead to product buildup and possibly — in rare cases — cause hair breakage. Dermatologists recommend limiting dry shampoo use to one or two times a week, or, at the very least, no more than two days in a row.
