DIY: Dry Shampoo

Written by Hannah Hepworth

In an effort to reduce my time spent in the morning getting ready for the day I often go days without washing my hair…is that gross?  I used to wash my hair every day until I realized I was wasting a ton of time, and my hair was getting super dry!

Currently, I only wash my hair twice a week, saving me a lot of time and keeping my hair much healthier.  It also reduces shampoo and conditioner usage, thus saving a bit of money.  For the record, I do shower every day, but my shower cap is my best friend:)

Sometimes, by the end of the 4-day break from washing my hair, it starts to get a bit oily, and occasionally, I need to remove purple shampoo from my hair.  My hair takes a long time to get oily in the first place, and it’s also blonde, which helps it look less oily.  However, I wanted to be able to extend my anti-hair washing stint a bit longer.  Dry shampoo to the rescue!

Dry shampoo?

My friends were talking about dry shampoo and how much they loved it.  I thought about giving it a try…until I read the ingredients at the store.  The commercial brand included butane, hydrofluorocarbons, and fragrance (which is generally a bad sign), among other ingredients.  I decided to develop a more natural way to extend my hair-washing hiatus.

I had heard of people using baby powder, so I sprinkled a bit of that in my hair and kept getting whiffs of it throughout the day, which reminded me of diapers…not good.  Then, while perusing Pinterest, I saw all sorts of concoctions for homemade dry shampoo, from ground-up oats to baking soda to arrowroot powder, cocoa powder (for dark hair), and cornstarch.  I decided to go with cornstarch and am so glad I did.  It is super inexpensive and very fine, which helps it blend in with your hair a lot easier and absorb oil much more effectively.

I also added 3 drops of lavender essential oil to the cornstarch to give it a nice smell, lavender oil has many benefits for skin health so it only seems fitting to add it to something you’re going to use on your scalp.  It’s much better than smelling baby powder on your head!  Another great option is Earthley’s Scalp and Skin Essential Oil Blend.

Dry Shampoo

I purchased a little shaker container from the grocery store for a dollar.  You want to ensure the cornstarch doesn’t come out too fast, so the smaller the holes, the better.  You could also use empty spice containers.

Ingredients & Materials:

• Shaker Container
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (plus 1/4 cup cocoa powder for dark hair)
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

Directions:
Step 1: Mix ingredients, and you’re done!

Usage Instructions:

Step 1: Part hair as normal

Step 2: Sprinkle a small amount of dry shampoo onto the part.

Step 3: Use your nails and scratch your scalp around the part to get the cornstarch rubbed in.

Step 4: Use your fingertips to work the dry shampoo into your scalp.  It will look poofy and a bit crazy, but that’s ok.

Step 5: Now, part your hair again in a different place.  I just did it on the other side of my head, opposite where I usually part.

Step 6: Repeat the process.  You might want to do a few applications depending on your hair’s thickness.  Just remember, a little goes a long way.  After you are done with applying and scrubbing it in with your fingers, use a brush and brush your hair BACK and distribute the shampoo all over your scalp.

Step 7: Style as usual and enjoy grease-free hair and all the extra time you saved in the morning!

If you’ve ever made your own dry shampoo, how’d you like it?