Over the years, dry shampoo has become extremely popular and sales have grown drastically. You can find so many different types of dry shampoos on the market and the options seem endless when it comes to picking one that will work for your hair. but just like any other hair product or beauty product, conventional dry shampoos can contain a lot of toxic, and healthy, and chemical ingredients that are bad for both your hair and your body.
If you think about it, dry shampoo generally comes in an aerosol container and is sprayed onto the hair and scalp. People generally use quite a lot of dry shampoo and are spraying it into their hair in a small and enclosed space where it can be easily breathed in through the mouth and nose. These toxic and chemical particles can travel and settle into your body and lungs, which can cause a wide variety of issues to your health.
The 10 Best Natural and Organic Dry Shampoos:
Below we are going to take a look at the 10 best natural and organic dry shampoos, ingredients to avoid in dry shampoo, how to choose the best natural and organic shampoos, and our final thoughts on dry shampoo in general.
1. Act+Acre Plant Based Dry Shampoo
This dry shampoo is made with only 6 healthy and simple plant-based ingredients that are good for your hair a body. The six ingredients in this dry shampoo are as follows: Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Tapioca Starch, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Silica, Water/Aqua/Eau, Ioniplex Fulvic Ionic Mineral Complex. It can effortlessly absorb oils, odors, and all of the other impurities in your hair that make it look dirty and greasy. You will be left with hair that is light, bouncy, full of volume, and perfectly clean!
2. ACURE Dry Shampoo
ACURE makes this USDA-certified organic dry shampoo that is vegan and certified cruelty-free. It is also Paraben-free, Sulfate-free, Mineral oil-free, Petrolatum free and Formaldehyde free. Like with all other dry shampoos, it removes grime, dirt, and oils from the hair without water when you don’t have time to wash your hair fully. It comes in powder form that you can sprinkle from the bottle onto your hair, work it through, and then you are ready to go.
3. Handmade Heroes All Natural, Vegan Dry Shampoo Powder
An all-natural and vegan dry shampoo powder this brand uses a combination of charcoal powder with their signature essential oil brand to refresh and deodorize your hair to make it look, smell, and feel as clean and fresh as possible. This dry shampoo is special because it is made for those with dark hair. The charcoal helps the powder blend into the darker hair naturally so you are not left with that dusty white film you get from a white powder dry shampoo.
4. Hair Dance Dry Shampoo Volume Powder
Hair Dance volumizing dry shampoo comes in a specially designed bottle that makes it ideal for getting the dry shampoo right where you want it to go. You can get the exact amount of powder you want by twisting the top cap open to release just the amount you are looking for. This dry shampoo does not use talc, parabens, baking soda, or phthalates and it is also made in the USA.
5. Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Hair Powder
This is a silky dry shampoo that is made to use on the go! It will soak up all the oil from your scalp just as you would want and gives your hair fluff and tons of volume. They do not use talc, parabens, aerosols, or any other dangerous chemicals that are bad for your hair and your health. It contains lavender and clary sage and is made for both blondes and brunettes to use.
6. Beauty by Earth Natural Dry Shampoo Volume Powder
A perfect dry shampoo for those who have dark hair, Beauty by Earth dry shampoo is USDA Organic Certified, non-GMO, gluten-free, sulfate, and paraben-free. The dry shampoo absorbs oil, sweat, and odors that lurk in your hair and scalp to leave your hair light, bouncy, full of volume, and effortlessly clean. It also comes in an easy-to-use bottle that makes the application of the dry shampoo a breeze.
7. Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Organic Natural Dry Shampoo
This option is a citrus mint scent that has been designed for use on lighter shades of hair but can be used by anyone depending on how white powder blends into your hair if it is darker. It is able to restore your hair’s natural beauty and bounce in-between washes or if your hair starts to get greasy and dirty just a bit too fast. We love this dry shampoo so much since it is made with only organic ingredients you know and recognize, plus it is also USDA certified organic. It also comes in a cardboard paper tube that is easily recycled and much more environmentally-friendly.
8. Organically Wonderful Spray Dry Shampoo
Coconut vanilla-scented dry shampoo anyone? Despite its enticing scent that we know you are going to love, this dry shampoo is all-natural, non-aerosol, and works with all hair colors because it leaves none of what white cast on darker hair colors. Their ingredient list is super simple and you will only find the following handful of ingredients: Organic Rice Starch, Organic Diatomaceous Earth, Organic Dextrose, Organic Aromatic Compounds. Simple, pure, natural, organic, and effective – that is literally all you need in a good and healthy dry shampoo.
9. Acure Organics Dry Shampoo For Brunette to Dark Hair
We have another ACURE Organics dry shampoo on this list because you are getting all of the benefits of their original organic dry shampoo, but this one is designed for the brunette and other dark hair colors! As with the other one on our list, it is certified organic and is completely paraben-free, Sulfate-free, Mineral oil-free, Petrolatum free and Formaldehyde free. There are never any chemicals and it works perfectly for absorbing odors and all of the excess oils in your hair and scalp in-between regular shampoo washes.
10. Billie Floof Dry Shampoo
Billie makes a healthy dry shampoo that has none of the nasties in it and is only made with clean ingredients. With biotin, rice starch, and baking soda it is the ideal combination for soaking up all the grease in your and at your roots in a healthy and safe way. It also has a no-mess application. The powder comes out of small pinholes in the top of the bottle so you can aim it right where you want it without it getting everywhere.
Ingredients to Avoid in Dry Shampoo
Here, we are going to discuss the ingredients you should avoid when it comes to using aerosol dry shampoo. While there are more ingredients you are going to want to avoid in a dry shampoo, these are the top ones that are the most common and some of the most dangerous to your body and health.
Propane is found in these kinds of dry shampoo. Propane is colorless and odorless and is considered a gas that is derived from either natural gas or petroleum. You will find it in dry shampoo because it is used as an aerosol propellant. Essentially, this is what makes the dry shampoo spray and come out of the container. However, propane is linked to system organ toxicity, irritation, and a wide variety of allergies.
Butane is another common ingredient found in dry shampoo and is another type of propellant. According to the EWG, this toxic ingredient is classified as a high human health priority and is expected to be toxic and harmful to human life.
Aluminum is another ingredient you should avoid in your dry shampoo. Aluminum is a toxic heavy metal that becomes poisonous in your body when it is accumulated in the soft tissue. Too much heavy metal in your body can lead to heavy metal poisoning and you can get headaches, abdominal pain, feel sick, and even have organ failure. It has also been connected to infertility and seizures.
Talc is common in conventional aerosol and non-aerosol dry shampoos as well. It is widely known that talc is very dangerous two are bodies and should be avoided at all costs, especially because there are lots of other natural and safe alternatives to tell you can replace it with. Talc has been linked to cancer, especially in women.
How to choose the best natural and organic dry shampoo
There are some simple tips and tricks you can use to help you find the best natural and organic dry shampoo. Your first order of business is going to be to find options that do not have propane, butane, aluminum, or talc. This is a super easy step because you generally just have to avoid aerosol best dry shampoos. But aluminum and talc can also be found in non-aerosol dry shampoos, so you will have to be careful and read the ingredients.
You also want to stick to natural brands and organic options that have clean ingredients and minimal ingredients that you can read and recognize. Dry shampoo is one of the easiest natural and organic hair products you can make, so there is absolutely no reason to find even one chemical in your dry shampoo or an ingredient you aren’t familiar with.
You can look for brands that have the USDA certified organic label, the non-GMO project verified label, or keywords such as all-natural, non-toxic, free from chemicals, and other common words. Just keep in mind this is only a place to start. You don’t want to fully trust and rely on those buzzwords to help you pick a product. It can help you narrow down your search, but you won’t always need to read the ingredient label on the back to make sure there’s nothing harmful and toxic lurking in there as well.
Final Thoughts
Thankfully, there are so many good options for dry shampoo when it comes to finding something natural and organic. Dry shampoo comes in at many different price points, so there is something that can fit into your budget no matter what.
The key is to find a dry shampoo that only uses simple and natural ingredients, as well as organic ingredients, whenever possible and you will be well on your way to living a happier and healthier lifestyle! If you try out any of the 10 dry shampoos we reviewed here, let us know in the comments below what you thought!
This article was last updated on May 8, 2024 .