Over the last few years, dry shampoos have permanently settled in our beauty lexicon as a tool that helps camouflage greasy hair, get more of your blow-dry, and add texture to hair on the go. I’ve learned quickly—being an avid dry shampoo user myself—that not every dry shampoo is created equal. Some of the most hyped products I’ve tested over the course of the last three years haven’t performed for the price, leaving my hair looking oily and stained with white residue. Others seemed to make my tangle-prone hair even more difficult to brush through. Out of dozens of products, I managed to find not only a perfect dry shampoo that I’m currently using daily, but also four favorites that proved to offer extra benefits.
The Selection ProcessOn the path to finding the best dry shampoo for greasy hair, I conducted numerous studies that involved listening to recommendations from top YouTubers, looking at ratings on major online beauty stores, reading magazine articles, and taking into account the personal suggestions of my friends and colleague bloggers. Many of those resources were featuring the same brands, so I put those on my “to-test” list. To be fair to up-and-coming brands, I also sampled some newly launched products and included them in my experiment.
Out of 15 dry shampoos selected for testing purposes, I quickly eliminated three, as their quality was too low to even merit a mention. The battle against the remaining 12 was a difficult one as some of the top-rated dry shampoos were there for a reason—not only did they get the job done, but they exceeded my expectations. I list all the nominees in The Competitors list below.
Before we delve into the top five dry shampoos announcement, let me tell you why I am an ideal candidate for testing these products. Ever since I began exploring dry shampoos about three years ago, my entire life has changed. I used to wash my hair daily. I have fine, thin hair that gets greasy so quickly that I can’t even wear a bun the next day—it still looks untidy. In addition to an oily scalp, I experience problems with dry ends, which require oil treatments—and in return, these make my scalp even oilier. With the help of a good dry shampoo, though, I manage to go without washing for an extra day (or two, if we’re talking about a miracle product that tops the list).
For the purposes of this experiment, I used the same shampoo and conditioner every day. I washed my hair using Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo ($21; nordstrom.com) and Aveda Restructuring Conditioner ($29; nordstrom.com), followed by a blow-dry and styling with It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product ($19; walgreens.com). At night, I brushed my hair and put it in a bun without applying any dry shampoo. The next morning, I brushed my hair, applied dry shampoo to the roots, and put my hair in a bun before taking a shower. This way, I allowed the product to better absorb into my scalp. If needed, I put my 1907 by Fromm Lightweight Hair Dryer ($75; amazon.com) on a cool setting and dried my hair for a few seconds. Then, I brushed my hair again.
I evaluated the effectiveness of the product three times throughout the day. I kept notes on how the product felt as I was applying it—whether it left any residue or had an unpleasant aroma. Then, I checked on my hair several times during the day to see if the hair close to my face was getting greasy, or whether my hair needed a dry shampoo touch-up. Finally, I conducted one last investigation while brushing my hair in the evening. I also kept track of any comments people around me made about how my hairstyle looked, and whether I felt like putting my hair in a ponytail (usually this happens when my hair doesn’t feel fresh).
Looking for a perfect shampoo for greasy hair, I didn’t want to settle on a “good enough” product. Since dry shampoo plays such an important role in my daily hair routine, I wanted it to be perfect: have a pleasant aroma, leave a refreshing feel when applied, work for at least half a day without the need to reapply, and add texture to my otherwise straight, fine hair.
