5 Dry Shampoos: Ranked

It’s no secret on this blog that I am a dry shampoo fanatic. I absolutely swear by dry shampoo for prolonging the days I can go in between washing my hair and think of it as one of my go-to beauty “must haves.”

Over the years, I’ve tried my fair share of dry shampoo brands and if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that all dry shampoo is not created equal. In fact, at first I thought dry shampoo wasn’t legit because of the first couple of brands I tried but thankfully my determination to not wash my hair led me on a search for the perfect dry shampoo. I quickly realized the full potential of its amazing ability to refresh my hair, prevent it from looking like a greasy mess and, in the case of some brands, actually clean it and remove dirt and oil as well. Heck yes!

In today’s blog post, I thought it would be fun to do a rundown of five of the different dry shampoos I’ve tried through the years and rank them according to how well they worked, the way they made my hair feel and whether or not I continue to purchase the brand regularly and use it in my daily life.

I am placing them in order from my most-loved dry shampoo to the brand that didn’t work well for me at all and would love to hear about your favorite dry shampoo brands (or the brands you swear you’ll never buy again!) in the comments section of this post!

5 Dry Shampoos: Ranked

• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo: 10/10

I’m kicking off this list with my beloved Living Proof Dry Shampoo because it is, hands down, my favorite! It’s the brand I use most and I love the way it not only eliminates the appearance of greasy hair but also absorbs and removes oil, sweat and odor. (<— It’s basically a fitness fanatics dream dry shampoo!)

When I first used this dry shampoo, I did not read the instructions and was a little put off because it was slightly white on my scalp but when I read the directions that said to wait 30 seconds and then brush your hair gently to remove the dry shampoo, it worked like a charm and I was completely blown away by its ability to truly make my hair look and feel clean. (Side note: I also feel like the dry shampoo gives my hair a little extra oomph and volume at the roots which is typically much-needed if I don’t wash my hair every day!) This dry shampoo can honestly help me go five days between hair washes without my hair looking like a hot mess and that is saying something since my fine blonde locks tend to look oily and flat the very next day!

• Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: 9/10

This is a very close runner-up to my favorite dry shampoo and is one I would whole-heartedly recommend, especially if you’re someone who cannot handle a lot of fragrance. It’s sulfate, paraben and sodium chloride free and uses oat milk to soften, protect and moisturize all hair types while extending the time you can go between shampoos!

I initially discovered this dry shampoo through a Birchbox delivery (along with Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo which I also love!) and fee like it adds body and volume to my hair while making it feel clean and eliminating the appearance of and oily scalp. I absolutely love it and still continue to purchase this brand regularly! Klorane Dry Shampoo also makes my hair feel more lightweight and less weighed-down than other brand which is a definite plus. (FYI for my brunette friends, Klorane also makes a tinted version especially for brunette locks!)

• BlowPro Faux Dry Dry Shampoo: 8/10

I received a sample of this dry shampoo years ago in a blog conference goodie bag and almost didn’t bring it home with me because at the time I was using baby powder on my roots on occasion when I was desperate to eliminate the appearance of grease and didn’t realize dry shampoo was the “thing” I was missing! Once I began reading about dry shampoo in magazines, and after I tried a couple of cheap brands I stumbled upon at Target, a light bulb went off in my mind and I remembered this sample I had stashed away! I think of BlowPro Faux Dry Dry Shampoo as my first proper foray into the miraculous world of dry shampoo because it actually worked well (10,000x better than baby powder) and made me a believer!

I still love this brand and have a travel-size bottle on hand right now but wish the bottle was a little different. You squeeze it to release a small puff of dry shampoo which is fine but I feel like this makes it not quite as easy to control the amount of dry shampoo during each use. This dry shampoo is virtually fragrance-free which I know some people really appreciate (my sensitive-nosed husband included).

• TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo: 3/10

I’m pretty sure TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo was the first brand of dry shampoo I tried because it was available in a travel size at Target and I wasn’t sure I wanted to make the commitment to a full-size bottle of dry shampoo before I knew if it really worked. Well, had I only tried this dry shampoo, I’m not sure I would be the believer I am today (and it seems like Amazon reviewers agree)! On the positive side, it is very affordable compared to other brands but I do not think it works very well.

I gave it a 3/10 because I would still rather have it on hand to use in a pinch when I cannot wash my hair as opposed to nothing, but it’s not something I prefer to keep in my bathroom for regular use. (FYI, I’ve heard good things about the newer formula of TRESemme’s Volumizing Dry Shampoo – as well as the affordable Batiste Dry Shampoo and Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo – so those might be worth a try if you’re looking for budget-friendly options!)

• Salon Grafix Professional Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo: 0/10

I think this affordable option was the second dry shampoo I tried because I still didn’t want to spend much money before I knew if dry shampoo was going to work for me… All I can say is that it was terrible enough for me to throw away after a couple of uses when I realized it wasn’t doing anything positive to my hair and, if anything, I felt like it made it look almost wet and more greasy. No thank you!

Question of the Day

• Dry shampoo fanatics: What brand of dry shampoo do you absolutely swear by? Have you ever tried a certain brand of dry shampoo that didn’t work well for you at all?