Just a heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!
First of all, have you discovered dry shampoo yet?? It was a total game changer for me! Coming from a girl who has super thick, but fine hair, dry shampoo reduced my morning routine (hair washing and all) by 30 minutes! I’ve been using it for nearly 10 years, and don’t know that I could ever go back to the days of every-other-day hair washing. (It seems like such a chore now!) So, here’s my story and my dry shampoo review for you!
As a girl who started with baby powder in college, (just to cover up the greasy roots! on days I didn’t want to wash THE FRONT of my hair…) I quickly graduated to commercially available aerosolized products.
These have exploded on the market over the last few years, so how would a girl know which one to choose?!? And trust me, more expensive does not always equate to better quality.
I scoped out a few budget friendly brands at a few easily accessible stores (Target, Walmart, Amazon Prime — that’s available everywhere right?) But seriously, if you haven’t tried Prime yet, you should invest – it’s totally worth it. Get a 30 day free trial by clicking here. All these brands are available for less than $5!
Full Disclosure:
[As a bit of a disclaimer, I have fine, dry hair, but I have a LOT of it. It’s thick. And luckily for me, I live in a very arid environment, so the lack of humidity allows me to go a long time without a hair wash. I also did not change any of my other hair washing/styling products during this trial except the brand of dry shampoo. A serious experiment y’all!]
And because I’m a great big nerd, these products are scored on my own personally invented star system:
- 1 Star – Price Point <$5
- 2 Stars – Availability – Product is readily available (supermarkets, beauty stores vs online order or difficult to find)
- 3 Stars – Product Leaves hair dry in look & feel & adds volume
- 4 Stars – Product lasts > 4 days between washes
- 5 Stars – I would 100% endorse the product and plan to continue purchasing for myself!
Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo – Unscented — ($2.99-$4.50, Amazon (2-pack), Target, 5 stars)
I’ve been using this product for years. I generally buy the unscented style because I don’t want to be too odorus. I’d vote this is a steady go to product for dry shampoo. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Takes the grease away almost immediately, and feels texturizing at the same time. During this trial it lasted me until day 6!! (I know)… and I was still getting compliments on my hair!
Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Dry Shampoo ($4.99, Target, 2 stars)
This one was immediately strange to me. It’s an aerosol, and goes on damp. It dries quickly like hairspray, but I’m not sold on the product – very mild scent that was not overwhelming. By day 4, the product was no longer leaving my hair with any volume… it looked clean-ish but was very flat. Time for a wash and on to the next!
Dove Beauty Refresh +Care Volume & Fullness (~$4.89, Target / 3-pack on Amazon, 3 stars)
Truth be told, this one surprised me at first. It had a super interesting odor, which you want to be sure to like because you don’t want to be smelling your hair all day if you don’t like the scent! And I realized I had ordered coconut scented! This one was fair. On use 1 it was excellent, but by use 3 I felt that there was some build up in my hair and I was ready to give it a good wash.
TRESemme Fresh + Clean Dry Shampoo ($4.99, Target)
I haven’t used many TreSemme products, but this one was a winner. I give it 4 stars. This product lasted 4 days between washings and smelled great, compared to some products that can smell a little like chemicals. Overall I was pretty pleased with this guy and it initially felt dry and texturizing when I sprayed it on. A winner in my book!
Hask Charcoal Purifying Dry Shampoo ($4.79, Target, 5 stars!)
Lasted 6 days! I was really impressed by this product! That’s 6 days including about 4 days resulting in sweaty hair workouts. I’ll add that this product actually made the hair look dry, and not dull/gray like some products can do. I will definitely purchase this product again, and would highly recommend it! This product is not only perhaps the winner of my dry shampoo review, but was also a beauty winner per Allure magazine.
Garnier Pure Clean Dry Shampoo ($4.99, Amazon, 3 stars)
I would call this guy adequate for about 3 days. The smell was great, but I didn’t feel like it added much texture or kept the oil out very long. I used it twice in one day most days I used it; applied in the morning and then again in the afternoon, so I imagine the full container would go quickly if it’s needed twice per day. I’d give it only 3 stars.
Got2b Fresh It Up Dry Shampoo, Floral Touch – ($3.74, Amazon, 5 stars!)
Surprisingly, this bargain buy has worked wonders! I’m always skeptical regarding the cheapest buy, and I was not a huge fan of the scent initially, but this product has been incredible! Guys – don’t be grossed out but this brand made it a full week! OMG! By day 7 I was definitely ready for a wash, but my hair still looked decent! – in a top knot anyway. I find that topknots have way more volume with dirty hair & dry shampoo!
L’oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Dry Shampoo – ($4.22, Amazon, 3 stars)
This buy was also a fair purchase, and I felt I could only push it about 3 days until I needed to wash it again. Smelled great! Didn’t leave a white residue and is definitely at a good price point. By this point in my dry shampoo review, it was easy to say it was just mediocre and not terribly impressive for my need.
Suave Professionals Natural Refresh Dry Shampoo ($3.99, Target, 2 stars)
This product did not hold a candle to a few of the others. This dry shampoo was great on first use, but by the second use, my hair was already feeling flat and seemed to be lacking volume, whereas some of the other products ADD volume. I pushed this product to 4 days of use, but probably should have stopped at 3. On the bright side, it does smell nice!
And my 5 Star Winners are :: [drumroll please] :
- Got2b Fresh It Up Dry Shampoo, Floral Touch
- Hask Charcoal Purifying Dry Shampoo
- Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo – Unscented
I’d love to hear what your favorite dry shampoos are! Have you tried any of these? Would you have included any others in a dry shampoo review? Any feedback with different hair types? **Wishing less hair-washing for all!
