11 Top Curly Girl-Approved Dry Shampoos
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Do you have curly hair?
If you answered yes, then your hair care routine is focused on making sure your locks stay hydrated.
That’s why a hair product with the word “dry” on it is kind of scary. So we understand if you’re having second thoughts about using a dry shampoo.
But we’re also here to tell you about the curly girl-approved dry shampoos that you can use without damaging your beautiful curls.
Because admit it, we have busy days. And taking care of your curls isn’t as simple as the usual shampoo + conditioner routine.
Read on to see the wonders that dry shampoo for curly hair can do to keep your locks fresh.
- Works wonders in absorbing oil
- Doesn’t leave a white cast
- Gives a subtle shine
- Removes oil and impurities
- Doesn’t have harmful chemicals
- Adds volume
- Protects hair from overdrying
- Makes hair look and feel smooth
- Organic
Table of Contents
What Is Dry Shampoo?
Let’s get things straight. Dry shampoo doesn’t dry your hair. The reason it’s called that way is that you can use it to “clean” your hair without washing it.
The dry shampoo reduces the oil and dirt in your hair. It’s perfect for refreshing your hair in between washes. Not only that, but it can also add volume and texture to your locks.
So how does dry shampoo work?
According to Healthline, dry shampoo uses alcohol or starch to absorb the oil and sweat from your hair. This makes the hair appear clean.
Most dry shampoos also have fragrances so that your head will smell fresh.
Just remember that this product may seem like it’s cleaning your hair, but it shouldn’t be used to replace your regular shampoo. This just helps in making you use the cleansing poo less often.
Overusing dry shampoo can result in product buildup and an itchy, dry scalp.
How to Properly Use a Dry Shampoo on Curly Hair
There are numerous steps and videos you can find in using a dry shampoo, so you don’t need to worry if this is your first time.
Here’s an example of how you can apply dry shampoo without ending up with weighed-down, white locks.
But remember that every hair product and each dry shampoo is made differently. So the most effective way to get the best results in using a product is to read the label.
You’ll see if the formulation is right for your hair type. Furthermore, it has instructions on how to use the product properly.
How to Use a Dry Shampoo Spray
The most common dry shampoos are in spray form. For some users, this type is the easiest to use. This is also the top dry shampoo for curly hair that’s thin or fine.
Steps
- Shake the bottle well before you use it.
- For better application, part your hair into sections.
- Hold the spray bottle 12 inches away from your head, and aim it directly at the roots.
- Apply the dry shampoo to areas that are oily.
- Let the product sit on your hair for 30 seconds to a minute (depending on what the label says).
- Massage your locks using your hands. If you notice too much residue, you can also brush your hair to remove it.
How to Use a Dry Shampoo Powder
Another type of dry cleanser is powder. This one’s top for thick and oily hair because it soaks up the oil really well.
Steps
- Section your hair.
- Apply the powder at the root using a powder brush, puff, or your hands.
- Tip your hair to each side and shake the excess powder out with your fingers.
- You can also take your blow dryer and fan out the hairline.
11 Top Curly Girl-Approved Dry Shampoos
People with curly hair can also use dry shampoo. For your textured locks, choose a product that’s lightweight.
This way, it’s easier to get even coverage and your curl patterns won’t get messed up.
Moreover, you can look for a dry shampoo that has moisturizing ingredients and doesn’t have sulfates, silicones, and parabens.
These are the top dry shampoos for curly hair that we recommend.
If you have no time to wash after a gym workout or other sweaty activity, this dry shampoo will do the tidying up for you.
It works wonders by instantly absorbing oil and odor for refreshed hair between washes.
Primary Benefits: Leaves hair feeling and smelling fresh and clean; gives a subtle shine to the strands; adds volume to your hair
Features:
- Doesn’t contain harmful chemicals
- Cruelty-free
- Vegan
Bring your hair back to life with Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo.
This dry shampoo is made of only good ingredients. It has no
- glutens,
- sulfates,
- silicones,
- parabens,
- phthalates, and
- synthetic dyes.
It’s perfect for renewing greasy, icky hair that hasn’t been washed for a week. Plus, it has a clean, refreshing scent.
Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo also comes in other fragrances and even a fragrance-free variant.
Additionally, there’s no visible residue, so it can be used on dark or colored hair.
We love how this dry shampoo gives a lift to your hair for full-bodied curly locks. Your hair will have volume without feeling stiff.
Primary Benefits: Instantly refreshes hair and scalp; absorbs oil, buildup, and odor; leaves no residue; smoothens the hair and gets tangles out
Features:
- Rice starch-based
- With sea buckthorn
- Talc-free
- Safe for color-treated hair
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- No harmful chemicals
Extend the time between your washes with Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo!
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo contains sea buckthorn, a superfruit loaded with vitamins that will leave your curly hair nourished.
This product is sure to give your hair a freshly washed look with no matte white cast. Your curly hair still looks shiny but without unwanted grease.
It doesn’t contain sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and mineral oil so you can keep your hair oil-free all day with your curls staying intact.
We know this dry shampoo is a little bit on the pricey side and most people know that too. So why do they keep on buying Living Proof?
It’s because this works so well that it’s worth every cent! Your hair looks, feels, and smells clean after using this. There won’t be any gritty feeling at all.
Primary Benefits: Eliminates oil, sweat, and odor; resists humidity to prevent frizz; polishes and protects strands; smooths hair without weighing it down
Features:
- Contains healthy hair molecules
- With fast-absorbing powders
- No silicones, parabens, gluten, and phthalates
- Safe for chemically treated hair
- Cruelty-free
- Vegan
Clean your hair quickly and easily with Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo!
This dry shampoo has triple technology:
- Healthy hair molecules that prevent dirt from sticking to the strands
- Fast-absorbing powders to get oil and sweat
- Odor neutralizers to remove the dirty smell
It also has a time-release fragrance for a clean scent all day.
The only problem that users noticed is that it gives off a bit of a white cast, but it’s nothing some rubbing and brushing won’t fix.
This product is part of Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day Collection, which delivers beautiful, healthy-looking curly hair.
Our favorite thing about this product is that it has light-tone and dark-tone variants. That means there won’t be a worry about unwanted white casts.
If you have blonde hair and you want them brighter, you can use this light-tone option. If you’re a brunette who wants a deeper shade of locks, you can get the dark-tone alternative.
Primary Benefits: Gives strands a soft, silky finish; enhances blonde tones; cleanses and refreshes hair; adds volume
Features:
- Infused with argan oil
- Made with ultra-fine starch
- UV damage protection
- Safe for colored and keratin-treated hair
- For all hair types
- Cruelty-free
This dry shampoo delivers the same luxurious moisturizing power and signature scent as other Moroccanoil products.
Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo for Light Tones has a subtle purple tint that balances the yellow brassiness of your blonde hair, while Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo for Dark Tones contains fine rice starch that immediately breaks down once massaged.
This dry shampoo reduces harsh root lines but won’t leave a dull residue on your strands.
It has argan oil that’s rich in antioxidants and vitamins and a formula that effectively absorbs oil, product buildup, and odor. Plus, it protects your hair from the harsh UV rays of the sun.
Refresh and revive your curly locks between washes and scrunch your curls in place with this dry shampoo.
Brunettes, don’t fret! Here’s a dry shampoo that’s ideal for you. It’s great for redheads as well. And that’s because of its residue-free finish that promises to not affect your hair color.
It blends well with medium or dark hair and doesn’t even stain your clothes and pillows.
Primary Benefits: Adds volume to your locks, absorbs oil and impurities, protects your hair from over-drying, makes hair look and feel smooth
Features:
- Powder-based, aerosol-free formula
- USDA organic certified
- Non-GMO
- For oily hair
- Cruelty-free
Get perfect hair anytime, anywhere with Beauty by Earth dry shampoo and volume powder.
This is your dry ’poo for the no-wash days. It has no harmful chemicals, so it’s great for curly hair.
There is no
- talc,
- alcohol,
- gluten,
- sulfates,
- parabens, and
- phthalates.
It instantly gives fuller, more voluminous hair. Moreover, it comes in Light and Dark and has a pleasant lavender scent.
So when you don’t want to wash your hair just yet, you can use this dry shampoo.
We know how aerosol can be a form of air pollutant. That’s why we’re glad that this shampoo comes in powder form, for less harm to our lungs.
Primary Benefits: Absorbs oil and removes impurities, extends the time between cleansing, works great on greasy hair
Features:
- With rosemary and peppermint
- For all hair types
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
This is the dry shampoo that’s 0% pretentious. Acure dry shampoo is truly made of 100% plant-based and clean ingredients: a certified organic product.
Finally, a dry shampoo that’s good for your curly hair and good for the environment.
It has no
- sulfates,
- parabens,
- mineral oil,
- petrolatum, and
- formaldehyde.
It’s also fast-acting and easy to use, so there’s no time wasted in revitalizing your hair. Plus, it takes grease away and gives hair volume.
Not only that, but Acure Dry Shampoo also cares for the environment with its non-aerosol formula and recyclable bottle.
Klorane has different dry shampoo variants, but this one is our favorite because it has a gentle formula that’s ideal for more frequent use.
Primary Benefits: Eliminates oil, dirt, and odor; adds volume and texture; extends the life of blowouts; makes hair softer
Features:
- With oat milk extract
- Hypoallergenic
- For all hair types
For hair that looks even better than freshly washed locks, use Klorane Dry Shampoo.
This gentle dry shampoo is organically farmed in France. It has oat milk extracts that soften curly hair and help protect the natural balance of the scalp.
It contains no parabens or sulfates, and it works for sensitive skin.
In addition, its ultra-fine powder sprays on white but can be blended invisibly into the hair.
However, there’s a strong scent, which is okay for most, but might be an issue for those with sensitivity to fragrance.
Dry shampoo is well-known for absorbing oil. That’s why people with curly hair are worried that this might dry their hair.
Well, it’s a good thing Ouai Super Dry Shampoo only removes excess oil. So you won’t see your locks all dried out. Instead, you’ll have a freshly showered and conditioned look.
Primary Benefits: Cleanses the scalp and removes product buildup without drying out your hair; adds instant volume and shine to fine oily hair; soaks up excess oil
Features:
- For curly, oily hair
- Cruelty-free
- Color safe
Refresh your locks without water using Ouai Super Dry Shampoo
This dry shampoo has good ingredients that nourish, strengthen, and condition curly hair. It also has no parabens and sulfates, which makes it a curly girl-approved shampoo.
It revives volume and leaves hair feeling clean and healthy.
This product also blends easily into all hair colors and has a nice fragrance.
This dry shampoo is R + Co’s best seller, and for good reason.
It’s the quickest way to get volume and body to your hair and is the best shampoo for dry curly fine hair because it thickens the strands and builds volume.
Additionally, it gives texture for a gorgeous, untamed look.
Primary Benefits: Absorbs extra oil from hair and scalp; hydrates and improves hair’s elasticity; strengthens and nourishes the hair; restores luster and shine
Features:
- Rich in antioxidants
- With UV protection
- For all hair types
- Vegan
For those on the go, R + Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo is ideal for giving you light and fresh locks!
This product has a gentle formula with no
- glutens,
- sulfates,
- parabens,
- mineral oil, and
- petrolatum.
It’s ideal for a post-workout hair renewal. It cleanses and hydrates the scalp and hair strands without leaving a powder residue.
Plus, it smells good; it has a light and fresh scent that adds to the clean feel of your curly locks.
We love that this dry shampoo is also aerosol-free. It’s in powder form so it’s not harmful to the environment.
The powder is also effective in cleansing oily hair that hasn’t been washed for a week.
Primary Benefits: Absorbs oil, sweat, and residue; gives refreshed, volumized hair; leaves hair silky and soft
Features:
- Made with natural ingredients
- Non-toxic
- Suitable for all hair colors
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
Make your hair fresh and voluminous in between shampoo washes with Hair Dance Volumizing Dry Shampoo.
This product is infused with all-natural lavender essential oil that calms your senses. Also, this dry shampoo also provides a boost of volume and fullness to your curls.
It has no
- parabens,
- sulfates,
- silicones,
- phthalates,
- DEAs,
- artificial fragrances,
- artificial dyes,
- petroleum, and
- alcohols.
It is made with simple all-natural ingredients, none of which were tested on animals.
We know the bottle is small compared to other curly girl-approved dry shampoos, but it can last you months. Plus, the size is great for traveling.
This dry shampoo really gives volume and texture to your locks, but it doesn’t weigh down your hair. Plus, it won’t give you the crunchy feeling of hair like hairspray does.
Primary Benefits: Adds volume to your locks; absorbs oil and impurities; boosts your hair’s strength; prevents the strands from becoming dry and dull
Features:
- Infused with softening monoi oil
- For oily and normal hair
- For all hair colors
- Cruelty-free
To remove oily buildup without washing, use Hask Monoi Coconut Dry Shampoo.
This dry ’poo contains no
- gluten,
- sulfates,
- parabens,
- aluminum,
- phthalates, and
- artificial colors.
It’s so gentle and it offers long-lasting oil absorption with a nice coconut scent.
For an affordable dry shampoo, this is a real value because you’re not paying for a cheap one with harmful ingredients.
FAQs for Using Dry Shampoo
Can I Apply Dry Shampoo on Wet Hair?
Yes, you can apply dry shampoo on wet hair. If you apply dry shampoo on wet or damp hair, it acts as a binder on the strands.
This creates fuller-looking hair, like what you’ll get when you use a hair mousse.
Is It Okay to Use Dry Shampoo Every Day?
You shouldn’t use dry shampoo every day. As we’ve mentioned above, using this product too often can cause buildup.
The buildup can then weaken the hair strands and cause scalp irritation.
Can Dry Shampoo Be Used on Clean Hair?
While dry shampoo is mostly used to refresh dirty hair, it’s not limited to that. You can use this product on hair that’s freshly washed too.
It’s a good way to extend the life of your clean locks.
Using Dry Shampoo for Curly Hair
Isn’t it comforting to know that there are lots of curly girl-friendly great dry shampoos out there?
If you want to avoid showering all the time but still want to refresh your curls, you can use a dry shampoo to remove impurities from the scalp and make your hair feel cleaner.
Just choose one that doesn’t leave any residue behind.
Another fantastic option is to use a dry shampoo powder to keep your curls and a just-washed look.
Whatever dry shampoo you use, you’re now ready to revitalize your hair on your non-wash days.
What Other Curly Girl Products Can You Use?
Check them out in these articles:
- Aloe Vera for Curly Hair: Benefits and Different Ways to Use It
- 5 Curly Hair Gels + Tips to Apply Them
- 22 Curly Girl Method Approved Shampoos
- Rice Water for Curly Hair: How to Guide + Recipes