12 Best Natural and Organic Dry Shampoos

• Best overall organic dry shampoo: Hair Dance Volumizing Dry Shampoo, Lavender
• Best organic dry shampoo for dark hair: Primally Pure Dry Shampoo, Dark Locks
• Best high end organic dry shampoo: Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo
• Best certified organic dry shampoo: Beauty By Earth Dry Shampoo & Volume Powder
• Best value organic dry shampoo: Acure Dry Shampoo
• Best smelling natural dry shampoo: Franklin + Whitman Dry Shampoo
• Best spray natural dry shampoo: Love Beauty and Planet Oil Absorbing Refreshing Dry Shampoo, Murumuru Butter and Rose
• Best cleansing natural dry shampoo: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo
• Best organic shampoo with lots of scent options: Lulu Organics Hair Powder Dry Shampoo
• Best natural dry shampoo alternative for kinky and curly hair: Sunday || Sunday Root Refresh Micellar Rinse
• Best foam organic dry shampoo: Innersense Organic Beauty Refresh Dry Shampoo
• Best unscented organic dry shampoo: Act + Acre Plant Based Dry Shampoo

Some shortcuts are worth it — and dry shampoo is one of them.

A few spritzes of the stuff and you’re on your way, no dry-time or detangling required.

But if you’ve taken a peek at the ingredients listed in some of the most popular drug-store picks, you know you may be brushing elbows with a number of harsh, unsafe chemicals.

We’re talking talc (recently booted from the beauty community for its questionable ties to cancer) and liquid petroleum gasses (LPGs) like propane, isobutane, and butane — ingredients that shoot the product from its aerosol can but are less than ideal for personal health and the environment.

We did some digging and some testing on natural and organic dry shampoos that absorb the oil in your air without exposing you to unsafe ingredients. These brands are reputable — we chose brands that prioritize the use of high quality ingredients and have hundreds of 5-star reviews.

Check out our favorites and learn how to best apply them to your hair.

Good old regular shampoos do a nice job of cleaning your scalp and hair and getting rid of excess oil. But it’s important not to wash your hair too often — doing so can strip it of important oils that your scalp needs to stay healthy.

Of course, scaling back on shampooing may leave you with some “oily days” you’d rather not deal with.

This is where dry shampoo swoops in. At first, many of us were spraying this stuff at our roots — shooting it out of aerosol cans without much hesitation.

But the thing about dry shampoos in aerosol cans (aside from the liquid petroleum gasses already mentioned) is they also commonly use alcohols, which are, of course, drying agents. Dry hair is more prone to breakage.

Compared to traditional dry shampoos, ones made with more natural and some organic ingredients to keep your scalp away from drying ingredients and harsh chemicals. Plus, nearly all of the picks on our list are powders, which means they also give an instant, volumizing lift.

We chose these products based first on their use of natural or organic ingredients and of course, their avoidance of using unsafe ingredients like talc, propane, and so on.

We also looked closely at brand reputations and product reviews. Additionally, all the products included have been vetted to ensure that they meet Healthline’s medical and business standards. Read more about our process here.

Pricing guide

• $ = under $10
• $$ = $10–$25
• $$$ = over $25

Best overall organic dry shampoo

Hair Dance Volumizing Dry Shampoo, Lavender

• Price: $
• Size: 1-oz. bottle
• Pros: blends easily, smells great, no sticky residue
• Cons: can be messy
• Scent: lavender and grapefruit
• Key ingredients: rice starch, colloidal oatmeal, silica
• Hair type: all hair types
• Free from: parabens, sulfates, silicones, phthalates

This brand’s dry shampoo is my favorite for a few reasons.

First, it’s made by Hair Dance — a small, woman-owned business with a focus on clean, cruelty-free hair products.

Second, it works on all hair colors. Normally, white powder doesn’t blend into dark hair colors very easily — making for more work blending out the product. But this product quickly blends into my dark hair without leaving white traces behind. It also doesn’t require more than a few strokes at your roots with your fingers for it to quickly soak up excess oil and leave you with a clean look.

Some dry shampoos may leave a sticky residue on your hands after applying, but this isn’t the case here, thanks to simple ingredients like organic rice starch, organic colloidal oatmeal, silica, lavender oil, and organic olive leaf. It’s made without:

• parabens
• sulfates
• silicones
• phthalates
• DEAs
• artificial fragrances
• artificial dyes
• petroleum
• alcohols

This pick falls at the low end of our pricing guide (at least if you purchase via Amazon), and it’s vegan, cruelty-free, nontoxic, and made in the U.S. using organic ingredients. Plus, a little of this product goes a very long way.

I also love both of the fresh scents available: lavender and grapefruit (available on the company website). Overall, its simplicity, soothing scents, and lightweight feel are why it won me over.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hair Dance donates 10% of its proceeds to Mercy Ships — an international charity that provides free surgical procedures to those in need.

Best organic dry shampoo for dark hair

Primally Pure Dry Shampoo, Dark Locks

• Price: $$
• Size: 1-oz. bottle
• Pros: soaks up oil, comes in two shades, boosts volume
• Cons: sticky
• Scent: grapefruit
• Key ingredients: kaolin clay, arrowroot powder
• Hair type: all hair types
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

This dry shampoo uses kaolin clay and organic arrowroot powder to absorb moisture while boosting texture and volume.

It’s also made with organic essential oil of grapefruit, which the company says is because it has natural cleansing properties. Peppermint and lavender soothe the scalp, but you can’t smell the lavender and grapefruit much. The scent is mainly peppermint.

I used Primally Pure Dry Shampoo in “Dark Locks” for my brunette hair, but it also comes in “Light Locks” for lighter hair colors.

The dark formula uses organic cocoa powder to blend into dark hair. As an added benefit for dyed hair, it’s a great multitasker; if your roots are fading and you’re in between washes, this shampoo will both volumize and refresh your color.

I did feel my fingers were a bit sticky after use, and I assume that’s thanks to the cocoa powder.

This product is made in the U.S.

Best high end organic dry shampoo

Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo

• Price: $$$
• Size: 1.8-oz. bottle
• Pros: easy to use, feels refreshing, blends well
• Cons: pricey
• Scent: clean
• Key ingredients: earth clay, tapioca starch
• Hair type: all hair types
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

At the top of our pricing guide is this dry shampoo from Rahua. It’s made with plant-based ingredients that the company describes as “rainforest grown.”

These include cassava (tapioca) — which the brand says is organic and food-grade to absorb oil, sweat, and debris — as well as cosmetic clay for absorbing oil and organic star anise for antimicrobial properties.

Most of our picks use bottles, similar to baby powder, that you gently shake into your roots. But this product is a little different. It still comes in a nonaerosol dispenser, but you shake and squeeze the bottle and watch the powder puff straight out from the side of the dispenser, instead of the top.

This dry shampoo does only come in one color (white), but it blended easily my dark hair.

The clean scent is reminiscent of baby powder.

Best certified organic dry shampoo

Beauty By Earth Dry Shampoo & Volume Powder

• Price: $$
• Size: 2.5-oz. bottle
• Pros: certified organic, comes in two shades, travel size available
• Cons: must use within 12 months
• Scent: unscented
• Key ingredients: corn starch, arrowroot powder
• Hair type: oily
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

I tried this vegan dry shampoo in the formula for dark and red hair colors, but it also comes in a formula for blonde and light hair colors. The product is white, but I didn’t have any trouble blending it into my hair.

This pick is USDA-certified organic, leaping bunny certified, and made in the U.S.

This formula is nontoxic and free of parabens, pegs, SLS, SLES, and synthetic dyes or fragrances. It’s also free of soy. The company points out that after opening, this product has a 12-month shelf life.

Beauty by Earth also offers travel-size versions of this dry shampoo if you want to take it on the go.

Best value organic dry shampoo

Acure Dry Shampoo

• Price: $
• Size: 1.7-oz bottle
• Pros: certified organic, comes in two shades, smells great
• Cons: cocoa shade may be too dark
• Scent: peppermint
• Key ingredients: corn starch, arrowroot powder
• Hair type: all
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

Vegan and USDA-certified organic, ACURE dry shampoos come in a dark formula for dark hair colors as well as another formula that they say works for all hair types.

The dark formula includes cocoa, so the powder is a bit darker than the all-hair-types option. During testing, I was impressed with the product’s quality and size at its reasonable price point. Though it’s made with rosemary and peppermint, peppermint is the strongest note I pick up.

This product is made without parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petrolatum, or formaldehyde. Acure is certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA, so it’s cruelty-free as well.

Best smelling natural dry shampoo

Franklin + Whitman Dry Shampoo

• Price: $$
• Size: 2-oz. bottle
• Pros: two scent and shade options, soaks up oil, boosts volume
• Cons: difficult to blend in
• Scent: east falls and spring garden
• Key ingredients: maranta arundinacea powder, kaolin clay
• Hair type: all
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

This vegan, cruelty-free dry shampoo is available in two separate formulas for light and dark hair colors.

It also comes in two scents (available in both light and dark colors): East Falls, which is a blend of lemongrass, bergamot, and clary sage, and Spring Garden — a blend of grapefruit, rosemary, and eucalyptus.

Although the formulas are different for the dark/light and two scent options, this dry shampoo uses four different types of powders, starches, and clay.

I haven’t tested this brand personally, but reviewers are overall happy.

Reviews are mostly only on the company website right now, but the company does display less-than-stellar reviews with the happy ones. Comments range from “life changing” to notes about trouble getting the product to blend into their hair type or color.

Best spray natural dry shampoo

Love Beauty and Planet Oil Absorbing Refreshing Dry Shampoo, Murumuru Butter and Rose

• Price: $
• Size: 1.53-oz. can
• Pros: a good aerosol option, refreshes hair and scalp, all hair types
• Cons: too strong for some, contains fragrance
• Scent: murumuru butter and rose
• Key ingredients: tapioca starch
• Hair type: all
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

This is a natural dry shampoo pick for those who just can’t get on board with powder or miss the ease of an aerosol can but still want natural ingredients and an eco-friendly product.

Here’s how this aerosol can works: instead of being driven by greenhouse gases, it’s powered by nitrogen, making it a bit easier on the environment.

The company says the ingredients are 97 percent naturally derived, including tapioca starch which absorbs oil and adds body.

I haven’t spritzed this one on myself, but Google reviews are overall satisfied. Many point out that the can is so lightweight, that they were concerned it was empty.

Reviewers are split on the scent. Some adore it and some say it’s too strong for them. Others point out that it sprays out “hardcore” which may explain why the company suggests holding the can 10 to 12 inches away from your roots when you apply it.

This pick is vegan, cruelty-free, and free of sulfates, parabens, and silicones. It’s worth mentioning that it contains fragrance, which may not make it a great choice for those with allergies or skin sensitivities.

Best cleansing natural dry shampoo

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo

• Price: $$
• Size: 1.7-oz. bottle
• Pros: cleanses the scalp, feels refreshing, safe for all hair types
• Cons: too scented for some, packaging could use a refresh
• Scent: clean
• Key ingredients: rice starch, charcoal powder
• Hair type: all
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

It’s important to keep in mind that dry shampoos don’t actually clean your hair — rather, they absorb oil and save you 1 or 2 wash days. However, this product works a little harder by drawing out impurities as it refreshes dry hair.

Here’s how the company says it works: Binchotan charcoal draws out impurities from the scalp, while a blend of clay, tapioca starch, and rice starch absorbs excess oil from the roots to refresh and clean.

Witch hazel extract, the company says, helps to “normalize oil production to prevent an oily scalp.” This may be because witch hazel performs as an astringent, triggering tissues to contract and helping shrink pores, while also soothing your skin and easing inflammation — which is why witch hazel is sometimes used to treat some cases of acne.

Finally, biotin nourishes the hair follicle to support healthy hair growth.

Briogeo says this product is for straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair types and is also safe for color-treated, keratin-treated, chemically-treated, and relaxed hair. The shampoo is vegan, made with 99 percent naturally derived ingredients, and is cruelty-free.

This is not one of the products I tested, but most reviewers are pleased, while others had trouble with the product’s dispenser or its scent.

Best natural dry shampoo with lots of scent options

Lulu Organics Hair Powder Dry Shampoo

• Price: $$$
• Size: 4-oz. tube
• Pros: seven different scent options, large container, easy to use
• Cons: pricey
• Scent: six different scents
• Key ingredients: kaolin clay, sage oil
• Hair type: all
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

Although it’s one of the pricier picks on our list, this natural dry shampoo comes in seven different scents. It’s also vegan, handmade, gluten-free, child-safe, and comes in a large container compared to others on our list.

It’s made of organic corn starch, white clay, baking soda, organic horsetail powder, and essential oils. It also comes in creative, vintage-inspired packaging.

I didn’t test this product personally, but Amazon reviewers love the scent variety and say they quickly became repeat customers.

Best natural dry shampoo alternative for kinky and curly hair

Sunday || Sunday Root Refresh Micellar Rinse

• Price: $$$
• Size: 8.1-oz. bottle
• Pros: large bottle, great for curly hair types, doesn’t need to be washed out
• Cons: pricey, packaging could use a refresh
• Scent: floral
• Key ingredients: apple cider vinegar, micellar water
• Hair type: curly and kinky hair
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones

This vegan product works a little differently than the others on our list. The brand says it’s made from 96 percent natural ingredients and it’s formulated to remove product buildup and excess oils without stripping hair or clogging follicles.

This is not only a good pick for those with curly and kinky hair types but those who would rather not deal with powder. Instead, it’s made using micellar water to pick up dirt and sweat. It also uses apple cider vinegar to lower scalp pH and lessen scalp bacterial growth and green tea extract for inflammation. Unlike a traditional shampoo, it’s meant to be left on your hair rather than washed out.

I haven’t tested this one personally, but Google reviewers are happy, with some wishing the dispenser was easier to use (it looks a bit like a household cleaning product spray dispenser).

Best foam organic dry shampoo

Innersense Organic Beauty Refresh Dry Shampoo

• Price: $$
• Size: 2.37-oz. bottle
• Pros: foam is easy to blend in, smells great, adds shine
• Cons: sticky, contains alcohol
• Scent: orange
• Key ingredients: witch hazel, tapioca starch
• Hair type: fine, thin
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones

Here’s another option for those who want something a little different from your typical natural dry shampoo.

Although it’s a foam, this pick uses tapioca starch and witch hazel like a few others on our list to target excess oils, plus it adds organic honey for some shine and body.

I haven’t tested this one, but to use it, apply a couple of pumps at the root and let the product air-dry. Or if you prefer, dry with a blow dryer to add more body.

Best unscented organic dry shampoo

Act + Acre Plant Based Dry Shampoo

• Price: $$
• Size: 0.46-oz. bottle
• Pros: unscented, easy to use, great for sensitive scalps
• Cons: small bottle, pricey
• Scent: unscented
• Key ingredients: rice starch, tapioca starch
• Hair type: all
• Free from: sulfates, parabens, silicones, alcohol

This plant-based dry shampoo decided to leave scent out of it. It’s a good choice for those with sensitive scalps, since it doesn’t contain perfume or artificial fragrance. It does use rice and tapioca powders like some of our other picks. These are thought to naturally help offset odors.

It also adds fulvic acid, an organic plant extract that the brand says delivers over 65 minerals into the follicle to restore the scalp microbiome.

The dispenser on this pick is different from other powders. Instead of sprinkling it onto your roots, you’ll squeeze the bottle to make it spray out.

This is not one of the dry shampoos I tested, but it’s said to work for all hair types and hair colors, even though it’s a white powder.

It’s a good idea to first look at the ingredients listed, checking for any potential allergies you may have, and looking for natural, organic ingredients. It’s also good to see that your pick doesn’t include alcohols, talc, or LPGs.

Next, dive into some research on the company. Does it have an overall positive reputation with customers? What do the reviews say?

You can find many of these products directly on the brand’s website, and many are also available on Amazon, Ulta, Target, and some drugstores.

There’s a bit of a learning curve with these products. It’s best to start out small, applying only a little product at a time. Otherwise, it’s possible to overapply and end up with frizz and buildup.

Most natural dry shampoos are applied by gently shaking the powder out of the bottle several inches above your roots, while others suggest applying closer to the roots. Some also recommend shaking it into your hands and working into your roots from there.

All the variation means it’s a good idea to read your product’s instructions carefully — I found that application makes a big difference with results.

Is dry shampoo good for your hair?

While using dry shampoo is safe for the hair, frequent use may lead to hair damage and could cause scalp problems. Dry shampoo does not clean the scalp and should not be used as a replacement for washing your hair with water.

How often should I use dry shampoo?

Stick to using dry shampoo 1 to 2 times a week at maximum (no more than 2 days in a row). It’s important to give your scalp some time to breathe.

Can using dry shampoo cause hair loss?

There isn’t any research that indicates dry shampoo directly causes hair loss. However, studies do show that poor scalp health can cause hair loss. Too much dry shampoo can result in poor scalp health, which could eventually lead to hair loss. Overuse may also cause inflammation, which can lead to hair shedding.

Traditional dry shampoos may contain unsafe chemicals that are harsh on the environment and your scalp. Natural and organic dry shampoos may be a better alternative. These powders can be applied to your roots for a quick refresh and boost of volume between washes.

Read directions carefully before using your product and remember to still wash your hair regularly with traditional shampoo to remove dirt, oil, and build-up for a healthy, clean scalp.

Breanna Mona is a writer based in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a master’s degree in media and journalism and writes about health, lifestyle, and entertainment.