“Organic Beauty Recipes By Eve – The Complete Guide To DIY Natural Beauty” is my long-awaited book, with a treasure trove of effective and easy to follow recipes with 100% natural ingredients.
You can order the ebook now on amazon for only $4.99 or get the paperback edition for $19.99 (USD).
I also launched my own small business offering all-natural raw shea Butter! Every time you purchase my Shea butter, you are supporting the Ghana women coop which employs 95 women and buys shea nuts from more than 5,000 women in 44 communities.
Lastly, check out my favorite shopping lists on Amazon . I will receive a small commission from the affiliate program Amazon if you order something and this is at no additional cost to you.
Thank you for your support!
We’ve all had those moments when we’re in a hurry to head out the door but don’t have enough time to shampoo. In moments like these, your best friend is a trusty DIY dry shampoo – quick, easy, and super effective!
Unfortunately, commercial dry shampoo has recently developed a reputation of being loaded with hazardous chemicals. So I was eager to indulge in a new DIY experiment; one that has, to my delight, deemed to be very successful!
Here is my DIY dry shampoo recipe with arrowroot powder, kaolin clay, and essential oils that will leave your hair refreshed, voluminous and that will help to prevent damage from over washing.
Benefits of DIY dry shampoo
- Absorbs oil and impurities to avoid odor buildup.
- Refreshes all hair types, enhancing the volume and texture even for very fine and limp hair.
- Prevents damage from overwashing and prolongs color-treated hair.
How to make your own dry shampoo at home
All you need to do is mix clay, arrowroot powder, and a few essential oils to make your own dry shampoo. It can be applied with a makeup brush, left overnight, or for 15 minutes if you’re in a rush. As with all DIYs, the best part is that the dry shampoo can be customized according to your hair color – for instance, if you’re a brunette, you can add cocoa powder to the mix; likewise, ginger or auburn women can opt for cinnamon powder.
How to apply
The cleanest, personally tried-and-tested application for dry shampoo is using a makeup brush. Using the makeup brush, gently tap the dry shampoo into your roots and follow it with a massage. Based on how much of a hurry you’re in, you can leave it overnight or for 10-15 minutes. Once the dry shampoo has settled, shake off the excess over the sink or bathtub (another tried-and-tested word of advice!). Brush thoroughly and style as usual.
When to use it
Dry shampoo can be used when your hair feels greasy, or when they need a little help to bring on the oomph factor. Not only does dry shampoo absorb the excess oil, but it can also help add volume and texture to your hair. So for the days you can’t shampoo, use dry shampoo as your saving grace! Not only will your hair look clean, but it’ll also be bouncing with joy!
How often should I use DIY dry shampoo?
Quite simply – when your hair starts to feel or look greasy. For some, that might happen after 2 days, and for others, 3-4 days.
An important thing to note is that dry shampoo essentially absorbs the oil in your hair. Therefore, it should not be used if your hair isn’t oily, as it’ll strip the scalp from the natural oil that’s necessary for healthy hair.
What’s wrong with commercial dry shampoos?
As with most commercial, mass-produced products is the inclusion of hazardous ingredients and chemicals.
Most commercial dry shampoos include the following dangerous ingredients:
- Butane: A flammable gas and a fire hazard, butane have been known to cause headaches, drowsiness, and a lack of oxygen.
- Isobutane, Parfum (Fragrance): Isobutane, mainly a refrigerant is a branched isomer of butane. Similarly, it is also linked to inducing light-headedness, convulsions, and coma.
- Distearyldimonium Chloride: Known to be an asthma sensitizer and irritate sensitive skin.
- Cetrimonium Chloride: Known to highly cause allergies and immunotoxicity. Reports have also discovered that it can cause reproductive toxicity in animals.
Dry shampoo recipe ingredients
- Arrowroot powder
The star of the show, arrowroot powder is a 100% natural ingredient that can be used to effectively absorb excess oil, resulting in softer, shinier hair. - Kaolin clay
Great for improving hair strength and repairing damaged hair. Moreover, kaolin clay can help soothe an irritated scalp and treat dandruff. - Peppermint essential oil
Apart from making your hair feel fresh, peppermint essential oil can increase circulation, improve hair growth and even prevent hair loss. - Lavender essential oil
It would be a sin to not mention just how calming lavender essential oil is. Apart from making you feel stress-free, it’s antimicrobial properties can help treat head lice and soothe skin inflammations. - Rosemary essential oil
Promotes a healthy scalp and helps stimulate hair growth. It’s anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties are great for scalp cleaning and scalp irritations.
For Brunettes
- Cocoa powder (my blonde friends can simply omit this)
Rich in magnesium, cocoa powder can help fight hair loss as well as add a natural shine and volume to your hair. - Cinnamon powder
Helps remove build-up from the scalp, leaving behind healthier follicles that result in better hair growth. Great if you have auburn or ginger hair.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kaolin clay
- 1 tablespoon Arrowroot powder
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder FOR BRUNETTE ONLY
- 2 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 drops Rosemary essential oil
- 2 drops peppermint essential oil
Instructions
- Mix the kaolin clay and arrowroot powder together in a bowl until they are well blended.
- Add the cocoa powder if you are a brunette. If you are blond, no need to add anything else. Mix well.
- Add the essential oils if desired. This is optional but they add great benefits and amazing scent.
- You can add a teaspoon of activated charcoal if you have dark brown hair or black hair.
- You can also add a teaspoon of cinnamom powder if your hair are auburn or ginger.
- Transfer the DIY dry shampoo powder into a container.
- Use a small amount of the powder and apply to your roots with a makeup brush. You can leave it overnight or for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the dry shampoo has settled, shake off the excess over the sink or bathtub. Brush thoroughly and style as usual.
- This makes 1.5 oz of homemade dry shampoo if you use the cocoa powder. 1 oz without it.
Can you use baking soda as a dry shampoo?
Although it can be used, I personally like to stay away from baking soda as it can be an irritant, and if there’s something I absolutely hate, it’s an itchy scalp!
Can you use cornstarch as a dry shampoo?
Once again, yes you can, but you need to make sure it’s organic. Cornstarch is usually GMO (genetically modified organism), which makes it dangerous to our health. It’s always safer to use arrowroot powder.
How to customize your homemade dry shampoo depending on your hair color and type
As I’ve already mentioned, the best part of making a DIY is the ability to personalize it to what suits you best. Here’s a list of how you can customize your DIY shampoo to your preferences:
- Blonde Hair
Don’t add cocoa powder, as it will show prominently within your hair - Black Hair
Add a tsp of charcoal powder to the mix - Auburn/Red Hair
Add a tsp of cinnamon powder - Dandruff
Add a drop of tea tree essential oil, as its antifungal properties help treat dandruff. Otherwise, powders of Neem, Brahmi, Tulsi and Palma Rosa essential oils can be added. - Oily Hair
Horsetail Powder, Nettle, Multani Mitti, Rhassoul Clay and essential oils such as grapefruit and rosemary will work best for oily hair, as they all have great absorption elements - Hair Loss
Amla, Atlas cedar, essential oils of clary sage and grapefruit - Growth Stimulation
Powders of Kapoor Kachli, Kachur Sugandhi, Bhringaraj, vegetable oils of Mustard, Castor, Coconut.
While some of these ingredients must sound completely foreign to you, they are easily available online.
I hope you try out my recipe for this perfect DIY dry shampoo!
I hope you have enjoyed my recipe, please share the love and rate ***** in the comments below!
I’m Eve, a DIY organic skincare recipe creator since 2010 that loves to make a big mess in the kitchen!
I’ve embarked on a journey to empower women to ditch all the chemical-filled commercial beauty products and to share how to make your own organic beauty recipes at home towards a healthier lifestyle.
Homemade face & body creams, body butter, lips balms, face masks, shampoos, and all-natural perfume will have no more secret for you!
I am self-taught, read many books, and spend many hours in the kitchen creating brand new homemade beauty recipes. All my recipes are unique and are tested on humans!
In 2016, I studied Aromatherapy and became certified by the School of Natural Health Sciences.
I love your recipes!!! They are simple and effective. Congrats…
Is this ok for gray hair? Would it be the same as using it on blonde hair? Thanks.
Author
For gray hair, I suggest using bentonite clay which is gray, it would show less than kaolin clay!