I Rely On Dry Shampoo To Keep My Hair In Check Between Washes — Here Are My Favorite (And Least Favorite) Brands

I'm a big fan of Redken products, so I was excited to try out their Deep Clean Dry Shampoo. After my shower following a morning workout, I took my hair out of its messy bun, parted my hair in the middle, and sprayed a generous amount of dry shampoo into my roots. 

I vigorously massaged in the product to get rid of the white, but that just made it spread around. After flipping my hair around several times and even taking a comb at one point to brush the product through my roots, I finally got rid of the residue.

My hair was left feeling a little gritty, but I had to admit that after all that work to get the white out, my hair did feel less oily — and my roots even had some volume to them. Still, this one wasn't quite it.

Final verdict: Smells amazing and delivered on root volume, but (at least for those with darker hair) leaves too much hard-to-blend white residue behind.

Rating: 7/10.

Next up was Beyond the Zone Rock On Dark Hair Dry Shampoo. I had high hopes for this product that was marketed specifically for "medium-dark" hair — and I appreciated that it was the most affordable option of the batch, at $7 for a large bottle. After running my fingers through my post-workout hair, I again parted it, and sprayed a generous amount of this dry shampoo into my dirty roots. 

Unlike the very white Redken option, this one had a slight tint to it which blended in perfectly with my hair. Scent-wise, this dry shampoo smelled like hairspray, which didn't bother me — but might be annoying for others. It also didn't feel too stiff or gritty in my hair. I did have to be generous with how much I sprayed into my hair for it to look clean — but overall, I liked it, and the price tag was great.

Final verdict: Affordable option for those with darker hair thanks to the tint, though you may need a few extra spritzes to get the job done.

Rating: 8/10. 

I'm a fan of just about anything Drybar makes so I was excited to give their Invisible Dry Shampoo a try. I was intrigued by its name, and eager to find something that was, in fact, invisible upon application.

I was thrilled to see I wasn't left with a white streak in my hair, and it didn't feel gritty at all. WIN! However, my hair was still flat and pretty dirty-looking even after generously spraying this dry shampoo into my hair. This product is described as having a "lightweight formula" — so my hair might be too thick for it to actually work. Also, the price of this dry shampoo is $23 for only a 3.5-ounce bottle, which is expensive for the amount you get compared to other dry shampoos that I tried.

Final verdict: Too lightweight for my thick hair but at least lived up to its name by spraying on clear. 

Rating: 5/10

The next day I gave the Beachwaver Second Chance Dry Shampoo a chance.  The label says that "our rice formula soaks up moisture to refresh and restore your hair to your day-one style, adding volume and texture along the way." I held the brand to their claims when I sprayed a generous portion into my dirty hair. 

The scent of the dry shampoo was clean and not too overpowering, which I really liked. Overall, this dry shampoo was one of my favorites and checked off all my boxes. 

Final verdict: Great! Smelled amazing, didn't leave behind any white streaks, made my hair feel dry and clean to the touch, and rang up at under $15.

Rating: 9.5/10

Next on the list of dry shampoos to try was the Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo. I appreciate a hair product that has a strong aerosol spray because it just feels like it gets the job done, and this Lee Stafford product did not disappoint in that department. After another sweat sesh, I took my hair out of its ponytail, flipped it upside down a few times, and then parted it to spray the dry shampoo where I felt I needed it the most. 

Thankfully, this dry shampoo did not leave my hair with hard-to-blend white streaks — but it did leave my hair looking flat. After spraying the dry shampoo in, my roots looked matted down, and no matter how many times I tried adding some life back into my roots with my fingers, I was left with flat (albeit somewhat clean-looking) hair. 

If you're looking for an affordable dry shampoo that is only $10.50 (for a 6.76-ounce bottle) and you don't care too much about volume at the roots, this dry shampoo might be worth a try — but it didn't work for me.

Final verdict: Reasonably priced and blendable. Didn't leave any white streaks in my hair but left my roots looking flat. 

Rating: 5/10.

The last dry shampoo I tested out was the ColorProof FreshStart Dry Shampoo. The first thing I noticed about this one was how easy it was to massage all over my roots. Some dry shampoos stay in one place, making it difficult to spread around — but that wasn't the case for this quickly blendable option.

The smell was great too — it smelled like a familiar perfume, which I personally loved. After a few spritzes and flip of my head, my hair looked rejuvenated and no one would be able to tell it was...6-day old hair. 🙈Look at those waves! This was a dry shampoo that I would definitely add into my rotation. 

Final verdict: One of the two best dry shampoos that I tried. My hair looked and smelled cleaner after one or two sprays. A bit pricier than other options but IMO, worth it.

Rating: 9.5/10