Ditch Dirty Hair: Make Your Own Dry Shampoo!

I absolutely hate washing my hair. I have really long, thick, puffy hair that looks generally awful just after shampooing. Because of this, I try to wash my hair every few days instead of every day. I used to be one of those people that would go through a can of dry shampoo in a week, but that can get expensive pretty quickly. What’s a girl to do to get soft, manageable hair on a daily basis? Answer: raid your pantry. Seriously.

I ran out of dry shampoo one dramatic morning while staying at my parents’ house. It was truly awful. I had only a few minutes to get ready before we had to leave the house, so there just wasn’t enough time to freshly wash my tresses. I went into full MacGyver mode and wrangled up an empty loose powder container from my makeup stash, scrambling down the stairs to see if I could throw together something else to use instead. Thankfully, it worked.

Not only is this just as good as store-bought dry shampoo, but it is at least a thousand times better. It isn’t stark white like those aerosol sprays can be, so it doesn't leave your hair with an awkward white cast. In addition, it doesn't contain any chemicals or alcohols, which can dry out and damage your hair even further. I haven’t bought a can of dry shampoo in months. Not only is my wallet thrilled, but my hair smells delightful. Plus, it is so, so easy to make, taking just a few minutes out of your precious schedule. When using this dry shampoo, I wash my hair about two times a week (although I've been able to go a week straight without sudsing up thanks to this easy DIY!).

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Empty jar with sifter (quite helpful for application)
• Arrowroot Powder or Corn Starch
• Cocoa powder (regular or dark chocolate works fine)
• Red Clay powder (optional)
• 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil (also optional)

The easiest directions in the world:
Clean out your container and sifter to remove any old makeup if needed. Add 1/4 cup corn starch and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder (yes, really - too much cocoa powder will make your hair feel sticky and weird) to the empty container. Replace the sifter, screw on the lid, and shake the container to mix the ingredients. And that’s it! You’re done.

Now, for the optional ingredients. If you have red clay powder on hand, feel free to substitute some of the corn starch with it - it works particularly well to absorb oil. Additionally, if you have any essential oils that you just can't get enough of smelling, add a drop or two to your container and shake away.  You definitely don't even have to do this part. I don't know anyone else in real life that owns any essential oils.

To apply, dip a flat-tipped brush into the sifter, swirl off the excess, and pat into greasy roots. Allow to sit for a few minutes while it absorbs the grease, then brush out and style as usual. Prepare to think about this song by the 1975 all day afterward.

Fun fact: my boyfriend couldn’t figure out why he kept smelling chocolate when he hugged me! I tried to keep it a secret as best as I could, but he eventually figured out what was going on when he stumbled up on where I stashed my cocoa powder. It was too good a secret to keep to myself anyway.

Let me know if you try this! I'd love to hear from you.