DIY Dry Shampoo

It’s no secret that for years I have relied heavily on dry shampoo! Whether it’s to make my hairstyle last another day, avoid shampooing my hair or even to give my hair more lift and volume, dry shampoo has been such a life saver! But about two years ago, I started really evaluating the products that I use and learning about the impact that they can have on my health.

Dry shampoo wasn’t a product that I was too concerned about at first and I continued using that trusty aerosol can without too much thought. That is, until I had my son. I had noticed how my dog and my cat would both immediately run out of the room whenever I started spraying it on my scalp and I felt it was a very telling sign that it wasn’t good for my baby to breathe in either. For a time, I simply avoided using it while he was nearby, but then I looked up my dry shampoo’s safety rating.

Apps such as ThinkDirty or EWG’s Healthy Living have thousands of products saved to their database and have their ingredients and info rated on a scale from 1-10. 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. They take into consideration a product’s ingredients and evaluate the allergy, cancer and developmental concerns when formulating their rating.

My dry shampoo? It was a 6. The top offender on the ingredient list was “fragrance” (which itself was rated at an 8). Why would a scent be so dangerous you may ask? They explain, ‘“fragrance” or “parfum” on the product label represents an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients used as fragrance dispersants’. Other ingredients were used as propellants in aerosol cans, one was known for enhancing skin absorption. The concerns listed included “toxic or harmful”, “non-reproductive organ system toxicity”, irritation, and even endocrine disruption!

After reading through the ingredients and the concerns about each one, I knew my trusty dry shampoo didn’t hold my trust anymore and change was the only way forward.

At first, I shampooed my hair more often, but I longed for the quick fix that dry shampoo provided and mom life demanded. For a time I tried cornstarch in a salt shaker. But when I saw a DIY recipe that included essential oils known to aid in hair growth, I was all in!

Instead of cornstarch, this recipe calls for arrowroot powder and though similar in it’s purpose, it does differ from cornstarch. As Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) have become more and more popular over the last couple decades, most corn is now genetically engineered. This means that most cornstarches are made from GMO corn! On top of that, the process for making cornstarch requires high heat and chemicals. On the other hand, arrowroot powder is made in a much more traditional method which includes grinding and sifting without the chemicals! I not only want to be mindful of the products I buy, but also the ones I make so arrowroot powder it is!

Making this dry shampoo is so simple and using it is as equally easy!

You will need:

-Small glass jar

-Makeup brush

-Arrowroot powder

–Essential oils of choice

DIY Dry Shampoo Recipe:

-1/4 cup arrowroot powder

-4-8 drops of essential oils of your choice (Lavender, Rosemary and Cedarwood are excellent choices and are known to promote healthy hair and growth!)

-Add 1-2 TB of cocoa powder for dark hair

I store in a glass jar and use the makeup brush to apply to my roots. Then I massage it into my scalp and brush my hair! Each batch costs me approximately $1.25 to make, it’s free of the nasty chemicals and fragrances AND I even get to choose the scent I want! Ditching your old products for safer, healthier options doesn’t have to be hard OR expensive!

If you are looking to buy some essential oils, I use and highly recommend Young Living’s essential oils because of their Seed to Seal commitment, organic farming practices and their extensive quality testing. Click HERE to buy yours! By using my link, I will get a small bonus and you will get access to resources, support/educational groups and a community of people who are ready to help you in your journey to using oils!

If you try this DIY, let me know how you like it in the comments and tell me what essential oils you chose for your dry shampoo!

~Jen