Picture this: You’ve just put the finishing touches on your makeup, you’ve zipped up your favorite dress, doused yourself in your perfume du jour, and you’re about to walk out the door. Before you leave, you decide to zhuzh your hair a little with a shot of dry shampoo.
Suddenly, you’re scrambling to leave without being extremely late (like, missing-your-dinner-reservation late). Anyone with dark hair knows this feeling because if you grab the wrong dry shampoo, you’ll find yourself with hair that wouldn’t be out of place at a Cruella de Vil–themed costume party.
Don’t worry—just because you have dark hair doesn’t mean you’re doomed to always over-wash your hair. As someone with dark hair who works in the beauty industry, I’ll let you in on all the tips I’ve learned for using dry shampoo on dark hair. The key is to pick a high-quality dry shampoo (tinted or untinted), give it enough time to absorb into hair, and only use a small amount. If you can, either brush it through your hair or use your fingers at the roots to help distribute it more evenly. Keep reading for our favorite dry-shampoo picks for dark hair.
Not only does this dry shampoo smell absolutely divine, but it also doesn’t make your hair feel like it has dry shampoo on it. Instead, it gives hair the bouncy, clean feeling of a fresh wash without leaving any tacky residue behind.
I think I’ve gone through at least three bottles of this dry shampoo. It gives hair tons of volume and lift in a pinch, and it absorbs excess oil without leaving a white film.
Listen, this dry shampoo is consistently ranked one of the best for a reason. This formula goes on clear, absorbs oil in a flash, and does something that most dry shampoos can’t achieve in their wildest dreams: It doesn’t feel like you sprayed anything in your hair, let alone dry shampoo.
Batiste is the classic dry shampoo. It works so well for absorbing oil and giving you tons of volume and texture. The non-tinted formulas can look a little powdery on dark hair, so I recommend opting for this version that’s specifically tailored to darker hair for an invisible finish.
Another tinted formula, this dry shampoo from Moroccanoil doesn’t just absorb oil and give hair bounce. It’s also infused with argan oil, which hydrates and nourishes hair.
The best thing about this superfine dry shampoo mist is that it actually works to cleanse the hair instead of just absorbing oil thanks to its micellar-water base. It also has glycerin to help hair retain moisture and castor oil to nourish and soften, so this is truly a godsend if your hair is on the drier side.
Aptly named, this dry shampoo from Living Proof truly does ensure that you’re about to have a perfect hair day. It works to clean hair, absorb oil, and curb odors, so you get that just-washed feeling after applying.
Clear formulas are a dark-haired person’s best friend. In the words of Harry Styles (kind of), the best thing about this dry shampoo is that it makes your hair feel like your hair. It’s a light finish that leaves hair soft and clean-feeling.
You’ll find Klorane dry shampoo in every Parisian girl’s medicine cabinet—it’s a French-girl staple. It absorbs oil with no gritty residue and will effortlessly extend the life of your style for a few more days.
This dry shampoo smells good, absorbs oil, and doesn’t give hair a white cast. What more could you want?
Made with argan oil and plant proteins, this dry shampoo hydrates and nourishes hair while it banishes oil. The key ingredient for absorbing oil is rice starch, which is light enough to feel like there isn’t dry shampoo in you hair at all.
This cult-favorite dry shampoo is often sold out. It instantly refreshes hair for a just-washed feel, extends the life of a blowout, and even imparts hair with vitamins and nourishment.
