DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes That Get Rid of Greasy Hair (2025)

Hunt says you can use plain arrowroot powder on your roots in a pinch for a camping trip or try this recipe at home and bring it along:

Ingredients: 7 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, 4 teaspoons of white kaolin clay, 24 drops of an essential oil. (Hunt suggests tea tree, because it's antibacterial.)

Directions: Add dry ingredients to a mixing container and combine well. Drop in essential oil(s) and mix thoroughly. Use a funnel to flow mixture into a spray bottle. Add enough water to allow the formula to easily spray out, but not too much that it's watered down. Apply dry shampoo to the roots at the scalp and massage into the hair.

"I love this formula because it’s light, absorbs oil really well, and neutralizes odor," Cucinello explains. "It also won’t irritate the scalp as much as others I’ve seen out there." He likes using diatomaceous earth, a mineral powder that's a great oil absorber (the food grade version is considered safe to apply on skin).

Ingredients: 9 teaspoons of organic tapioca starch, 3/4 teaspoon of food-grade diatomaceous earth, 1/4 teaspoon of organic activated charcoal powder

Directions: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together well. If your hair is dark brown, you can adjust the amount of charcoal to about 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Transfer into a powder spray bottle and spritz onto dark roots to degrease.

Looking for a DIY dry shampoo without cornstarch, we get it: "There’s a chance it could make the hair or scalp feel dry or cause some kind of irritation," Cucinello says. "Cornstarch alone isn’t balanced with the kinds of preservatives, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal ingredients that products made for hair and scalp are formulated with."

For a cornstarch-free recipe, baking soda is a good option. Hunt recommends a simple recipe of mixing cocoa powder with baking soda, as "these two together will absorb oil and give roots some volume."

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. "You may have to adjust the mixture until you get the ratio that matches your roots the best," Hunt advises.

Directions: Combine the two ingredients, adjusting the amounts as necessary. Sprinkle onto your roots, massage into hair, and blow dry for a minute or two if needed to blend.

"Organic arrowroot powder is a great natural remedy to be used in place of a dry shampoo," says Elizabeth Hickman, professional hair stylist in Irvine, California and VaultBeauty member. If you have darker hair, you can mix cocoa powder or activated charcoal with it to match your shade properly.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, 1 to 2 tablespoons of coloring powder (choose cinnamon for lighter color, cocoa powder for darker hair), 6 drops of an essential oil. "The essential oil is optional," Hickman says. "If you want to change the scent, it works to naturally do that."

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl thoroughly. Apply onto roots and blend with your fingertips. If needed, blow dry for a few seconds to further blend it in.

When all else fails, you can always grab some baby powder in a pinch. "The trick is to use it sparingly, as it will show a bit more than you might expect," Cucinello explains.

Ingredients: Pure baby powder. "No need to mix it with anything else; it’s a good option because it’s grab and go," he shares.

Directions: Sprinkle a small amount on finger tips, rub them together, and then massage directly into the scalp and any oily sections of hair. Repeat until you achieve the desired result and there's no visible residue left on hair or scalp.

In addition to reaching for your favorite dry shampoo, you can try these natural grease-busting remedies to make your strands less greasy on a daily basis:

•Brush your hair with a natural, boar bristle brush nightly. "It stimulates the scalp, exfoliates dead skin cells, and helps to more evenly distribute the concentration of natural protective oils produced on the scalp," advises Cucinello.

•Try using facial blotting papers as a "quick fix" for the hairline and part, says Cucinello. But these are not to be confused with dryer sheets, touted as a DIY dry shampoo replacement, which could actually potentially irritate the scalp. "They are traditionally used for getting rid of static and not to be used as a dry shampoo," says Hunt.