My First Try At DIY Dry Shampoo

I learned of the wonders of dry shampoo in 2012 and found that the Batiste brunette variation was my favorite.  The dark color meant my hair didn't look like chalk, and the nice smell was fun.  It soaked up the oil in my hair and let me start washing my hair only every other day, which was a great time saver, too!  However, after finishing the first experimental can and loving the dry shampoo, I realized that it was mega expensive.  The brunette formula I used cost upwards of $8, and it only lasted me a couple months!  Plus, that pretty smell wasn't enjoyable anymore, because the propane and everything else in the formula started to aggravate my lungs each time I sprayed it.

Cue the Wellness Mama blog, my health nut kick, and this super easy recipe for homemade dry shampoo!  There's even an adaptation for dark hair, and it couldn't be simpler!

2 parts arrowroot powder (super cheap at our farmer's market)

2 parts cocoa powder (which we had already for obvious reasons)

a couple drops essential oil (optional - I don't have any, so I didn't use any.)

I use an old blush brush to apply the dry shampoo.  That white stuff in the bottom corner is the arrowroot powder.  It sells at the DeKalb Farmer's Market for $2.99/lb, so this small tub was just 91 cents!

Check out my pictures!

This is one-day-old hair.  You can see how oily it was in the first picture.  In the second picture, I had just dabbed on some of the dry shampoo with my brush.  It's pretty heavy at first, even though I tapped the brush a good bit before applying.  I brushed and blended the powder, which made my hair temporarily staticy, but as you can see in the after photo, it's all blended in pretty well!  (You can also see a white hair trying to stand out.)

I like to apply my dry shampoo before I go to sleep at night so my hair has time to get back to looking normal before the day.  If I need touch ups, I can apply some more in the morning, and I usually don't have a problem with blending it in, especially if I use my hairbrush to sweep the powder through my hair.  I will say, do this over a sink or a tub, because the powder doesn't always make it directly into your hair.

These pictures were from my first try, but I've been using this recipe for a month now, and I'm never going back!  I've used my dry shampoo for 3 days before feeling like I have to wash my hair again.  The only downside is when, on day #2 or so, if I scratch my scalp, I'll have cocoa powder under my nails.  When I have my nails painted, though, it's not as noticeable to others.  Also, if I'm caught in the rain, I start to smell like hot chocolate, but I don't know if I'd classify that as a con.

DIY dry shampoo: a finished project from my 101 challenge and a cheaper dry shampoo alternative that #1 doesn't upset my lungs and #2 looks prettier in the bathroom!