Dry Shampoo Tips

I've been writing about my dry shampoo tips and recipes for many years on Hairboutique.com.

Dry Shampoo Tips

I was recently thrilled to find my one of my hair notebooks from 1995 listing one of my favorite dry shampoo recipes.

Buried in the same box with the notebook was an unused air-tight glass bottle.

It was exactly like the ones I have used in the past.

My Own Dry Shampoo Formulas

Guess what? I still make all my own dry shampoo formulas. I've been making my own dry shampoo formulas over the past 27 years.

I never buy retail brands because I prefer all-natural fresh ingredients I make myself.

The main reason is that I'm very picky about my hair.  I only want the best for it, even if it's just shampoo.

Plus, I love to experiment with essential oils to create amazing aromas.

Rose Gardenia Dry Shampoo Recipe

Listed below is one of my favorite dry shampoo recipes.   I still make it sometimes when I have the appropriate oils available.

8 ounces of organic cornstarch

8 ounces of organic baking soda

4 drops of organic Gardenia Oil

4 drops of organic Rose Oil

Note:  Always use organic products when available and/or affordable.  Avoid using artificial and/or synthetic oils, colors, or similar, which may be toxic.

This recipe utilizes both Gardenia and Rose oil because they are some of the most fragrant of oils and last for a very long time.

Their fragrance is not impacted by combining them with cornstarch and baking soda.

Gardenia Oil

Extracted by enfleurage, Gardenia Oil has a fabulously sweet floral scent.  It lasts for a very long time.

The Gardenia flower is extremely delicate, with fragrant petals which are soaked in fat in order to absorb the magnificent fragrance.

The Gardenia petals, after they are soaked in fat, are then placed in alcohol to dissolve.

The enfleurage process utilized to extract the Gardenia oil is very labor intensive.  It requires many pounds of flower petals to make a very small amount of oil.  This explains the high cost of the oil.

Oil Of Rose

Essential Oil of Rose is distilled from fresh Damascus Rose (Rosa Damascena).

It's composed of hundreds of components.

Damascus Roses are the preferred variety for the creation of Oil of Rose because they have the most fragrant rose species.

The Original Red Rose

Damascus Roses are believed to be the original red roses.  They have both the strongest aroma and the highest oil content.

Rose Essential Oil has other benefits.  It's known as an antidepressant, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, astringent, and bactericidal.

Which means it can be used, when stored properly, for a long time.

Best Dispensers

One of the biggest disadvantages of DIY dry shampoo is its messy application.

To minimize the mess factor consider the following options:

1.  Store dry shampoo in a glass jar to minimize moisture exposure.

2.  Utilize a shaker-style glass jar for easier dispensing.

3.  Experiment with a series of make-up-style brushes for applying dry shampoo.

4.  For spot application, use clean cotton swabs to dab onto roots or fringe areas.

5.  Avoid utilizing fingertips which may transfer oil to hair.

6.  Use clean cotton t-shirts to blot loose powder off the hair surface.

Summary - Dry Shampoo Tips

There is no right or wrong way to create your own dry shampoo.

If you wish, you can experiment with using just cornstarch.  Or you can use a higher proportion of cornstarch versus baking soda.

Have fun and play with the recipe to make it your own.  Remember, never apply this dry shampoo when you're wearing black clothing.

Best wishes to all.