Best Dry Shampoo – High End To High Street Which Is The Best Dry Hair Shampoo?

Best Dry Shampoo

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Ahh dry shampoo, the legend, the beauty kit stable, I for one cannot live without it. It is my pick me up on the days in between washes and the styling products where needed, it’s a wonder of a hair product but not all are created equal. So I went on a task, to trial many a dry shampoo from all ends of the market and test which ones really do give pay off and those that may be a little too chalky for our liking. So let’s get spritzing…

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Testing Testing…

In order to mark each dry shampoo accordingly I thought a rating system was in order! Therefor each offering shall be rated out of 5, 0 being the lowest, most poor, 5 being top marks, in the following categories:

Chalkiness: That awful chalky feeling that some dry shampoos leave in the hair

Lightness: How light and airy does this dry shampoo feel

Fresh feeling: Does this product leave the hair feeling more fresh or clean?

Scent: Is the fragrance pleasant?

Heaviness: Is the dry shampoo heavy?

White/Grey: Does it leave white/grey residue?

Style: Does it offer any styling benefits

Price: Affordable?

Batiste – Classic

Let’s start with the first dry shampoo to hit our shelves and the one most people will be familiar with, Batiste.

This is the original formula of the Batisite dry shampoo range in the Tropical scent. It is what I would call a classic dry shampoo. It has a stiffness to it upon application, you certainly know you have applied it. It definitely lifts grease and oils and refreshes your hair and this stiffness lends itself to styling. In fact, this is where dry shampoo first made its mark, backstage at fashion weeks many years ago to aid hair styling long before it hit the shelves for consumers. It does leave a white/grey tone to the hair so apply with ease if you’re not blonde or grey and be sure to brush the product through after spraying to help blend it out. The scent is pleasant. It is in the more reasonably priced dry shampoos category and comes in at one of the best priced high street offerings.

Bonus, this comes in a few different sizes including a 200ml, 400ml (pictured and best value for money) and a 50ml which is perfect for travel!

Batiste is vegan friendly.

Chalkiness: 2/5

Lightness: 2/5

Fresh feeling: 3/5

Scent: 4/5

Heaviness: 2/5

White/Grey: 2/5

Style: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Perfect For:

Most folk looking to refresh their locks, just go easy if you’re not a blonde.

Not For:

Anyone who’s not a fan of texture in their hair or strong scents.

Batiste Original Dry Shampoo £4.99 400ml

Batiste Dry Shampoo Dark & Deep Brown

Let’s stick with Batiste for a moment and chat about the colour versions of the original cult product.

The Dark Hair version is pretty much the same as the original but with a hint of colour in it. This colour is fab as it gets rid of any of the unwanted grey/white finish that we see with any original dry shampoos. It’s particularly handy for those of us with darker hair where the white of dry shampoo tends to show up more. You just need to be careful not to spray too near to the face as some of the colour can transfer, this can easily be done by using a hand as a guard. With the similar hair refresh benefits and styling tech of the original blended with the added benefits of colour, this is the Bastise I reach for most between the original and the colour versions. It is also available in ‘Brilliant Blonde’.

Chalkiness: 2/5

Lightness: 2/5

Fresh feeling: 3/5

Scent: 3/5

Heaviness: 2/5

White/Grey: 0/5

Style: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Perfect For:

Brunettes and dark haired folks.

Not For:

Blondes and greys.

Tresemmé Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo

Quite a delightful offering from Tresemmé!

Now this is a highstreet dry shampoo that has really impressed! This offering from Tresemmé is what I crave in a dry shampoo. It is lightweight enough that you don’t feel as though you have a ton of product in your hair and it really does refresh. The scent is fresh, not overpowering and not sickly sweet. There is no chalkiness and no telling grey streaks in the hair. This is a firm favourite of mine. It is not heavy duty however, that’s where Batiste wins, this is perfect for those refresh and go days. Although I do believe this has now been repackaged, I have held onto bottles as I’ve been testing and taking notes for you!

Chalkiness: 0/5

Lightness: 5/5

Fresh feeling: 4/5

Scent: 4/5

Heaviness: 1/5

White/Grey: 0/5

Style: 2/5

Price: 3/5

Tresemme Day 2 Volumising Dry Shampoo 250ml £4.99

More about the Tresemmé instant refresh collection here!

Perfect For:

Anyone who likes a lightweight product, is looking to refresh their hair without feeling weighed down. Particularly suited to fine hair due to this but also works for all hair types.

Not For:

Lacks the styling benefits that other dry shampoos which are heavier in formula offer.

Superdrug Dry Shampoo

This is Superdrug’s own brand dry shampoo and it’s the most affordable of this review.

Superdrug’s dry shampoo feels as though it has been modelled on the original Bastiste. It is great for those days when you really, really need a boost in the shampoo department and due to it’s stiffness, it adds texture, therefore lends itself well to styling. I wanted to like it more, I really did. However, it is heavy in the hair and it leaves quite a lot of visible reside. You can really feel the product in your hair which personally, I’m just not a fan of.

I bought the colour version hoping that this would fair better. The colour is great in that it hides any unwanted grey/white tint, which is necessary for me and my brunette hair. This is a definite brown however, so only suitable for brunettes since the colour is so strong. The formula is much the same. This is a dry shampoo for someone who doesn’t mind texture and product in their hair, someone who in fact likes that. The scent is pleasant and the price is amazing!

Superdrug’s own brand is vegan friendly and cruelty free.

Chalkiness: 0/5

Lightness: 0/5

Fresh feeling: 0/5

Scent: 3/5

Heaviness: 0/5

White/Grey: 5/5 (Original) 0/5 (Colour)

Style: 4/5

Price: 5/5

Perfect For:

Those who like their dry shampoo to have a lot of substance and really work for them. Great to add texture for styling.

Not For:

Anyone who doesn’t enjoy the feeling of ‘product’ in their hair. Those with fine hair.

Superdrug Dry Shampoo Exotic Flair 150ml £1.99

Superdrug Dry Shampoo Cocoa Brownie 150ml £1.99

Superdrug Dry Shampoo Golden Goddess 150ml £1.99

Colab Dry Shampoo

A great high street refresh!

Colab is a dry shampoo that impresses! It sits in between Bastise Original and Tresemmé Instant Refresh in terms of the weight and overall feeling the product leaves in your hair after application. It is not as heavy as Bastise Original but not as light as the Tresemmé Instant Refresh. You can feel it in your hair but it’s not uncomfortable in the slightest and your mane feels refreshed and ready for the day. Colab also gives your hair an incredible boost of volume and leaves little white resuide. The original scent is pleasant and not overpowering. There are a few different scents in the collection and a mini version which is perfect for travel. At £3.49 for 200ml it comes up just slightly cheaper that Bastise Original 200ml.

Colab is vegan friendly and cruelty free.

Chalkiness: 1/5

Lightness: 2/5

Fresh feeling: 2/5

Scent: 3/5

Heaviness: 2/5

White/Grey: 1/5

Style: 3/5

Price: 5/5

Perfect For: Those who look for a little oomph in their dry shampoo without too much heaviness. All hair types.

Not For:

Those who aren’t a fan of volume.

Colab dry shampoo spray original 200ml £3.49

Also available in a mini 50ml Full Colab collection available here

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

PHD from Living Proof is our high end dry shampoo offering!

This is the dry shampoo I didn’t want to love because it’s so pricey! Living Proof claim that PHD dry shampoo “actually cleans hair, eliminates oil, sweat & odor”. Whether or not it actually cleans my hair I don’t know, I don’t have a microscope and I’m not a trichologist, what I do know however is that my hair feels blooming lovely after using it. It does feel cleaner and fresher. It adds that freshness back to your hair that is missing on the second day and it leaves a pleasant clean scent without using a harsh fragrance; there’s no sickly, flowery scent here. Your hair simply does look and smell better. Is it enough to lift four day old limp locks? Probably not (not by my hair standards anyway) but it isn’t of that technology. This is similar in feel to the Tresemmé Instant Refresh, in that it is very lightweight, there is no residue left behind, no stiffness whatsoever and no white/grey tinge to the hair. You don’t feel as though you have applied a dry shampoo. It is however, pricey.

Living Proof is vegan friendly and cruelty free, Leaping Bunny certified.

Chalkiness: 0/5

Lightness: 5/5

Fresh feeling: 5/5

Scent: 5/5

Heaviness: 0/5

White/Grey: 0/5

Style: 0/5

Price: 0/5

Perfect For: Anyone looking for a refreshing, ultra fine, lightweight dry shampoo, that leaves no residue or white tinge. Likes a grown up non-scent scent. All hair types.

Not For: Those looking for a product that gives texture.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo £18.00

 

Batiste Instant Hair Refresh Dry Shampoo

A high street hero?

When Batiste launched the Instant Refresh range to their dry shampoo collection I couldn’t help but try it. Since my first purchase it has been the dry shampoo I have gone back and picked up time and time again. It’s a pretty awesome all rounder. Where this version completely outweighs it’s original sister in my eyes is in its feel, it is so lightweight in comparison, you would hardly think they come from the same family. The formula is silky and hair is smoothed on application. There’s no chalkiness nor any grey/white cast to the hair. I’m yet to tell if I’ve found much difference between the different versions within the range that I’ve tried but honestly, I’ve enjoyed the refresh so much I’ve not minded that. It add’s a silky substance to the hair while giving it that extra day we long for.

Chalkiness: 0/5

Lightness: 5/5

Fresh feeling: 4/5

Scent: 4/5

Heaviness: 0/5

White/Grey: 0/5

Style: 0/5

Price: 3/5

 

Perfect For: Those who like a lightweight dry shampoo with a pleasant, fresh scent. All hair types.

Not For: Those who prefer hardcore styling products.

 

Batiste Instant Hair Refresh Dry Shampoo & Volume 200ml £3.99

Batiste Instant Hair Refresh Dry Shampoo & Hydrate 200ml £3.00

Batiste Instant Hair Refresh Dry Shampoo & De-Frizz 200ml £3.99

Batiste Instant Hair Refresh Dry Shampoo & Colour Protect £3.99

Batiste Instant Hair Refresh Dry Shampoo & Damage Control £3.99

 

Bleach London Too Posh To Wash Dry Shampoo

Our mid ranged dry shampoo comes from Bleach London.

Too Posh To Wash is a cracking lightweight dry shampoo. It isn’t heavily scented and leaves no white/grey appearance to the hair. It is perfect for a quick refresh to the hair on the second day and helps to revive tired looking hair. The lightweight nature of this product means it doesn’t offer as much texture as some of the others in the review but is perfect for those looking for a dry shampoo that is barely there. It is at a mid range price point. This dry shampoo from Bleach London is vegan and cruelty free.

Chalkiness: 1/5

Lightness: 4/5

Fresh feeling: 3/5

Scent: 3/5

Heaviness: 2/5

White/Grey: 0/5

Style: 1/5

Price: 4/5

Perfect For: Those looking for a lightweight dry shampoo to refresh second day hair. All hair types.

Not For: Anyone looking for a more sturdy dry shampoo which offers more styling benefits.

BLEACH LONDON Too Posh To Wash 200ml £6.00

 

Let’s Sum Up

Favourites:

For volume: Colab

For Value + Results: Bastise Instant Refresh

Overall pleasant to wear feeling: Bastise Instant Refresh/Tresemmé Instant Refresh/Living Proof PHD.

If you can afford the likes of Living Proof PHD then it is a beautiful dry shampoo that truly does make your hair feel cleaner and refreshed. However, it is very pricey especially when my other favs do pretty darn well in comparison. Therefore my two that come up trumps with the Living Proof PHD are Bastiste Instant Refresh and Tresemmé Instant Refresh. These are wonderfully lightweight dry shampoos for anyone looking for a quick refresh. For those looking for a little more oomph, then Colab is your gal! Next to that then you simply can’t go wrong with the original Bastise so long as you like that bit of grip and texture in your hair.

It’s difficult to say which dry shampoo is the best because let’s face it hair and beauty products are as individual to us as we are and we all like different products and the way certain ones work with our style. I think there’s been a big step forward in the dry shampoo market and the newer lighter formulas are coming through and becoming more readily accessible which is great. Hopefully this little run down has helped make what is a rather overwhelming selection a little more clearer and if so, I’m glad to have been of service!

You’ll find a short IGTV video chat through for more dry shampoo details here!

Do you have a favourite dry shampoo? Let me know in the comments!

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