There have been countless times where we’ve been in a pinch and hadn’t the time or the energy to wash our hair. But needed a simple no fuss fix, that does the trick with minimal drawbacks.
Enter: our tried and tested DIY dry shampoo with arrowroot powder we’ve been using for years!
Instead of spraying on synthetic chemicals, you can whip up our homemade arrowroot dry shampoo powder recipe using a few simple kitchen ingredients to soak up excess oil, freshen your scalp, and keep your hair looking revived between washes.
Why specifically arrowroot? Because it’s ultra-light, non-irritating, and works wonders at absorbing grease without weighing down your strands, or over stripping moisture, making it perfect for all hair types—even sensitive scalps.
Our recipe is also super easy to customize for any hair color, whether you’re brunette, blonde, red head or somewhere in between.
Index: Homemade Dry Shampoo with Arrowroot Powder
- Arrowroot DIY Dry Shampoo Recipe Jump to section
- Cost Savings of Making Your Own Dry Arrowroot Shampoo Powder Jump to section
- Why Make Your Own Dry Arrowroot Shampoo Powder? Jump to section
Arrowroot DIY Dry Shampoo Recipe
This simple dry shampoo recipe is one of our favorite sustainable hair products, using all natural powders to absorb oil and freshen up your hair without the need for washing.
Note that it may require some initial experimentation to get your hair color just right. Start small when it comes to adding colors, as you can always add more later. We recommend keeping careful track of your ratios in your initial attempts so that after you’ve found the perfect tint for you, you know exactly how much coloration powders to add for future batches.
Ingredients:
- Arrowroot Powder (2 tbsp): A great base for absorbing excess oil and moisture from the scalp without weighing hair down.
- Cocoa and/or Cinnamon Powder (1–2 tbsp, for darker hair): Cocoa provides color and helps blend the dry shampoo into dark hair. If you have red undertones in your hair, try cinnamon powder. For a DIY dry shampoo for light hair, you may be able to skip these altogether.
- Cornstarch (1/2 tbsp): Another oil-absorbing powder that helps to keep hair looking fresh.
- Baking Soda (1 tsp, optional): Adds extra freshness and absorbs oils, but use sparingly to avoid a chalky texture.
If you’d prefer a haircare solution without cornstarch, try our DIY dry shampoo with bentonite clay recipe.
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix together the arrowroot powder, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and optional baking soda.
- Add essential oils, stirring until the mixture is well combined and not too chunky. Adjust the scent strength by adding more or less oil.
- Transfer the mixture into a clean shaker or a small container with a lid. We like to reuse old spice jars for easy application.
- To use, shake the dry shampoo onto your scalp where oil buildup occurs. Let it sit for a minute, then massage it in with your fingertips or a brush, and comb or finger-style your hair as usual. We recommend flipping your head upside down as you tease it in to help lift your greasy roots away from the scalp and add extra volume to your hair.
Cost Savings of Making Your Own Dry Arrowroot Shampoo Powder
DIY Dry shampoo has saved us a lot of time over the years. When we’re too busy or just too tired to wash our hair but desperately need to, we’ve turned to our trusty homemade recipe which has had the added benefit of also saving us a lot of money too!
Looking at the numbers, the cost of a single store-bought bottle can range from $7 to $30, depending on the brand and formulation. DIY dry shampoo costs just a fraction of that. Here’s the math:
DIY Dry Shampoo – Arrowroot Powder
- Arrowroot Powder: $6 for an 8 oz bag (~$0.38 for 2 tbsp)
- Cocoa Powder: $6 for an 8 oz container (~$0.75 for 2 tbsp, less for lighter hair)
- Cinnamon Powder: $6 for a 2 oz jar (~$0.05 for 1 tsp, depending on how much you use)
- Cornstarch: $5 for a 12 oz bag (~$0.10 for 1/2 tbsp)
- Baking Soda: $9 for a 16 oz bag (~$0.05 for 1/2 tsp)
Cost per batch: ~$1.33
Store-Bought Equivalent: ~$10+ for 1.8 oz aerosol spray or 1 oz powder
Savings per Batch: $8.67
Why Make Your Own Dry Arrowroot Shampoo Powder?
Most commercial dry shampoos are packed with harsh additives that can mess with your scalp and hair health.
Aerosol sprays often contain butane or propane, flammable VOCs that can irritate your lungs and lower indoor air quality—some even carry trace carcinogens like 1,3-butadiene. Many formulas also include silicones that build up on your hair, causing dullness over time, synthetic fragrances that trigger irritation, and talc, which has raised health concerns due to possible asbestos contamination. Add in drying alcohols, and you’re left with more damage than benefit.
By switching to a natural plastic free shampoo or better yet one of our DIY dry shampoo recipes, you can absorb oil and freshen up your hair using simple, natural ingredients that are gentle, non-toxic, and scalp-friendly.
Amber obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in English, Creative Writing, and Psychology from The University of Oxford and Arcadia University. She is an avid crafter, gardener, quail farmer, wannabe novelist, and self-proclaimed eco adventurer. From living in a camper van to living in a tiny house, she is enamored by the small and self-sufficient; and aspires to one day become an off-grid micro-farmer, bridging sustainability with non-toxic living and eating. With a passion for outdoor sports like rock climbing, skiing, and travel, having already backpacked across 30 countries, she is always up for the next big adventure while seeking ways to minimize her impact along the way.
