The best natural dry shampoos for a sensitive scalp

Dry shampoos are so convenient, aren’t they? Well at least, on paper because when you have a sensitive scalp, it’s a completely different story… But thankfully, there is a natural and effective alternative which is also much softer for the scalp!

I spoke about it a while ago, the discovery of dry shampoos and texturizing powders had changed my hair routine for a while. Indeed, my scalp gets greasy quite quickly (I workout almost every day, so that doesn’t help) and even on the second day after my shampoo, my hair becomes very flat and oily, especially on the edges.
Ideally, I should wash my hair every day, but my sensitive scalp probably couldn’t handle it, and it’s very time and product consuming.

Unfortunately, the traditional dry shampoos like Baptiste, etc. didn’t suit me for very long.
At first, they seemed to be the perfect solution to keep your hair decent for more than a day. It’s true, they’re very convenient to use and super efficient. It was ideal for me at first, but over time, they proved to be too harsh for my scalp.
It felt itchy just a few hours after using them. And I tried a lot of different dry shampoos, but all of them were itchy! (Whether it was a spray or powder version, the result was, unfortunately, the same) sad
And indeed, if you look at their composition closely, it’s not very surprising because classic dry shampoos contain certain ingredients such as alcohol, perfume or preservatives known to be very irritating for the scalp.
So I ended up leaving them aside, and for a long time I just washed my hair every other day with my usual hair care products, and I always had a not so glorious hair day during that time. uneasy

Another thing, since I live in Dubai, my scalp regularly becomes super itchy, and it has a huge tendency to dandruff.
Indeed, you can imagine, in the desert, running water here is desalinated sea water that contains a lot of chemicals. So of course, among other disadvantages, it’s quite terrible for the hair. I have a filter in my shower, but it’s not a miracle solution.

So, if I summarize, I have:
– my hair which has a tendency to become oily quickly (even if I use super soft shampoos without sulfates, silicones, etc.in order to),
– a sensitive scalp that is easily irritated, especially if I wash it too often and can no longer stand traditional dry shampoos,
– the running water I use which is full of chemicals, which doesn’t help.

So it’s clearly in my best interest to not wash my hair too often.

An alternative to traditional dry shampoos: the plant powders

And then, without necessarily looking for a solution to this problem, I came across an Instagram post that sang the praises of a plant powder used as a dry shampoo. I was totally blown away by the result, and the best thing was that I already had plant powders in my closet (one of these was precisely the one used in this Instagram tutorial).

Yes, because I must confess that a few months ago, to calm my sensitized scalp and find a solution to this damned dandruff, I tried to use 100% natural shampoos. I bought a lot of different powders on the French website Aromazone and I used them mixed with water, like a kind of hair mask to apply on my roots.
The result: it works great, it cleans the hair perfectly and it results in a beautiful hair texture but the issue is that it takes me a good half day to use it correctly if you consider the time you’re supposed to leave it on the scalp, which is quite long and the time to rinse it off. It’s quite demanding. So I complied with this process for 2 or 3 weeks and I finally came back to my good old traditional shampoos which are way more easier to use. Honestly, ain’t nobody got time for that!

But here, it’s not at all the same approach! No need to mix powders with water and leave it on the roots of your hair for hours, you can use these powders as they are. They are dry shampoos or texturizing products, no need to rinse them! Such a time saver.

How to use plants powders as a dry shampoo:

It’s so simple! (Just a bit of advice before starting though: it’s better to apply your powder before taking your shower, it’s a loose powder so it can be a little bit messy wink )

It takes 4 steps:

1. I start by brushing my dry hair to remove the tangles and the dust.
2. Then, I take a little bit of plant powder (no need to take too much) with a makeup brush (a medium-sized powder brush is perfect) and I apply it to the roots of the hair (still dry). I draw sorts of partings in my hair and I apply the powder as close as possible to the scalp. However, I avoid applying it to the parting I usually have in my hair because otherwise, the powder is a little bit visible.
3. Once I applied it almost everywhere, I massage it with my fingertips to distribute it evenly on the scalp and I leave it to pose for a few minutes (3 to 5 minutes, the time to brush my teeth for example).
4. Finally, I just remove the excess powder. I start by wiping the edges with a clean towel or even with a damp cotton pad (especially for the ears wink ) and then I brush my hair with my head forward, over my bathtub.

The result:

My hair has so much volume, and it’s textured thanks to the powder, no more greasy looking hair because the sebum is completely absorbed by the powder and especially not itchy at all!
Of course, I feel there is a light deposit of powder on my scalp, even after I eliminate the excess product, but nothing very visible and especially, I don’t feel like I need to scratch my scalp raw like with a conventional dry shampoo.

How much should I use these powders during the week?

Usually, I do this on the second day after the shampoo, and I repeat the process on the third day, and even on the fourth day. Obviously, after 3 or 4 days, the powder is more visible and the hair feels less light but on the other hand, it gives a lot of texture and it also helps to add volume and grip if I want to style my hair. wink

Which plant powders can I use as a dry shampoo and where to find them?

These are often referred to as Indian powders or Ayurvedic powders. I’m definitely not an expert (especially in Ayurveda, I basically have no clue) and I don’t pretend to have tried everything because I only just discovered these miraculous powders a few months ago but I still have a few to recommend. wink

I would like to point out that these are haircare treatments, not just styling products and none of these powders will color the hair. They’re not henna. Also, they’re very easy to remove from the hair, you can just rinse them and they’re gone. They don’t leave a deposit on the scalp (unlike some dry shampoos or powder texturizing that require a clarifying shampoo to get rid of them because of the buildup).

And the cherry on the cake: they’re extremely affordable!

– My fave, Kapoor Kachli powder:

It’s a very fine light brown/ green powder that has a rather fresh spicy scent. It’s a very clean scent, in my opinion.
The Kapoor Kachli is a variety of wild ginger, known and used for the stimulation of hair growth, but it also helps to give them softness, thickness, and shine. It also helps to detangle the hair.
It can be used as a hair care mask (when you mix it with water) to treat and clear the hair (it’s great for dandruff issues).

It’s my favorite because I find it very effective and also because it’s less visible than the others in my hair, thanks to its color (I have light brown hair).

It’s available on Amazon for $5.98 (50g), but there are many other stockists online and its price never exceeds $10.

– Kachur Sugandhi powder:

It’s a very fine, light beige powder, which also has a light spicy scent. It’s ideal for light hair because I find it a little more visible on darker hair.

Kachur Sugandhi is an Indian rhizome. It’s used to fortify fine, soft or dull hair. It is also quite popular to fight against hair loss and stimulate hair growth.

This powder is available on Etsy for $4.98 (g).

– Orange powder:

It’s a fine light yellow powder which smells a very yummy orange scent. Like the previous powder, it’s better for light hair because of its color.

They use orange peel to make this powder. It’s great to bring shine, softness, and suppleness to the hair while nicely perfuming them. However, I find it to be a little less absorbent than the other two powders I use.
But you can mix this orange powder with one of the two previous powders, to cumulate the effects (and to add the good orange fragrance wink ).

It’s available on Amazon for $6.39 (100g).

In summary:

I’m totally obsessed with these Indian powders! They are simple to use, super effective and in addition, they are fortifying and stimulating and they erased my dandruff. They’re also cheap, so what’s not to love, really? wink
I can finally have volume in my hair up to 4 days in a row after my regular shampoo without having to go through the whole shampoo + conditioner = blowout process that takes hours with my hair length. And I no longer have to choose between my morning workout and my hair, which is great!

And you, have you the same itchy scalp issue with classic dry shampoos? And have you tried using Indian powders as a dry shampoo? You really should, they’re a game changer! wink

Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com