Style + Beauty

The Two-Ingredient Dry Shampoo

by erin |

So, hair.

Can I just say something? I love you guys. You let me chat about politics one day, tension on another, and then – haiiiiiiir. I mean, we’re all over the place in these parts, and do you yet have a glimpse into what it’s like to be Ken? We’re doing a good job of keeping him on his toes, you and me.

ANYWAY. Here’s what you need to know today:

2-INGREDIENT DRY SHAMPOO
Equal parts Arrowroot Starch and Cocoa Powder

That is it. That’s all! Straight from your pantry. Can you imagine?

Keep it in an tiny jar on your bathroom counter and apply with a make-up brush onto your roots, ends, bangs, wherever you get oily hair. Are you kidding me?! Can you believe it? That easy?

(It’s a tad messy, but you know how that goes already. We’re veterans in this department.)

Five reasons this is the greatest thing in the month of March, thus far:
1. When you’re in hot yoga and the sweatiness begins, everyone else smells like smell, but you smell like chocolate chip cookies, fresh-baked, from Aunt Margaret.
2. There are zero chemicals to reckon with. (This has been extra important to me in recent months, perhaps I’m a late bloomer?)
3. Buy the cocoa powder on sale at your grocery and you’ve scored a bulk-sized, non-toxic, super effective dry shampoo for under $8.
4. The recipe has two ingredients. It doesn’t get more simple, and hey, spoiler alert: if you don’t measure the parts equally, it DOESN’T EVEN MATTER. Blondes, only use a touch of cocoa powder. Darker haired gals, add a bit more. It all works! Isn’t baking grand?
5. Just 4, I guess. Make that 4 reasons.

And there you have it. I don’t want to offer a premature acknowledgement of your gratitude, but I also kind of do: You are so, so, so welcome.

  • I’d just seen this recipe somewhere on the internet. You just get to a morning when you realize you’re spraying butane – as in the thing that great for setting fires – at your head and that you pay approximately $20/month for this experience. It’s insane! And then you keep doing it! Ugh, humans. Thanks for the reminder about a much more sensible – and less expensive – alternative.

  • That’s a sounds like a handy dandy DIY. I have a question though. Do you rinse after applying that mixture onto hair. How long to keep that onto hair before pouring water over?

    • Hi Sadaf!

      Dry shampoo isn’t meant to be washed out – rather, it acts as a “shampoo” between washes to soak up the hair’s oil. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week, so I often use dry shampoo on the off days I’m not washing it. :) After applying with the makeup brush directly onto roots and ends, I style and go! Hope that helps!

  • I use this same recipe except I use two parts cocoa to one part arrowroot powder ask have darker brown hair. I use arrowroot instead of corn starch cause I’m allergic to corn.

    I also discovered it makes a spectacular bronzer!!

  • I have dry, curly hair so dry shampoos aren’t my thing, but I’ll be making a tiny batch of this because I want to smell like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies too! Now, can you speak to natural deodorant?

  • Yes, this is what I’ve been using (though with organic corn starch, instead of arrowroot.) Works like a charm and you smell like cake!

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  • I love this idea but part of me worries that I might start to sweat rivers of chocolate? Is that possible or have I watched Willie Wonka too many times?

    • Ha, nope – you’ll be fine, trust me! It’s the same texture as traditional dry shampoo, just far more nourishing! Also, the cocoa smell isn’t overpowering at all (just a light scent of cake!), so if you’re sensitive to smell, I think you might love it!

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