Cosmo Editors With Fine Hair Swear By These 11 Dry Shampoos (2024)

I've been using this lightweight formula for over five years, and it never fails to give my limp strands an extra lil oomph between wash days. How it works: Rather than talc, this dry shampoo uses rice starch to restore volume and soak up excess oil without a chalky residue, all while soothing scalps with hydrating sea buckthorn oil. Side note: I'm kinda obsessed with the amika signature scent, which blends warm vanilla with spicy clover and fresh citrus.

• Type: Aerosol
• Sizes: 5.3 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, sea buckthorn oil
• Scent: Vanilla, clover, and citrus

Glowing Customer Review: "I feel like I have been on the search for the perfect dry shampoo for at least a decade. Nothing has ever worked like this, and I’m so happy I could cry! This leaves no white residue, no sticky feeling, and it smells so, so, SO good! I have very fine, color-treated hair. This absorbs all the oils from my roots and scalp, and leaves my hair looking freshly washed, bouncy, and beautiful."

Why is the internet obsessed with this non-aerosol dry shampoo? Probs because it's not just here to soak up excess oil but actually detoxify your scalp as well. The formula uses a tapioca and rice starch blend to refresh hair, while charcoal absorbs scalp buildup and witch hazel balances oil production. It also includes biotin (which can help to encourage keratin production in hair) and leaves behind zero white cast. And the light, whipped cream smell? So, so good.

• Type: Powder
• Size: 1.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Tapioca and rich starch, charcoal, biotin, witch hazel
• Scent: Whipped cream

Glowing Customer Review: "This is the best dry shampoo I have found. I have fine, thin, oily hair (I need to wash it daily, but I go every other day since my hair is chemically-treated) so it is noticeably flat and greasy looking by the second day. This shampoo absorbs all the excess oil and gives it some body. I have naturally light brown hair, and the product doesn’t leave a white color behind."

Batiste is the GOAT when it comes to drugstore dry shampoo, and while there are a ton of varieties, I'm partial to this texturizing formula (which was the winner of a 2023 Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award, btw). Along with rice starch, it uses sea kelp to give hair TONS of body and texture for a fresh-from-the-beach tousled lewk (and none of the gritty sand feel). And ftr: Current batches of Batiste dry shampoo are reported to be totally free of benzene.

• Type: Aerosol
• Size: 3.81 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, sea kelp
• Scent: Citrus

Glowing Customer Review: "I love this dry shampoo! I have very fine hair, and it gets oily and goes so flat—but not with this dry shampoo! I use it at night before bed, and when I wake up, my hair looks so clean and already has the texture ready to be styled!"

I gave this travel-friendly option a try after seeing it all TF over TikTok and can confirm: It's one of those viral, must-have beauty products that's *actually* worth your coin. Complete with a built-in, washable puff for easy application, this one uses a cornstarch base to sop up oil, as well as amino acid-rich hydrolyzed rice protein, which help fill in all the lil cracks in your hair strands. It's also available in both light- and dark-tinted varieties, so no need to fret about white residue.

• Type: Powder
• Size: 0.28 oz
• Key ingredients: Cornstarch, hydrolyzed rice protein, ashwagandha root extract, niacinamide
• Scent: Unscented

Glowing Customer Review: "This dry shampoo actually works! AND gives me volume. I don't feel like it leaves residue or weighs down my hair. I've gone 3-4 days without washing and I have fine, straight, long hair."

You've probs heard all the hype surrounding Olaplex and its bond-building treatments—but this dry shampoo is also a game-changer. Rather than just masking odor, this bb actually neutralizes them with rambutan seed oil, all while rice starch and bentonite clay work to ~detoxify~ your scalp. According to Cosmo Beauty Editor Beth Gillette, "It's the only dry shampoo that adds volume while reducing grease but doesn't make my scalp feel irritated or itchy."

• Type: Aerosol
• Size: 6.3 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, bentonite, rambutan seed extract
• Scent: Fresh

Glowing Customer Review: "This dry shampoo is an absolute GAME-CHANGER! First of all, the scent is beyond amazing—so fresh and clean, like you just stepped out of a salon. I love how it detoxifies the scalp and neutralizes any odors while still being super gentle on my hair. It leaves my locks feeling fresh and light, with an added boost of volume that lasts all day. "

Lightweight, easily blended, and fragrance-free, this powder formula from celeb hairstylist Kristin Ess is made for who need a quick lift. I <3 how this one uses bentonite and kaolin clays (in addition to rice starch) to balance oil production and give oily, dirty scalps a thorough detox—plus, it uses neem oil to combat itching. And yep, it's totally free of artificial fragrance and will leave hair with a soft, matte finish.

• Type: Powder
• Size: 1.3 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, bentonite, kaolin, neem leaf extract
• Scent: Unscented

Glowing Customer Review: "I have fine, thin hair, and this doesn’t weigh it down. My hair gets greasy quickly, and this not only keeps the grease at bay, but it doesn’t make my hair feel dirty. I feel like with a lot of dry shampoos, your hair may not LOOK dirty but it FEELS awful and stiff. This isn’t like that at all. The packaging is perfect and allows for easy use. LOVE."

When I polled fine-haired Cosmo editors about their fave dry shampoos, almost everyone named Living Proof as their go-to brand. Great for giving hair a soft, freshly-washed feel, the Perfect Hair Day formula works to balance the scalp's sebum with rice starch and a microporous mineral blend so hair doesn't just look clean—it actually feels clean, too. And unlike the Advanced Clean formula, I like how this one provides a lightly textured finish with strand-bulking silica (which is ideal for those with finer hair).

• Type: Aerosol
• Size: 5.5 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, cellulose, hydrated silica, propanediol
• Scent: Citrus

Glowing Customer Review: "I am never one to write reviews, but this product is a game-changer. I have super fine, pin-straight hair. If I wash my hair the night before, I look like a greasy mess by evening. This product does an amazing job at making my hair look and feel freshly washed. My hair falls flat after styling, and this gives it that freshly-styled volume back."

A 2024 Cosmo Clean Beauty Award-winner (and a go-to for Cosmo Deputy Beauty Editor Lauren Balsamo), this powder formula uses only six ingredients to not only absorb excess oil and sweat but to support a healthier scalp biome as well. The secret: Along with rice starch and a tapioca and rice powder blend, it's packed with nutrient-rich fulvic acid, which delivers over 65 (!!) minerals directly to the hair follicle for reduced itch (and improved hair health).

• Type: Powder
• Size: 0.6 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, tapioca and rice powder, fulvic acid
• Scent: Unscented

Glowing Customer Review: "I have been using this dry shampoo for few weeks now I can honestly say it works great! I have fine, thin, straight hair, and this stuff gives me so much texture. The pump sort of took me by surprise, but I think I have more control of how much and where I’m applying it. Doesn’t leave my scalp feeling heavy and leaves no residue. Love this stuff!"

If you're looking for a dry shampoo that not only refreshes fine, oily hair but actually encourages new hair growth, pls check out this option from Vegamour. Infused with plant-based phytoactives (including red clover extract, which can help to minimize hair thinning), the GRO Dry Shampoo helps to promote thicker, fuller-looking hair over time—and ofc, it'll also banish excess oil and impurities with rice starch and kaolin clay.

• Type: Aerosol
• Size: 3.95 oz
• Key ingredients: Rice starch, kaolin, red clover extract
• Scent: Citrus

Glowing Customer Review: "[It] really does add volume! It makes my fine, thin hair look fuller when I put it up between shampoos. It also feels lighter and not as grainy as some other dry shampoos. I’m ordering another one!"

When my friend texted me about her new ~holy grail~ dry shampoo, I initially balked at the price. $42? For dry shampoo?? But as it turns out, the Crown Affair Dry Shampoo really is that girl. What makes this one so different (aside from the refillable design and included kabuki brush for targeted application) is the scalp-loving formula, which includes tsubaki oil for lightweight hydration, gluconolactone for gentle exfoliation, and tannic acid for deodorization, all while a tapioca and rice starch blend works to soak up scalp grease.

• Type: Powder
• Size: 1.1 oz
• Key ingredients: Tapioca and rice starch, tsubaki seed oil, gluconolactone, tannic acid
• Scent: Bergamot, yuzu, and lemongrass

Glowing Customer Review: "What a cool product! As someone with fine, oily hair, I have tried MANY dry shampoos. The brush it comes with is so luxe and soft, and the dry shampoo itself smells beautiful and fresh. The brush allows for you to more closely and accurately just get the scalp. It works well at drying out my oily scalp."

No, she's not cheap. But this unique option from K18 (which comes in the form of a non-aerosol "mist") will have your day-three hair feeling cleaner than just about any dry shampoo on the market, all with the help of oil-absorbing microbeads and ingredients that actually *improve* scalp health rather than just gunking it up. As Assistant Shopping Editor Jasmine Hyman says, "One application kept my hair looking and (smelling) fresh for an extra two days." Be sure to check out Cosmo's full review for more deets.

• Type: Mist
• Size: 4 oz
• Key ingredients: Peptide complex, silica, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid
• Scent: Floral

Glowing Customer Review: "I have straight, thin, fine hair. This formula works incredibly well and my hair instantly looked cleaner. I am a dry shampoo enthusiast, and this is the only one that does not weigh my hair down and smells so good! This does not leave any cast and really helps absorb the oil in my roots and cleanse my scalp."

Dry shampoo can be used by all hair types and textures, but if you're someone with fine hair, you probably want to look for a formula that advertises itself as "volumizing" or "texturizing." Also, as hair stylist Alex Brown previously told Cosmo, "Your end result all depends on the application process." Her advice: Work the product in with your fingers, focusing on your roots. "This will help distribute the formula more evenly and prevent a powdery appearance," she says.

And ofc, you should remember that dry shampoo isn't a replacement for conventional shampoo. It should only be used for a style refresh in between washes—and ideally, it shouldn't be used more than once or twice a week. If you're someone with fine, oily hair, you might find that using too much dry shampoo can clog your pores and trigger even more oil. According to colorist Angela Hazelton, it's a good idea to suds up with a clarifying shampoo after using a dry shampoo for a few days. "It'll help prevent any clogged pores on the scalp," she previously told Cosmo—which, in turn, will clear the way for future hair growth.

Pick the right application for you

Powder vs. aerosol dry shampoo: Which is better? Aerosol or spray formulas tend to be better at adding volume, which is good news for those with fine and/or thin hair, not to mention they're easier and quicker to apply. However! One of the main risks of using aerosol products is the potential for exposure to benzene, a propellant and known carcinogen (though pls note that all of our aerosol dry shampoo recs are free from benzene).

Non-aerosol dry shampoos, on the other hand, are perfect for oily hair types, as they're very effective at removing excess grease and refreshing second- (or even third-) day hair. Likewise, they allow for targeted rather than all-over application if you're just looking to focus on a few areas. The big drawback: Powders can be messy and time-consuming to apply—though a little goes a long way with these.

Skip the talcum powder

Along with benzene, it's a good idea to avoid talc in any dry shampoo you use. In addition to leaving white residue in hair, talc tends to clog pores, which can lead to scalp irritation and inflammation. Plus, talc can potentially contain traces of asbestos, another known carcinogen. Instead, stick to formulas that use other oil-absorbing starches, powders, and clays, such as rice and tapioca starch or kaolin clay.

Choose a formula that promises volume or texture

When you have fine, flat hair, one of the most important things to look for in a dry shampoo are words like "volumizing" and "texturizing"—and it helps to know what ingredients actually work to plump strands. Shop for products with biotin, amino acids, silica, peptides, hyaluronic acid, or niacinamide, as these all work to strengthen follicles and "bulk" your hair shaft. A great example: K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo, which uses peptides, silica, and hyaluronic acid to re-energize roots.

• Alex Brown is a Chicago-based hairstylist and owner of Space by Alex Brown. She's worked with celebrities like Rebecca Black, Kendall Jenner, and Chrissy Teigen, among others.
• Angela Hazelton is a renowned colorist at the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City. She's worked with celebrities like Bebe Rexha, Mariska Hargitay, and Kathryn Gallagher, to name a few.