Beauty > Beauty Recipes > HairMay 04, 2006

Homemade Dry Shampoo

This works well for cleaning your hair when you can't get wet. Mix 1/2 cup cornmeal and 1 tablespoon salt and put it in a shaker. Sprinkle some of it onto your hair and brush it out. As you brush it, it will remove oil and dirt from your hair.

Here's another recipe:

1 tablespoon cornstarch or finely ground oatmeal

This is an effective dry shampoo for when you can't use water. It comes in handy on camping trips. Just apply the cornmeal or oatmeal to your hair and scalp and then brush it out. Depending on how long your hair is it could take 5 to 10 minutes to brush it all out but it will remove a lot of dirt and oil from your hair.

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By
08/15/2009

Is there any vitamins/stuff that I could add for more benefits?

By R. Watkins (Guest Post) 11/26/2008

I tried the oatmeal one and it worked really well, but don't use baking soda; it builds up in your hair and makes your scalp itch.

By bryguy (Guest Post) 10/09/2008

I'm very wary of using food products on my hair if I can't wash it out immediately since microbes and insects feed on them. This is especially true of carbohydrate-rich foods like cornstarch, flour, etc. And the residue probably makes a mess on humid days, or if I sweat (i.e gravy is water+cornstarch). Of course, it's probably not an issue if you plan on washing your hair a few hours later.

Store-bought cornstarch-based absorbent powders may be a good, albeit expensive, alternative. They presumably have been processed to be unusable as food, and won't clump. But buying expensive powders defeat the purpose of this site, no? :)

I generally use 99-cent-store baby powder, which was made to absorb moisture, oil, etc. As for cancer, studies have shown that it MAY only have an effect on the ovaries (which I don't have), and direct contact is needed. The risk only shown up when women used talc around their genitals, and even then only "a very small minority of women" got cancer. Women who had their tubes tied, however, had no increased risk, because the talc can't reach the ovaries. There is also no risk for lung cancer or any other cancer. Modern cosmetic talc has no asbestos, which was present in the past.

Source: American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/c ... RI_2_6x_Talcum_Powder_and_Cancer.asp

By
10/09/2008

I use the GOOD baby powder when the toddlers get sand in their hair.
Back in the 60's we had instant shampoo you could get. Hair dryers were not the norm, nor were locker room hand dryers. So this was used alot and we also used baby powder then. It used to be NOT GOOD to wash your hair often. See how things change!?! I now wash mine some times 2-3 times a day--I am a swimmer and products are available to make it fine.

By katie. (Guest Post) 02/11/2008

Baby powder is generally made of talc which is a carcinogen, you should try not to use talc.

<b> Editor's Note</b> There are many natural talc free baby powders. Check the ingredients.

By Karen of ocraw dot com (Guest Post) 08/30/2007

Don't use baby powder - it's dangerous. I use Burt's Bees dusting powder. It is more natural.

By meagan (Guest Post) 01/21/2007

doesnt salt make your hair dry?

By dawn (Guest Post) 06/03/2006

I like baking soda for this. Apply it while standing in the tub or shower, it's good for your drains as well.

Editor's Note: Make sure to follow it up with vinegar so you don't clog your drains.

By BUNNIEKNIT (Guest Post) 05/06/2006

Baby powder also works well for this.

Questions

Here are questions related to this page. Click "Ask a Question" if you have a question to ask about this topic.

Homemade Dry Shampoo

I need to know the ratio of baby powder and cornstarch so I can mix my own. Thank you.

By PattieJune

 

Most Recent Answer

By susanmajp 12/20/2011

I use only cornstarch. I find that it works best for my hair type.

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