17 Women Who Sweat for a Living Share Their Favorite Dry Shampoos
Gym hair is never a good look. But sudsing up after every cardio session can be bad for your strands. That’s where dry shampoo comes in handy. And these 17 exercise junkies who work in the fitness industry know what a lifesaver the product can be. Keep reading for their post-workout dry shampoo picks, plus tips on how to use the product.
Nikki Metzger, Women’s Health Next Fitness Star
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk ($20, drugstore.com)
“I have long hair and it’s a pain to wash it every day, but with working out so much, I do need something. This one leaves my hair feeling soft, clean, and volumized. I’m lucky that my hair doesn’t get very greasy, but I spritz this product all over when I’m like, ‘I should have washed my hair, but now I don’t have time.’“
Follow Nikki on Instagram @nikkimetzger.
Kira Stokes, The Stoked Method
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($42, birchbox.com)
"It’s like magic at absorbing oil at the roots. I tried many dry shampoos with the hopes of putting off actually fussing with my hair one more day but found that most leave an unsightly white residue. This genius product doesn’t. It gives me lift while creating a salon-like textured style. It’s pricey but worth every penny. I spray a bit on the roots, then flip my hair over and spread through mid-shaft. I tend not to brush, so I continue to just rub my fingers through my hair once it’s flipped right side up. For my cut, sweat is the best pomade, so my Oribe product helps keep the textured look, minus the extra glisten from sweat.”
Follow Kira on Twitter @kirastokesfit.
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Aly Teich, The Sweat Life
Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo ($21, birchbox.com)
“This one has a really light texture and does the best job at soaking up the oil in my hair when it’s dirty. It literally looks like I’ve just washed and blow-dried my hair. People assume having sweat in your hair means it’s dirty, when in fact, sweat is one of the best hair products on the market. It gives your hair that ‘beachy’ look, as it’s essentially salt water. After a workout, I put my hair in a high twisted bun when I shower. Then, I let it out and use dry shampoo in the roots and leave sweat in on the ends.”
Follow Aly on Instagram @sweatlife_nyc.
Jessalyn Keywork, The Cyc Method
Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo ($20, birchbox.com)
“It’s inexpensive and smells pretty good! I spray it on in the morning after at least a day or two of not washing my hair. I will also use it after I work out to thicken up my hair at the roots. I have somewhat thin hair, but dry shampoo helps me keep it volumized.”
Follow Jessalyn on Instagram @jessakeywork.
Holly Rilinger, Flywheel
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($42, birchbox.com)
“It keeps my hair fresh between shampoos and extends the life of my curls. I usually do my own hair—yeah, I’m a wand master!—so saving those curls saves me time with my busy schedule. After my Flywheel sessions, I’ll dry my hair and spray on some Oribe before going out. The key for me is not using too much. A little bit goes a long way.”
Follow Holly on Facebook and on hollyrilinger.com.
Chrysetta Stevens, FLEX Studios
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo ($22, birchbox.com)
“It gives roots a great lift and never looks powdery. The fragrance is subtle, not too overpowering, and it’s paraben-free, so I feel good about putting it on my body. As a fitness instructor, I’m sweaty all the time, so I love to have a product like this on hand to give myself a little refresher post-workout and before hitting the street. I usually flip my head upside down and spray my roots to give my hair a lift.”
Follow Chrysetta on Instagram @flexstudiosnyc and @chrysetta.
Rachael Brooke, SoulCycle
Paul Mitchell Dry Wash ($22, visit paulmitchell.com for salons)
“I can’t wash my bleach-blonde hair every day of the week because it would ruin the color and dry it out. This dry shampoo saves me between classes—I teach up to three a day!—and the small sample size fits in all of my bags. I spray a little at the roots and then do a quick shake of my head before putting it back up in a pony.”
Follow Rachael on @rachaelbr00ke.
Christine Bullock, EVOLUTION20
Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo ($21, birchbox.com)
“It dries my roots and leaves my hair smelling fresh. I apply the dry shampoo to my large paddle brush, turn my head upside down, and brush it in. This prevents me from being left with any white residue.”
Follow Christine on ChristineBullock.com.
Shalisa Pouw, Pure Barre
Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo ($8, drugstore.com)
“It helps to soak up sweat at the root of your hair, volumizes, adds shine, and leaves you smelling fresh. It has a light coconut smell that reminds me of the beach, and it doesn’t break the bank. My hair tends to get oily after I work out or the day after I wash it, so I use dry shampoo to soak up the oil and make my hair feel clean again without over-washing. To apply, I separate six to eight sections of my hair along the top and sides and spray Batiste at the roots. Then I massage it in to give my hair some extra volume.”
Follow Shalisa on Instagram @shalisa_p.
Liz Hilliard and Clary Hilliard Gray, Hilliard Studio Method
Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair Dry Cleaning Spray ($25, visit kevinmurphy.com.au for salons)
"It adds body and shine, smells amazing, and is long-lasting. We both like to shake it and then spray it around our hairlines to remove excess oil. We’ve found that you can also use it as a texturizer on clean hair.”
Follow Liz and Clary on Instagram @HilliardStudioMethod.
Karyn Nesbit, SoulCycle
Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo ($6, ulta.com)
“The name is unique and playful, and I’m pretty much always sold on any product with creative branding. Also, it’s cheap. I generally wash my hair no more than once or twice a week because it gets so dry from all the sweat I have after SoulCycle. A few days in, my root situation gets a little greasy and not cute, though, so spraying a little dry shampoo and gently rubbing it in helps me out big time.”
Follow Karyn on Instagram @karynnez.
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Natalie Jill, Natalie Jill Fitness
Alterna Bamboo Style Cleanse Extend Translucent Shampoo ($22, ulta.com)
“It absorbs the oils in your hair while not leaving too much buildup on your scalp. It also smells amazing—I’m a sucker for hair products that make you feel like you’re on vacation. I spray some directly at the root about six inches away from my scalp. I rake my fingers through the top of my head and lift my hair up to get the dry shampoo in the right places. The key spots are at the crown and around my hairline—so I do the front hairline and then flip my head upside down and spray underneath my hair.”
Follow Natalie on Instagram @nataliejillfit.
Dempsey Marks, DempseyFIT
Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo ($14, lushusa.com)
“It’s light and doesn’t weigh down my hair. It adds volume, soaks up grease, and leaves my hair looking like I just washed it. I only have to use a small amount to make my hair look and smell fresh. Daily shampooing can leave my hair dry, so I use this after a workout for a post-sweat refresh. I just massage it all over my scalp, run my fingers through my hair with a little shake to make sure it gets all over, then brush it out.”
Follow Dempsey on dempseyfit.com.
Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peereanboom, POUND
Favorite dry shampoo: Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk – Natural Tint ($20, birchbox.com)
“It’s the only dry shampoo we’ve both used that doesn’t leave us with gray roots, especially since our hair is dark. It’s easy to blend in by just lightly combing through, and it isn’t too chalky. The scent is also light and refreshing. We use it to add volume to our hair before putting it up in a ponytail. We’ll also give a little spritz once it’s up, right near the base of the hair tie, to add more volume. It’s a lifesaver for us when we don’t feel like washing our hair after a workout. We simply spritz our roots and smooth our hair over with a light serum.”
Follow Kirsten and Cristina on Instagram @thepoundgirls.
RELATED: What to Do if You Have an Oily Scalp
Tiffany Chen, SoulCycle
L'Oréal Paris EverStyle Energizing Dry Shampoo ($7, ulta.com)
“It’s talc-free and doesn’t make your hair feel dry or chalky. It also smells fantastic. I don’t wash my hair after each class because I don’t want to risk drying it out. So after a quick blow-dry, I spray this all over and work it in. It gives my hair that just-washed texture.”
Follow Tiffany on Instagram @tchen1128
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