6 dry shampoos for oily hair that banish greasy strands

Dry shampoo is a must-have in any haircare routine, but especially if you do your utmost to minimise the frequency of your hair wash days. 

However, for those with oily hair, a dry shampoo is more than just a means to extend the longevity of a blowout. It's a handbag essential (just ask Lily Collins) for soaking up excess oil and sebum in a bid to keep greasy strands at bay.

It's for that very reason that a dry shampoo specifically formulated for oily hair (read: lightweight and highly absorbent) is so important. 

You could spend hours trying to navigate the many scents of Batiste, and debating the value of tinted or non-tinted Klorane formulas in your local Chemist Warehouse, or you could rifle through our shortlist of recommendations.

Here, BEAUTYcrew rounds up the best dry shampoo for oily hair to shop in Australia. 

2024's Top 3 best dry shampoos for oily hair

1. Batiste Original Dry Shampoo, $11.99, Chemist Warehouse
2. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, $70, Oz Hair & Beauty
3. Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo, $47, Sephora

The Best Dry Shampoo For Oily Hair

Batiste Original Dry Shampoo
from $11.99 at Chemist Warehouse

You'll be hard pressed to find a dry shampoo that boasts as many top-notch reviews as Batiste's tried and trusted original formula dry shampoo. It features a classic, fresh fragrance, and removes oil build-up from the hair for an instant refresh and an equally clean appearance. 

Key features:

Classic, fresh fragrance
Removes oil build-up
Doesn't dry out the hair
Instantly refreshes styles
Leaves hair looking and feeling clean

Available at:

• $11.99 from Chemist Warehouse
• $8.22 from Priceline
• $8.40 from Woolworths

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
from $70 at Oz Hair & Beauty

Lily Collins has always been vocal about the fact that this dry shampoo is her absolute favourite. She always has a travel-sized bottle of the stuff stashed in her purse for on-the-go touch-ups throughout the day.

"It helps me to not have to wash my hair for a couple of days, which is always a plus. I'll go three plus days [in between washes]," she told Refinery29. "If it feels cleans and smells clean and I love what's going on, I'm just using the dry shampoo and not washing it. I love that this brand is led by scientists who are working on this stuff in a lab. They prove that it's cleaning your hair, so I don't feel bad about not washing it."

Key features:

Mimics the effects of a traditional in-shower shampoo
Actually cleans hair and makes hair look, feel and smell clean
Absorbs oil, sweat and odour
Features a crisp, time-released fragrance
Talc-free

Available at:

• $70 from Oz Hair & Beauty
• $68 from MECCA

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo
from $47 at Sephora

New to Aussie shores, Amika's Perk Up Dry Shampoo boasts the title of the number one prestige dry shampoo in the United States, with a talc-free, root-refreshing and volumising formula. 

Key features:

Infused with nutrient-rich sea buckthorn and natural rice starch
Refreshes from the roots to lengths
Adds volume to styles
Absorbs oil and reduces odour
Talc-free

Available at:

• $47 from Sephora
• $49.50 from Cult Beauty

IGK First Class Dry Shampoo
from $49 at Adore Beauty

Powered by detoxifying charcoal, this dry shampoo is all about getting your hair as clean as possible without having to step foot in a shower. It removes dirt, build up and odour, while absorbing oil and sweat, making it an obvious choice for hair styling after sweat sessions at the gym.

Key features:

Infused with detoxifying charcoal
Absorbs oil and sweat
Removes dirt and build-up
Adds instant volume
Extends the life of a blowout by up to seven days

Available at:

• $49 from Adore Beauty
• $49 from Oz Hair & Beauty
• $49 from Rogue Beauty

Klorane Dry Shampoo With Nettle
from $14.99 at Chemist Warehouse

Infused with natural nettle extract, which has oil control properties, this dry shampoo from Klorane promises to regulate sebum production and absorb excess oils. Plus, it comes in a classic or tinted formula to cater to a myriad of hair colours. 

Key features:

Infused with oil-regulating nettle extract
Regulates oil and sebum production
Volumises and creates texture 
Extends the life of a blowout
Extends the time between wash days
Available in classic or tinted

Available at:

• $14.99 from Chemist Warehouse
• $14.99 from Chemist Warehouse (Tinted)
• $16.99 from Adore Beauty

Kérastase Fresh Affair Dry Shampoo
from $57 at Adore Beauty

Get the luxurious feel of an in-salon blow-dry with this lightweight, root-refreshing formula and it's irresistible fragrance, which lasts for 24 hours after application.

Key features:

Rice starch absorbs excess oil, refreshes and volumises
Vitamin E prevents the hair and scalp from drying out
24 hour long-lasting fragrance
Lightweight formula
Silicone free

Available at:

• $57 from Adore Beauty
• $57 from Oz Hair & Beauty
• $57 from Kérastase

Should I use dry shampoo if I have oily hair?

Dry shampoo and oily hair are a match made in heaven. Dry shampoo's very function is to absorb excess oil, remove dirt and build-up from the hair, and restore fullness and volume. If you struggle with greasy strands that tend to hang limp, then you'd definitely benefit from adding a dry shampoo to your hair styling routine.

How do you fix greasy hair without dry shampoo fast?

If you don't have dry shampoo at hand then corn starch or baby powder can be used as substitutes in a pinch. However, we wouldn't recommend using them often as they're not formulated to be used on the hair and could cause build-up, irritation or scalp flakiness if used over an extended period of time. 

Main image credit: @shaninamshaik

Love a budget-friendly beauty buy? Take a look at these five top-rated Priceline dry shampoos.