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Amika Dry Shampoo review: 'Made my blowout last a full week'
This weightless hair-care must-have refreshes and degreases without a hint of chalky dry-shampoo residue.
I first discovered dry shampoo about a decade ago when, during an appointment at my favorite salon, a stylist separated the hair at the crown of my head, peered at my bare scalp, frowned and exclaimed, "Wow! This is really dry! How often are you washing your hair?" Back then, I was shampooing every morning before work because if I didn't, my roots and bangs became embarrassingly greasy; my hair looked lifeless and just unkempt. So, after the stylist introduced me to dry shampoo that day, I truly never looked back. Over the years, I've tried what seems like dozens of dry shampoos, but this month, I found a new favorite: Amika's Perk Up Dry Shampoo. Honestly? I think it may be the best dry shampoo of all time.
Amika's high-quality, natural formula employs rice starch — a highly absorbent powder — instead of talc, which makes it both lightweight and residue-free.
- Lightweight (almost weightless)
- Zero visible residue
- No powdery or chalky hair feel
- Absorbs oils instantly
- Vegan and cruelty free
- Subtle, pleasant fragrance
- Pricey
- Doesn't add body
The truth is, I'm late to the Amika party. The company was founded in 2007 and, according to hair-care industry website Curl Centric, last year it was the most popular hair-care brand in the U.S. On TikTok, #amikadryshampoo currently has more than 11 million views. As of this writing, it's also Amazon's No. 1 best-selling dry shampoo, with more than 12,000 five-star reviews. Amika is Brooklyn-based, and it's owned and operated by a group of hairstylists and chemists who've designed dozens of high-quality products for a variety of hair textures and types.
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo Review
I have fine, straight-ish, color-treated hair. My scalp can get oily, but my strands themselves are on the dry side. I'm also 50, at the age when a woman's hair tends to thin, which means I try to reduce washing and styling as much as I can. The Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo is meant for parched hair like mine (a second version — Perk Up Plus — is a bit heavier, lasts longer and is better for those with oilier manes).
The first time I tried it, I was three days post-blowout. My bangs were just starting to droop, and the back of my head felt a bit greasy and weighed down. I sprayed it on, rubbed it in a bit with my fingers and within literal seconds, my hair looked straight-from-the-salon bouncy and fresh. It felt like magic. Unlike every other dry shampoo I'd ever tried, there was zero powdery residue and no texture change. Honestly, beyond the scent — pleasantly vanilla, with a hint of citrus — there was no evidence that the product had ever been on my head at all, as if it had done its job and left.
This dry shampoo is entirely invisible, but potent. It was effective after workouts and stretched my blowout for a week.
Not to be gross, but I used it again two days later and the same thing happened: The invisible formula left behind rejuvenated, just-washed-looking hair, shiny and clean. All in, the Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo made my blowout last a full week without any of the chalky-scalp dust you get from nearly every other similar product. The natural ingredients make it an excellent choice for any hair type, and it works especially well when you follow the application directions, which suggest spraying from 8 inches away. It's even better if you let it sit and soak in for 30 seconds before a quick cool-air blow-dry. Finally, though this is less important, I also like the bright packaging. It comes in a pretty bottle that looks good on a vanity or sink.
I have just two small complaints: First, I wish it was less expensive: $28 is a little high for a hair product you use once or twice a week. Second, I kind of miss the texturizing quality of normal dry shampoos and the extra volume that comes with them. Still, these complaints are minor. I'm an Amika convert now — I'll be using this product as long as it's made.
Is Amika Dry Shampoo safe for all hair types?
Yes. The product is gentle, safe and effective for a wide range of hair styles and textures, including color-treated hair. It's also free from talc, phthalates, sulphates, parabens, mineral oil and sodium chloride. Plus, it's vegan and cruelty free.
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo ingredients
The most important ingredients here are rice starch, which is highly absorbent, and sea buckthorn, a scalp-nourishing plant that is a potent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and omega-7.
Here's the full list of ingredients:
Butane, propane, alcohol denat. (sd alcohol 40-b), oryza sativa (rice/riz) starch, fragrance/parfum, disteardimonium hectorite, diisopropyl adipate, hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn/argousier) fruit/seed oil, benzyl benzoate, citronellol, hydroxycitronellal, limonene.
