Picture this: You overslept, and now you’re late to work. Looking in the mirror, you realize that your hair just looks nasty. It was long overdue for a wash, but you just don’t have the time to do it now. You grab your bottle of dry shampoo, spray it, and realize — it’s empty. There is nothing coming out and you are left with a greasy mess. What to do? Well, lucky for you there are some other things that you can use (or do) when you are out of dry shampoo.

Translucent powder

Your translucent setting powder will work amazingly as a dry shampoo substitute. Just apply a small amount of it to the roots of your hair, and massage it all in with your hands. I know that this seems like such a waste to use your expensive makeup powder on your oily roots, however, it will absorb all of the sebum in only a couple of seconds. Instead of a setting powder, you can also use a small amount of baby powder. However, keep in mind that baby powder is more likely to leave a white residue. This could be especially troubling if your hair is on the darker side. 

Corn starch and baking soda 

Another great alternative to dry shampoo is corn starch. And the best thing is — most of us probably already have it in our pantries. If you want to get extra crafty, you can also mix the cornstarch with other ingredients, such as baking soda. The baking soda helps to absorb even more oil, and it can make your hair look presentable even if it was extra greasy. If your hair is dark, you might also want to add a little bit of cocoa powder to the mix, so that your homemade dry shampoo matches your roots better. I have to warn you, the texture of your hair will feel a bit weird. But this DIY mixture will get the job done when you’re in a hurry and out of traditional dry shampoo. 

Hairstyles 

If everything else fails, just use the grease to your advantage and create a slick-back look. It’s still the era of the Bella Hadid bun, after all! When it comes to hairstyles, you obviously have plenty of options, but the general idea is that it looks super tight and slick, so people can’t differentiate if it’s hair gel or sebum. Genius, right? If you’re not feeling like wearing a bun, you can create a similar effect with braids, a ponytail, or — a braided ponytail!

On the other hand, there are some of us who just prefer to wear our hair down. No matter how dirty it may be. If you’re also in this category, then this is the perfect time to wear the “wet” hair look. You will need lots of hair gel and a comb. Apply a generous amount of hair gel to the roots of your hair, and comb it back so that it looks like you just graciously walked out of a swimming pool.

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