We all love to have clean-feeling and fresh-looking hair. But let’s be realistic – we don’t always have the time for a 30-minute hair care routine every morning.
With a simple investment in dry shampoo for hair, you can sleep extra thirty minutes or have time to stop by your favorite coffee shop. More than that, dry shampoo offers a wealth of other hair hacks like boosting volume and enhancing hair grip. Read on to finally understand how dry shampoo works and how to use it properly.
What Does Dry Shampoo Do?
Our scalp produces natural oil, sebum, that softens the locks and protects the scalp. Despite these benefits, excess oil gives a greasy feeling and look to our hair. If your hair tends to be oily, this can be a real problem, as hair starts looking unkept towards the end of the wash day already. The oil also weights down the roots, making fine hair look limp.
We all know that washing your hair daily dries out your tresses, so adding in dry shampoo to postpone a wash day is not only time-saving but extremely beneficial for the health of your hair. Using alcohol or starch-based ingredients, dry shampoo can soak up oil and sweat from the hair on the crown where oil and unpleasant shine collect. This way, it helps refresh hair without a regular shampoo and thus leads to healthier and more moisturized tresses.
However, there are even more benefits. Using dry shampoo is great for adding volume and texture to your daily styles. Also, the tinted dry shampoos can give you a temporary color touch-up when you’re in a pinch and can’t make it to the salon for an appointment.
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How to Apply Dry Shampoo
How you use dry shampoo determines its effect. Here are some core rules on how to apply dry shampoo the right way and get the best results:
Step 1: Spray dry shampoo on your root area right around where you part hair first. Then, take half-inch sections around the head and apply evenly throughout to let the product absorb oils effectively.
*You may occasionally use dry shampoo on clean hair to volumize or add texture to smooth fine locks, but make sure your hair is dry, as using the product on wet hair will only make it greasier.
Step 2: Let the product sit for a few minutes to give it time to soak up oils. Do not brush or shake your head right after using dry shampoo.
Step 3: Gently massage the product into your scalp. Working the product into the roots is very important, as skipping this step may leave you with a white residue on your hair.
Dry Shampoo Tips
If you are doing all these things but dry shampoo doesn’t seem to work for you, read on to learn more tips and tricks that may change the game.
1. Use the Best Dry Shampoo
The product you use may make a huge difference in the outcome! You can use dry shampoo in the form of an aerosol spray, powder, and foam; it can also have a tinted formula. Each form will give similar results, but the way to use them will be slightly different. Here are the best in each form:
- Batiste Dry Shampoo. Batiste is perhaps the most top-rated dry shampoo on the market today and it comes in the form of a spray. With a rice starch-based formula, it efficiently removes excess grease and dirt from the scalp. It is not tested on animals and comes in a variety of scents and tints. It is not alcohol-free, though.
- Shampure Aveda Dry Shampoo. Like other dry shampoo powders, it is alcohol-free, which makes it suitable for those with a curly hair type. Aveda is naturally derived and cruelty-free, which is great for those choosing vegan hair products.
- OGX Bodifying Bamboo Fiber Full Dry Shampoo Foam. A special formula with bamboo fibers and plant collagen helps add volume and body to the locks while absorbing oils. It can be used on all hair types as well as color-treated hair.
- Paul Mitchell Invisablewear Dry Shampoo. Invisablewear is lightweight due to its fine mist formula, which makes it ideal for volume, and safe for color-treated hair. It also comes in a tinted version for brunettes and blondes – great for extending the life of your color in between salon visits.
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2. Spray at a Distance
For best results, use dry shampoo at the proper distance. When you are using either a powder or aerosol form, it is best to hold the bottle approximately four to six inches away from your scalp. This allows for better coverage and even distribution of the product. If you attempt to apply it closer than that, you may end up with a build up and a white residue. Massaging the area with your fingertips will adjust the product just enough to eliminate the residue.
3. Don’t Use It Daily
Dry shampoo is intended to extend the life of your style and allow you to go an extra day before washing. It was never intended to be used repetitively on second, third, and fourth-day hair. You need to refresh and nourish your hair and scalp, so a good wash day routine is still a must. Overusing dry shampoo may cause dandruff and other side effects including flakes from product buildup.
4. Consider Using It on Clean Hair
One of the greatest hacks to having longevity in your style is to spray dry shampoo as soon as your style is finished. For example, you’ll definitely want to use dry shampoo on the salon blowout. Not only will this give you added volume, but it will also absorb any oil your scalp produces as you wear the hairstyle, giving it much more longevity.
5. Ace All Dry Shampoo Uses
Dry shampoo can be used for adding volume and texturizing your locks. If you notice your hair falling flat real soon after styling it, dry shampoo will be the simple fix that leads you to a fuller-looking mane. In addition, it is the perfect tool to prevent your bangs from sticking to your forehead. It’s also great for adding grip to the hair and can be used to get bobby pins to hold when creating a more formal style. Another great idea is to use dry shampoo before and after curling the hair to give some grip and help the curls stay. Are you sure you have leveraged all these options?
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6. Try Using Dry Shampoo Alternatives for a Change
If you have oily hair and feel in need of dry shampoos all the time, consider using popular dry shampoo alternatives for a change. You’d probably be surprised to learn you can actually use baby powder, cornstarch and cocoa powder, and even hand sanitizer as a dry shampoo. At the same time, we would not recommend making a habit of this, because they can be more drying and damaging to the hair and scalp in the long run.
As simple as that! With just one hair product, you can now enjoy more freedom from oily hair and roots, longevity in your hairstyle, more volume and texture in fine hair, or a better grip for your bobby pins. Start incorporating dry shampoo into your daily routine, and you’ll soon see that the difference it makes to your hair is just amazing.
