We’ve all had those days; you forget to set your alarm, wake up late and your entire morning beauty routine is thrown off. Or, maybe you had a late night and just want to get a few extra minutes of sleep, which means sacrificing washing your hair as you normally would. Whatever the case, you don’t need to go to work with limp, greasy hair. Perk those locks back up with a little dry shampoo.
The Benefits of Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo has been around for decades, but it’s really grown in popularity over the last few years. Dry shampoo isn’t actually a “shampoo” at all; it’s a powder or aerosol spray that uses ingredients like starch to “cleanse” your hair by absorbing excess oil. It’s also a great volumizer for those days in between washes, and leaves your hair smelling and looking fresh.
But these are just a few of the benefits of dry shampoo. Experts have long recommended to avoid washing your hair every day to help keep your hair healthier overall. By using dry shampoo between washes, you can make your style last longer, help slow the fading of your color, and give your tresses a bit of relief from daily heat styling tools like your flat iron or blow dryer.
Using Dry Shampoo the Right Way
Before you rush out to your favorite beauty supply store and purchase the dry shampoo your bestie swears by, learn a little bit about the product to make sure you’re buying the right option for your particular hair type and have an understanding of how to use it most effectively.
Dry Shampoo "Don'ts"
Here are five common mistakes people make when using dry shampoo - and how to avoid them:
- Buying the first product you see. Once you start investigating dry shampoos, you might be surprised to discover how many there are, and one size doesn't fit all. Buying the cheapest dry shampoo or the one that smells the best may be appealing, but know your hair type and read the labels before you plunk down your hard-earned cash. Some dry shampoos like this one even include temporary color, so you'll especially want to pay attention to extra ingredients such as those. (You don't want to spray black-tinted shampoo into your hair if you're blond!)
- Spraying too close to your scalp. You might be nervous that the product isn’t going to land in the right places, so you aim the nozzle super close to your scalp. However, getting at least ten inches away allows you to evenly distribute it through your hair and avoid that chalky look.
- Neglecting to massage it in. You can’t just put dry shampoo in and leave it there. After you apply it, allow the product a few minutes to soak into your roots. Then, gently massage it into your scalp and roots, working it into the strands as you go.
- Applying it all over. You don’t need to use dry shampoo over your entire head. Your ends, in particular, should not need it, and it’ll only make them stiff and dry. Stick to the top two inches of your hair instead.
- Using too much. Less is more, as they say! It might be tempting to apply a lot of dry shampoo at once, especially on those exceptionally-dirty hair days. But too much product can weigh your hair down, making it look dull and lifeless. Likewise, try not to rely on dry shampoo every single day, as this could end up clogging your hair follicles with built-up residue.
Dry Shampoos We Love
For curly hair, we like Ouidad Clean Sweep Moisturizing Dry Shampoo. Helps maintain your curls without drying them out.
For volumizing thinning hair, we recommend Nioxin Instant Fullness Dry Shampoo.
A great product for pretty much any hair type or style is bestseller Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo.
Be sure to check out all the dry shampoos available on our website. We guarantee that all beauty lines offered are 100% authentic, never from a third-party, and are items that our beauty team uses on our own hair and skin. Plus, Pandora Beauty offers some of the best prices available on all your favorite salon-quality products at our online discount beauty supply store.
[ Updated 6/9/2021, Originally Posted 10/11/2017 ]
