First, a quick refresher: If you’ve never used it before, think of dry shampoo as a full hair wash in the shower, only in a can.
Dry shampoo is a powdered form of the liquid product we commonly apply to wet hair. Most often made with plant starch like rice starch, it’s intended to cleanse strands and help absorb excess dirt and oil that commonly build up in hair and make it look greasy after a day or two, (or three) without washing.
Most dry shampoos usually come in an aerosol spray bottle or can. To use, you generally shake the can and spritz the powder spray through the roots of your hair (sectioning hair up to reach undersides if needed) before massaging in gently with your fingertips until the powder is absorbed.
While it won’t leave hair silky soft, it will stop it looking greasy when you don’t have time for a full wash.
Here’s where we remind you, though it works almost as well as your regular in-shower routine to leave hair looking smelling and feeling refreshed, it shouldn’t be substituted too often without washing. Too much dry shampoo powder can build up on your scalp and impair the healthy function of your hair follicles, impeding healthy growth.
Other ways to use dry shampoo:
While Dry shampoo is always good to have within reach (or tucked into a travel bag) to refresh hair, it has other uses you might knot be aware of.
Here’s how to use it:
Add volume to hair
Give limp or slippery locks a lift by spraying dry shampoo into roots in sections working parallel to your natural part lifting and spraying as you go. Alternatively you can flip your head upside down and lightly spray the roots before massaging in with your fingertips.
Another trick to try is to add dry shampoo to roots before bed, securing long hair up on the top of your head with a silk scrunchie. Let loose in the morning for natural-looking volume.
Create longer lasting hold for an updo
Clean hair often doesn’t have enough grip to hold a style or braid, especially if your hair is naturally fine or silky. Add more hold to clean hair by lightly spritzing with dry shampoo from roots to ends. Let sit for a few minutes before using fingertips to shake out hair lightly before stying into your desired hairstyle.
Dry shampoo also provides useful grip while teasing or backcombing hair for height while pulling together an updo.
Give hair accessories grip
If your hair is clean but pins, slides or claw clips slip too much, try spraying them with dry shampoo to give added traction and hold.
Add texture to too-tight curls
Freshly curled hair can sometimes appear to prim or tight or stick together, looking unnatural. Add soft beachy texture and break up your style by spritzing with dry shampoo and directing air gently into hair with a blow dryer.
Fluff up your fringe
Dont you hate it when your smooth and even fringe starts to go piece-y and stick you your forehead? Spritz with dry shampoo and restyle by brushing through with a fine tooth comb.
Conceal your roots
Some dry shampoos come in tinted versions that match the colour of your locks. If you’ve not had time to touch up regrowth or want to blend greys, tined dry shampoo offers an easy way to solve two problems at once.
Remove static
Static-y flyaway hair is frustrating, but a spritz of dry shampoo can solve that problem too.
Add perfume to your hair
Besides removing the odor hair sometimes gets when it hasn’t been washed, dry shampoos come in a range of scents that actually adds beautiful perfume to hair, so you don’t only need to wait until hair is unclean to use.
