Being able to have multi-day hair that looks good is something we all want to achieve with the least amount of effort, right? Using a dry shampoo can help you extend your waves and curls beyond wash day.
Dry shampoo - in some way shape or form - has been around for decades. For me growing up there was just the advice to sprinkle a little baby powder and brush or massage that in. Luckily we’ve come a long way since then and there’s a myriad of products to select from that work with all types of scalps, from oily to dry, all hair colours and textures, scent levels and ingredient types.
If you've got your hair in a protective style or can stretch your wash day for a week or more and have been doing so for a long time, dry shampoo is probably not something you'll need to use. Dry shampoo works very well for refreshing flat, dull roots and soaking up oil, which likely isn't an issue for you!
Remember, you can safely dry shampoo as often as you like, but it's not something you want to use just to avoid washing your hair. There's no medal for extending your wash day as long as possible and putting it off can be very irritating to your scalp, especially if it isn't used to going a long time between washes. When in doubt, wash your hair!
Types of Dry Shampoo
My oily curl friends will likely reach for a powder or foam to powder product. These will give you the most volume and oil reduction. In contrast, those of you (like me) with dry scalps and hair can reach for the moisturizing, liquid spray-style products. You won’t get as much volume but dry hair tends to go that way anyhow.
The good news is products these days will work on virtually all colours of hair. However, if you are mostly a darker shade, remember to start with less and work your product into your scalp and hair.
Dry Shampoo Recommendations for Oily Hair and Scalp
Let’s start with the most common reason for using dry shampoo and that is hiding an oily scalp or hair. If this is you and you're currently not using a dry shampoo, I promise this will help with the oiliness. You want to pick one that has oil-absorbing ingredients and can give you that lift and volume.
We brought the Hair Dance line in specifically because of the popularity of their Dry Shampoo. It is a powder that works on all hair types and is very reasonably priced. They have versions containing natural essential oil scents of grapefruit or lavender as well as an unscented option. The ingredients are very clean with a base of rice starch and colloidal oatmeal. You only need a little bit so this will last a long time!
Another very clean - in fact organic - favourite of Curl Warehouse customers is Innersense. Their Refresh Dry Shampoo is different in that it dispenses as a foam that turns into a powder. The packaging is a pump style container and you should only need 1-2 pumps. Like any dry shampoo, it is formulated to absorb oil so it can be drying. This isn’t flagged as Curly Girl / Curly Hair Method approved because of the alcohol and witch hazel extract but I would not let this stop you from trying out this product even if you're strictly following the method. It has some really great natural ingredients and protein.
Dry Shampoo Recommendations for Dry Scalps
Boucleme also has another great product for those of us with scalps that tend to be a bit dry or don't need any help in the volume department: Root Refresh. This is a refreshing mist that deodorizes and hydrates your scalp. Formulated with Aloe and flower waters it also contains some protein.
Ouidad has a No Sweat Post-Workout Mist specifically designed for use on sweaty or dirty scalps after a workout. It is lightweight and uses volcanic ash and silica to absorb sweat and odour won’t dry out your hair. You can use it as a dry shampoo as well, even if you haven't just hit the gym.
Olaplex also has a new pressurized aerosol spray dry shampoo called the No. 4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo, that includes a little of their patented bond repairing ingredient. This is super light and won’t leave any residue on any colour of hair.
Other Uses for Dry Shampoo
A volumizing dry shampoo can be used on wash day to add texture to your hair or to increase volume. It doesn't always have to be used for day 2+ hair or after a workout.
Whether you just need a decent refresh or you just finished your daytime workout and need to get back to the office/work, there's a dry shampoo or spray for you!
