Dry Shampoo : Real Talk

Dry Shampoo : Down & Dirty

Can I admit something here? I love taking showers and in turn, I love to wash my hair. There is something amazingly ritualistic about showering and it makes me so happy to end my day by rinsing off all the dirt. However, I know that washing my hair every day is not good for it and the older I'm getting, the more apparent my daily abuse* has become. I started using dry shampoo in 2011, but didn't become a full convert until 2012. Here's a breakdown on a few brands and how they work.

The idea behind dry shampoo is a simple one: you didn't wash your hair, but you would still like it to look clean and have volume. Not all dry shampoos are created equally, but luckily, I've never used one that's been down right horrible. They come in many different formulas and these days, pretty much every hair brand makes them from Suave to Oscar Blandi. I prefer the aerosol versions because they are cleaner and quicker to use. I started using dry shampoo because I believe that my every day washing lead me to having premature split ends and dull hair. Which, split ends are going to have regardless, but I have fine hair, so they really stand out and look raggedy. I still need to get my hands on a few more brands of dry shampoo, like Dove and John Frieda, but here are four that I have used and can inform you about.

Oscar Blandi : Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray

This was the first dry shampoo that I tried and it was a good one with which to start. I picked this up at a Black Friday sale (came with a travel size also) and tried it slowly but surely over the next few months. This spray does come out completely clear and won't leave any visible residue on your roots, which is great for people with darker hair. If you have ever used an Oscar Blandi product, then you will know how this smells. If you haven't, Oscar Blandi products all tend to smell the same; slightly perfumey, but never over powering. I'm fairly sensitive to scent, but this doesn't bother me throughout the day, which is a good thing; you don't want people smelling your head from a room away. There are two things about this dry shampoo that I need to discuss as a precaution. One, this is listed as a volumizing dry shampoo, but I never saw much volume after using this. Two, this is not for people who get really oily hair; it only works if your hair is maybe one day out from washing. This works for me because I usually wash my hair every other day and it doesn't get incredibly oily in between washes. You can check out more info on the Sephora website here.

Tresemmé : Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

This was the second type of dry shampoo that I ever bought and I got it to try out on a trip to Europe (hence the travel sized bottle). I picked up the version for oily/straight to normal hair since my hair is straight and fairly normal. I just want to state this, out of all of the dry shampoos I'm going to talk about, this one left the most residue in my hair. A lot of dry shampoos will have a white tinge to them since you're basically spraying powder/starch in your hair to soak up oil, but how much powder is visible differs from brand to brand. Even after brushing, I could still see the powder. On the other hand, this version really soaks up the oil in your hair and can make your hair look fresh. I would highly recommend this version to folks with light blonde hair because beyond the powder, it's fantastic.

Klorane : Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo

This Klorane dry shampoo came to me in one of my Birchboxes (if you don't know what Birchbox is, click here and educate yourself). Klorane is a French company that is slowly infiltrating their products into America and they're awesome. This dry shampoo uses oat milk, which is part of their extra-gentle claim, and I can honestly tell a difference between this and any of the rest. It is much more gentle on my hair and I can use this two days in a row and still have nice feeling hair. However, the Klorane brand has the same issue as the Tresemme, it shows up white. I don't have extremely dark hair (you can see my hair color in the previous post), but it is brown enough to show the white powder. Actually, my mom likes to comment on my "grey" hair when I use this. You can brush most of the product out, but I would not recommend for anyone with dark brown or black hair. For more info on Klorane, you can check out their website or you can find it at Ulta or the Birchbox Shop.

Pssssst! : Instant Dry Shampoo

I saved this for last because this is my favorite out of the whole bunch. Pssssst! is an old school brand (google it and look at the old advertising, it's awesome) and it's stuck around for one simple reason: it works. On the bottle it states, "Refreshes without water! Builds Volume! Preserves Color!" and I can verify two of the three statements. My hair isn't colored, so I don't know if it really preserves color, but it definitely builds volume and refreshes. I almost look forward to my no-wash days so that I can use this. It may look a little white at first, but that comes out completely once you brush/style your hair. Psssst! is also probably the cheapest of the group and can be found at most drugstores and Ulta.

One important thing to remember if you start using dry shampoo is to use a clarifying shampoo when you wash. I'm sure your first thought when you hear clarifying is that it's drying, but not all clarifying shampoos dry out your scalp. Look for a shampoo that is sulfate-free and your hair will be happier. A great brand that I've gotten to sample through my Birchbox is Number 4, but you can also find sulfate-free shampoos from L'oreal.

*daily abuse = washing my hair, I rarely blow dry or straighten.

(all photos copyright Allison Richardson Photography and are not available for use without permission)