It was a joyous time for all the day dry shampoo was created. Seriously, a product that keeps our hair looking fresh and voluminous AND shiny?! WITHOUT WASHING IT?!
What. An. Absolute. DREAM.
And to make sure your dry-shampoo experience stays as dreamy as possible, New Talent Alex is showing us the correct way to apply this wonder product between wash days.
Steps:
- Shake it up.
- Separate hair into horizontal sections and spray dry shampoo toward your roots. Repeat around head (can also spritz around hairline).
- Let sit for five minutes to work its magic.
- Run fingers through hair to gently work it in.
- Brush or towel out.
- Continue on with styling.
When using dry shampoo, remember:
-Shaking the bottle is necessary: Contents can settle. Giving the bottle a good shake before application ensures everything stays well-mixed.
-Hold it at least six inches from your hair: Holding it too close prevents the particles from distributing evenly and can also cause the dry shampoo to build up on your scalp, leading to flakiness and itching.
-Spray it at the root: You’ve probably noticed that your hair starts looking oily closer to your scalp first. That’s because sebum, the substance responsible for making our hair look greasy, is produced by the sebaceous gland, and you’ll find sebaceous glands attached to the hair follicles our hair grows out of. Thus, aiming toward the root helps take care of oiliness by going directly to the root of the problem. (Yeah, we said it.)
Your mid-lengths and ends aren’t as susceptible to oil buildup as your roots are, so applying it here isn’t really necessary. If you’re looking to enhance volume, texture, and/or shine, there are products specifically designed to do just that you can use instead!
-Spray it in sections: By separating your hair into horizontal sections during application, you’re better able to hit all the oily spots throughout, creating a more even application and greater effectiveness than you’d get by applying it only around your part.
-Only use the amount you need: Dry shampoo is capital-A amazing, but too much of a good thing can be a real drag. Using too much dry shampoo (and using it too often) can lead to dull, weighed-down hair that feels less than pleasant to the touch. This can also lead to buildup, creating a sad environment for scalp and hair health.
-Incorporate movement: Similar to holding it farther away, making a sweeping motion with the bottle when applying drying shampoo allows for a more even application (and avoids a difficult-to-remove concentration of the product in any one area).
-Give it time: Dry shampoo needs time to absorb oil, so letting it sit for a few minutes is a necessary step that is often overlooked, which ultimately prevents users from getting their desired results and can also lead to overuse (since it doesn’t seem to be working). To maximize absorption, try applying dry shampoo at night before going to bed. It will get to work while you’re sleeping, and in the morning, you can just brush it out and go.
-Brush it out: After you spray it in, dry shampoo works by trapping the oil around the powder. Once this is done, you’ll want to brush or towel out the dirt and oil that has been captured to remove it from your hair. This also helps get rid of any excess or leftover residue.
-Dry shampoo is NOT shampoo: While dry shampoo is a great tool to incorporate into your hair routine and can extend the life of your style between washes, it should not be used as a replacement for shampooing. Continue washing your hair regularly, and when you do, be sure you are fully removing all product—including dry shampoo—from your hair and scalp. (Using a detox shampoo once a week or getting a scalp treatment is a great way to reset.)
-Opt for sooner: Dry shampoo works best when applied before your hair has a buildup of oil and dirt, so you’ll get more oomph by not waiting until it's noticeably greasy.
Listen. Dry shampoo, when used correctly, may very well be the eighth Wonder of the World. If you haven’t already made it part of your life, consider this your sign (especially if you’ve been trying to move away from daily washing!).
Need a product recommendation? We love KEVIN.MURPHY’s FRESH.HAIR.