THE RED CHEAT SHEET: DRY SHAMPOO
All you need to know about the bathroom shelf staple
WHAT IS IT?
If you know, you know: dry shampoo has one in five of us hooked* for its ability to freshen unwashed hair in minutes (just spray on and brush out for an extra half an hour in bed). But new iterations are as much styling aids as they are emergency head cleansers, useful for adding serious volume, concealing root regrowth and unleashing texture you never knew you had. With almost too many different versions to count, spanning categories from budget to luxe, it’s a modern must-have.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
A little like mattifying face powder, in that it uses ultra-fine and porous particles to soak up offending grease like tiny sponges. In the case of dry shampoo, those particles are usually cornstarch or oatmeal, though when it first came to the market in 1940 (brilliantly named ‘Minipoo’), it used fuller’s earth, a clay-based absorbent now found in cat litter. Not quite so luxe.
HOW DO I USE IT?
Generally you mist or ‘puff’ it into roots, depending on whether it comes in a can or bottle, then massage it in before shaking or brushing it out according to instructions (a trick is to wait three minutes before doing any of the above to ensure absorption of oils). Increasingly, though, these products are so fine that they can be sprayed through lengths and ends and left on, especially if you’re using them to add texture rather than remedy unwashed hair. To maximise texture and remove the powdery feel, finish with a blast of cold air from the hairdryer.
WHEN SHOULD I USE IT?
When you need to stretch out a blow-dry for an extra day or two, or when your freshly washed hair is just ‘too clean’ to hold an up-do. In the latter case, spray from roots to ends before putting your hair up to give strands more grit and help pins and grips stay put. Dousing your hair just before bedtime also works well – not only will this soak up any oils that appear overnight, but tossing and turning on your pillow will help to distribute the product evenly throughout the hair for a cool, lived-in finish, like a-day-at-the-beach hair. Fringes that look flat or stringy also benefit – sprinkle a little powder on to the roots and rub it in with your fingers to plump up. We like Bumble and Bumble Prêt-àpowder, £23, a staple in many a stylist’s kit.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Dry shampoo can fall into the ‘too much of a good thing’ category, says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. Overuse can irritate the scalp, damage hair follicles and wear away the hair shaft, she says, leading to hair that grows back thinner and breaks more easily. Her recommendation is to use it no more than twice a week and choose formulas with soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients – such as zinc, allantoin and bisabolol – if sensitivity is an issue.