Sorry for the long break in coming back to you with these reviews. I had a very relaxing and adventurous island holiday (I climbed an active volcano – amazing!) and when I came back I found my laptop was still on ‘island time’. I am quite impressed as I managed to fix it myself. Now, back to dry shampoo and whether you should be using it.
First off, I feel I should say that the name ‘dry shampoo’ is a bit misleading. These should be considered styling products as these aren’t technically shampoos and a more like a styling aid that reduces shine at the roots and adds texture. They are also better suited to straight or slightly wavy hair as they need to be brushed out, and curls and brushes should never be in the same room.
So, down to what you really want to know…which brand should get your money?
Well my two cents goes to the classic Klorane. It wins in the reducing root shine and a close second, maybe just because it’s almost summer here and I love the smell, is Batiste Tropical. Batiste adds some good texture to your hair and smells so fun.
Definitely avoid the Fudge as it stinks. The day I tried it I was walking it the city which can feel like you’re in a wind tunnel and I could still smell it. Awful.
The odd one in this bunch is the Tresemme as it is a foam. Almost like a cross between a mousse and a cleaning product, I bought this one as I thought it would be a good curly hair solution. Meh. It smells nice like shampoo but what’s the point? Curly hair is normally quite dry and after a few days’ wear starts to look a mess and you are more likely to wear it up than require a “dry shampoo”.
Best tip for using a dry shampoo is to spray from about 20cm away onto your hairline and part and then leave it for 2-5 minutes. Don’t freak if it looks white at first as it will reduce and then after 5 minutes brush out any residue. Be careful if wearing all black as you may need to brush it off your clothes. If you have really dark hair Batiste now offer a tinted brown or black spray and if using this, I wouldn’t be wearing white.
Maybe the cheapest solution is just to use talcum powder or bicarb of soda, as suggested by Jessica of Feed the People. Give it a go and tell me what you think!
Late to the party, but I have curly hair and instead of brushing out dry shampoo, I leave it for a few minutes and then massage it into the roots/scalp. Has always worked fine for me without needing a brush!
Great tip Rachel! I do the same when my hair is curly
I haven’t tried any of the dry shampoos that you have reviewed, but I do use the Suave brand. I wasn’t interested in spending much more than a few dollars since I was trying it for the first time so I opted for Suave (around $3). It smells a little funky to me (very grapefruit-y) and I don’t particularly care for the smell, but it does the job. My hair doesn’t get oily fast, but helps to freshen it up. By no means does it look freshly washed, but it doesn’t look shiny or oily. I would recommend it!
Good to know – love a bargain product that works
I just found your blog and love it! I have been a hairstylist for 13 years- and I find your passion inspiring:) Batiste is the brand I most often recommend to my clients. I go through dry shampoo quick and the price point is good for the quality.
Evo has recently released a dry shampoo, which they claim can also be used as a styling product. I don't understand how, as it still leaves a white cast on your hair when you first spray it on, but as a root degreaser it works beautifully, no lingering scent. Has replaced Batiste as my favourite.
I've used Tresemme dry shampoo in both the foam and spray, and while the foam is nice for my curly hair if I'm going to wear it in a partial/full up-do on day 3 hair, I definitely prefer the spray if I'm wearing it down whether it's natural or straightened. That being said, if I need just a little refreshing I tend to sprinkle some baby powder on my roots and then flip my head over and spray the roots with a flexible aerosol hairspray. Works great to pump up volume and soak up oil, and the baby powder smells great! 🙂
I'd been using my batiste wrong for a year! Now I can actually last between hair washings 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Lacey,
Love the Batiste too.
You should try a volumising styling powder. It's great for fine hair to give it that boost on the second (or third) day. I like Evo Haze but a few brands have similar products.
the tresseme stuff for dry/straight hair is not so good for fine hair… my sister has super thick hair and loved it, but i have super slippery fine hair and it weighed it down really bad. The batiste is good, and economical! I currently use something called Pssssst or something, and it works well too! also cheap. yay for poor college students!
I love that Batiste stuff, it smells so yummy but I didn't know how to use it. Until now and thanks to you that is! Now my hair will smell like tropical coconuts and look great at the same time! Love your work!
Extra note: just asked my husband to read this to see if it made sense and he corrected my grammar.
Then he said, so it's kind of like Shake'n'Vac for you hair?
Hmmm…in a way! What do you think?