We all know when you are under the pump with work, kids and life in general, any extra time you can get is a godsend. With our ever increasingly busy lives, we look to products and ideas that will help claw back time. Which is one of the reasons dry shampoos are so popular by increasing the time in between your normal shampoo routine.
None of us likes to feel self-conscious or embarrassed, and there have been many times in the past I've felt people have been looking at my hair and wondered what the white powder was. Did they think it was dirty? lice? paint?! - it could have been me being paranoid, but having dark hair didn't help with trying to hide my dry shampoo addiction! All that is now in the past (thank goodness!) but I wanted to share with you what I've found to work through trial and error on how to use dry shampoo properly (no matter which one you use).
The majority of dry shampoos consists of highly absorbent powder like ingredients such as starch and clay etc, which acts to soak up the oil and grease at the roots of your hair. All hair produces natural oils and some of us have more oily hair than others - not that you can change genetics, but you can get some extra help :)
“ I have long hair and before I started using dry shampoo it would take me 1-2 hours each time to wash, dry and style my hair every second day. Now I wash every 4th day, sometimes longer. Considering I was thinking of cutting my hair off completely, which I didn't want to do, it has changed my life - not even an exaggeration! ”
Top tips on how to use dry shampoo
Make sure your hair is dry - due to the absorbent nature of dry shampoos, it's imperative your hair is dry to start with.
Use it the next day after shampooing or even the day of your shampoo when your hair is dry. Keep using a little each day before the oils build up - think of it as a prevention rather than a cure. If you only use it when your hair is already really oily, you will have to use a lot of dry shampoo to get a result and it won't be as effective.
For the first and second day of use apply it along your part line and around your forehead hairline. Then brush through with your normal hair brush. As your hair shouldn't be too oily at this stage, this should be enough initially. As I have oily hair I tend to also put some on the roots of my crown section.
For the third days and onwards use along the part and forehead as before, but now section your hair with your fingers or a brush and apply to the roots and along the hair a little (3-4cm) then brush through as per usual. I usually pull up the side hair sections so I am getting in underneath as well as on the top for good coverage.
The longer you are between shampoos you may also need to flip your head upside down to get the dry shampoo to underneath your hair. Go along the hairline at the base of your hair and go down 3-4cm and brush through.
Nighttime is a great time to apply dry shampoo so it can work overnight, which will mean in the morning you will only have to use a little if at all, saving more time.
Choose a dry shampoo that has a colour tone option - even ones that say they are "invisible" if it's white it will show up in dark hair.
If you have an aerosol version (particularly of a coloured one), make sure you test it first and hold it at least 15cm away from your head, so you don't end up with a big blob of colour or white powder on your scalp.
You can still use hairspray afterwards to hold your hair in place.
If you are going to the gym to get sweaty, use dry shampoo before it will help to soak up the oils as you sweat.
As you aren't conditioning your hair, it's also worth making sure you are using a serum or moisturiser on the ends.
When you do wash your hair (usually by the 4th or 5th day), make sure you shampoo twice to make sure any residual dry shampoo is rinsed away. So you can start afresh again the next day!
If you are using an aerosol version, make sure you use your hair dryer afterwards to help remove visible residue.
For long hair, after a few days you might find it easier to tie your hair into a ponytail, you can get a great slicked back look using a paddle brush.
If you need volume, as dry shampoo does deposit product into your hair, backcombing holds really well and helps give your hair a boost.
Note - Strandatory's natural dry shampoo is non-aerosol and you don't need to rub it into your hair or scalp, just apply it with the applicator and brush it through. We use natural ingredients such as clays and starch and essential oils all of which are blended together to be not only absorbent but conditioning also. This reduces the feeling of dryness often experienced with alcohol-based or aerosol dry shampoos.
Dry Shampoo isn't a product that will actually clean your hair; it's there to help you get a day or more extra in between your regular shampoo. We all essentially want our hair to look clean even if it isn't.
I've found a good trick is to have one in my overnight bag, one in the car and one in my bathroom that way I've always got one close at hand.
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Cheers! Gabbi from Strandatory - Get More Wear From Your Hair
Enjoy great hair days and effortless styling between each wash without leaving any evidence behind with Strandatory’s all natural dry shampoo formula, developed for busy women on the go who want to look and feel glam no matter what. Visit Strandatory’s online store today!
