From the inhabitants of ancient civilizations rubbing clay powder into their hair to the first commercially available dry shampoo hitting the market in the 1940s, people have spent their whole lives trying to bridge the gap between dirty hair and a busy lifestyle. I vividly remember my mother using baby powder in the 1980s, as well as buying my first drugstore dry shampoo in the early 2000s. It goes on like spray paint and probably contains enough chemicals to poison a small animal, but it does the job so I can skip the wash, dry, and straighten routine for a few days. This break is good for my sanity as well as my hair. Come 2022, commercially produced dry shampoo gets its first black eye when companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever conduct voluntary recalls of dry shampoo for potentially rising benzene levels. Well-known drugstore brands like Dove, Nexxus, and Suave are suddenly seen as a cancer risk, which raises questions about dry shampoos in general: What is this stuff? benzene and other hazardous chemicals. Third-party testing is difficult, but the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) is independently funded and has a Skin Deep database tool for consumers to identify harmful ingredients that may be found in cosmetics and personal care products. We have included data on dry shampoo specifically in this guide. However, if you’re looking for a chemical-free way to improve your style, check out the Alternatives to Dry Shampoo box below. The Best Dryers, and Diffusers for Curly Hair. Provides unlimited access to WIRED. Get the best-in-class reports that matter so much to your attention for only $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.Accordion Item Container Button I have been using dry shampoo for over 20 years. For this guide, I tested over 25 popular and available formulas on thick, long, and heat-straightened dark hair multiple times over the course of nearly four months. I use it like a dry shampoo throughout my everyday life—after workouts, during a busy work week, on trips. I also get opinions from friends and family with different hair types and textures when I need a second or third opinion. I focus on effectiveness (does my hair still look clean at the end of the day?); ease of application; presence of heavy, sticky, or residue; value; how quickly and well the dry shampoo is mixed in; and whether the scent is light or heavy.Tips for Using Dry ShampooAccordionItemContainerButton Dry shampoo is a great tool to extend your winning hairstyle and will help reduce damage to your hair by reducing the frequency you need to heat style. However, dry shampoo can only go so far. “Best used on second or third day hair.” In other words, don’t skip a week of showering and expect dry shampoo to work wonders. Dry shampoo also cannot be used for more than a few days in a row, because using it too often can cause skin buildup and irritation. you sleep—this is an excellent choice for dry shampoos that tend to thicken. Garrren also recommends running a blow dryer on cold after applying dry shampoo: “If your hair is too colored or fragile, and you have a lot of hairspray or product on it, if you use dry shampoo and don’t blow with cold air, it can sit on top of the hair surface, ” he said. “This can cause the hair to become stiff. It will not damage the hair, but it will make it feel dry or stiff. in the same way: absorbent starch, carrier agent, fragrance, and, in the case of aerosol dry shampoos, propellant. In the old days many dry shampoos contained talc is an absorbent agent, which is often contaminated with asbestos Some dry shampoos can still be listed as ingredients, but nothing is recommended. clay, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, charcoal powder, or even volcanic ash I also tried some other unusual formulas such as paste, liquid spray, and lotion. Although I did not find the last two to be particularly effective for dry hair, I tried to demystify the marketing claim by listing the main function that helps absorb oil.
