Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Of citizens Ancient civilizations rubbed clay powder into their hair, and right up until the first commercially available dry shampoo hit the market in the 1940s, people have spent their entire lives trying to bridge the gap between dirty hair and busy lifestyles. I distinctly remember my mother using baby powder in the 1980s, as well as her first purchase of dry shampoo from the drugstore in the early 2000s. It was like spray paint and probably contained enough chemicals to poison a small animal, but it did the job of letting me skip a few days of tedious washing, drying, and drying. Straighten the routine. This break was good for my mind as well as my hair.
By 2022, commercially produced dry shampoo received its first major black eye problem when companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever conducted voluntary recalls of their own dry shampoo. Possibility of high benzene levels. Familiar drugstore brands like Dove, Nexxus, and Suave were suddenly being viewed as a cancer risk, raising the question with dry shampoo in general: What’s actually in this stuff?
Fortunately, since the recall, most companies have tested their products for benzene and other harmful chemicals. Third party testing is difficult to obtain, but non-profit organizations Environmental Working Group (EWG) It is independently financed and has… Skin Deep Database Tool For consumers to analyze harmful ingredients that may be lurking in cosmetics and personal care products. We’ve included their data on specific types of dry shampoo in this guide. However, if you’re looking for completely chemical-free ways to expand your style, check out the dry shampoo alternatives box below.
For more tips on buying hair styling products, check out our guides to The best hair straighteners, Best curling iron, The best hair dryersand Best diffusers for curly hair.
Enjoy unlimited access to Wired. Get best-in-class reports that are too important to ignore just for the sake of it $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive content just for subscribers. Subscribe today.
I have been using dry shampoo for over 20 years. In this guide, I tested over 25 popular and widely available formulas on my thick, long, heat-straight dark hair several times over the course of about four months. I used it just like I would any dry shampoo during my daily life, after workouts, during busy work weeks, and on trips. I’ve also sought the opinions of friends and family with different hair types and styles when I needed a second or third opinion. I focused on effectiveness (did my hair still look clean at the end of the day?); Ease of application, no heaviness, stickiness or residue. value; How quickly and effectively you mix dry shampoo; And whether the smell is mild or overwhelming.
Tips for using dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is a great tool for extending your hard-earned hairstyle and will help reduce damage to your hair by reducing the frequency you will need to heat up the style. However, dry shampoo can only go so far.
“Dry shampoo releases natural oils and cleanses the hair, but it won’t remove as much product,” notes celebrity hairstylist Garren, co-founder of hair products company R+Co. “It is best used on second or third day hair.” In other words, don’t skip showering for a week and expect the dry shampoo to work its miracle. Dry shampoo should also not be used for more than two days in a row, as using it too often can cause buildup and irritation on the scalp.
Using dry shampoo at night is another technique recommended by many experts, because it can work to absorb oils while you sleep, and this is an especially good option for dry shampoo, which tends to be thick. “If your hair is dyed or overly brittle, and you have too much hairspray or product, if you apply dry shampoo and don’t comb it out with dry shampoo,” Jarren also suggests running your hair dryer on cold after using dry shampoo. He said cold air can settle on top of the hair’s surface. “This can cause hair to become stiff. It won’t harm the hair, but it will make it dry or stiff.”
What’s actually in this stuff?
There are countless dry shampoos that claim to have revolutionized the dry shampoo experience, but most work the same way: an absorbent starch, a carrier agent, a fragrance, and, in the case of aerosol dry shampoo, a propellant. In the past, many dry shampoos contained talc as the absorbing agent, which was often contaminated with asbestos. Some dry shampoos may still list it as an ingredient, but none of the ones we recommend do.
Some companies add other natural absorbent minerals in addition to the starch, such as kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, charcoal powder, or even volcanic ash. I’ve also tried some unusual formulas like the paste, liquid spray, and lotion, though I haven’t found the latter two particularly effective for my hair. For each dry shampoo we recommend, I’ve tried to help demystify marketing claims by listing the key functional ingredients that help it absorb oil.
