Dry shampoo should be in every girl's kit - it helps to prolong your color after a visit to the salon, prevents you from having to wash your hair every. single. day. and also gives texture and bounce. Here, I share some secret dry shampoo hacks...
Dry shampoo is absolutely one of my must-buys; whenever I go anywhere, even away for just one night, I always carry a travel can of the stuff with me, just in case I don't want to give my hair a full blown wash in the morning, or if I want added texture because my hairstyle just won't hold. It has a multitude of uses though, and some very clever hacks that you probably haven't heard of. Here, I share those hacks — because I wouldn't want you to feel left out now, would I?!
1. Choose the Right Formula
Even if you're just using your dry shampoo, as, well, a dry shampoo, you need to pick the right formula. Of course there is one brand that is by far and away the most popular, but there are plenty of brands that offer everything from dry oil nourishment to colored formulas that are perfect for disguising those pesky roots.
Grab a few travel sized bottles and experiment to find your perfect formula.
2. Extra Body And Volume
Spraying a little bit of dry shampoo directly at the roots, throughout the under-layers of your hair, is a surefire speedy way to boost volume and body. It takes just a few minutes, but it'll create extra movement through your hair, which is perfect if you've straightened it and don't want it to look a bit flat or if it's curly but the top layers are just not doing what you want them to do.
3. Too Much Dry Shampoo? Not A Problem
Just blast your head with the cool setting on the hairdryer, and brush through. Don't touch your hair/head to get the excess product out because that is only going to make things look worse! Remember, start with a little, let it settle, then add more if necessary. Too much can also give you a bit of a dry scalp, so you gotta be careful.
4. Hair All Over the Place? Dry Shampoo'll Fix It
If you've been experimenting with a new hairstyle, like an extreme side parting or a center parting, or you've slept on your hair funny and you've woken up with cowlicks and sticky-up-bits all over your head, part your hair as normal, back-comb a little bit at the roots underneath the upper-most layers of hair, then spritz dry shampoo lightly at the root. This should help to disguise any odd bits of hair and will help to provide body, too.
5. Bobby Pins Keep Falling Out Of Your hair?
Two things — 1. make sure that they're sitting wobbly side down (I only starting doing this recently and it has made a major difference), and 2., spray them with dry shampoo to give them a texturized finish for extra hold and grip. Or, spritz your hair with dry shampoo (especially if it's freshly washed and you're trying to accomplish a messy bun or a braided fringe or something) to give it added texture and hold. Those pins will stay right in place all day long.
Use a Natural Boar Bristle Brush
One of the very best tips I can give you for dry shampoo-ing your locks is to use a natural boar bristle brush to distribute the shampoo through your hair. Synthetic brushes just don't work as well at getting rid of any powdery residue left behind, whereas the boar bristles kind of massage the shampoo into the hair and really help to absorb the grease. Leave the shampoo to sit for a good five minutes, at least, then part the opposite side to where you sprayed it and brush, brush, brush until you can no longer see any shampoo. DON'T TOUCH YOUR HAIR WITH YOUR FINGERS, YOU'LL ONLY MAKE IT GREASY AGAIN.
7. Use Dry Shampoo At Night
A hack I'd not actually heard of until I started researching this article was to use dry shampoo at night. Seems a little odd, I know, but it actually makes sense when you think about it. At night, especially during the summer, you sweat. Your hair is going to get greasier when you sweat, and so if you can get a handle on it before you even go to sleep, you'll be ahead of yourself big time. Spray your hair the way you would in the morning before you go to bed, then let it sink in overnight - your hair should be super fresh in the morning. Just brush through and if needed, do a side parting.
8. Dry Shampoo Lets You Skip Washes
Think about it — dry shampoo is really bloody good for your hair. Washing your hair in the shower or the bath too often, and we're talking every day, here, is really not good for your hair. It strips your hair of its natural oils, making it feel greasier more quickly, so if using dry shampoo means that you can skip the wash and keep your hair out of hot water for a couple of days, that's all the better. If you're worried about chemicals or chemical build-up, though, don't fret — you can make your own dry shampoo using baking powder or cornstarch or you can even sprinkle on a little baby powder for exactly the same result. Just be sure to blend, blend, blend, as these homemade remedies can be a little more obvious that shop-bought versions.
9. Use Dry Shampoo To Soak Up Excess Hair Oil
If you've used hair oil and need to soak it up, 'cos your hair is looking a lil bit greasy, dry shampoo'll do the job nicely. Same goes for if you've used a bit too much shine spray, or basically any hair styling product that isn't mattifying or texturising - dry shampoo basically means that you don't need to go take a shower. Win win!
10. Curly Hair All In A Clump? Dry Shampoo It!
If you've curled your hair but it's all sitting in a clump, with all of the curls wounds around one another instead of sitting in strands, one way to separate them out is to use dry shampoo. Spritz liberally over your hair, then use your fingers or a brush to separate the curls. They should be sitting apart from each other.
Do you have any dry shampoo hacks we haven't included? Let us know!
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