Love voluminous hair but don’t want to wash and blow dry every day? Here’s how to use dry shampoo the right way.
Approximately 30% of my energy goes into looking like I’ve washed my hair even though I haven’t. Lately, in particular, the temperatures have been positively freezing in New York to the point where nobody wants to leave the house–and probably shouldn’t–but for those of us with jobs away from home, we simply must. Growing up in Syracuse, I learned that you need to either wash your hair at night or deal with having less-than-pristine hair the next day (blowdrying is my least favorite thing in the world to do myself, so that’s off the table). My favorite tool to be sure the latter doesn’t result in an awful look? Dry shampoo.
A dry shampoo is a wonderful tool full of magical possibilities. No matter where you are, you can easily give your hair volume and texture while not looking like you haven’t washed your hair in 3 days, which you haven’t. Your hair will officially be full of lies–and secrets.
So, how do you properly use dry shampoo? Here’s an easy how-to:
Step 0:
Start off with your gross hair down, obvs. I apologize for my own being extra icky; I had it in a hood all day.
Step 1:
Shake the can of dry shampoo gently, then hold it approximately 10 inches from your hair. I picked Eufora Touch Up in Clear for this tutorial.
Step 2:
Start spraying at the root, where your hair is at its oiliest and shiniest. I part my hair in the middle, so that’s where I started, but you would presumably begin wherever you part yours. Be sure to keep your spritzing fairly even; applying too much product could actually make your hair look more weighed down.
Break:
I strongly recommend splitting this into two mini-processes, as that allows for the dry shampoo to absorb into your hair better. So, if you’re doing this in the morning, spray the product prior to making coffee, eating breakfast, applying makeup, and the like, then come back to it about 10 minutes later.
A lot of people skip this step and in my opinion, this doesn’t allow the product to work as effectively. I put on some theBALM Lipstick in Mia Moore and some Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion, then applied Clinique Brow Shaper in Shaping Taupe because my eyebrows have looked really odd lately.
Step 3:
Massage the dry shampoo into your roots the same way you would with normal shampoo in the shower.
Step 4:
Now brush your hair and enjoy those full, somewhat-sans-oil strands. I also swept my very grown-out bangs to the side, but in retrospect, I’m not sure I love the look. But tada, nonetheless!
Sorry for the blurry picture, all the rest came out awful and embarrassing, but here it is nonetheless. It’s not as full as I’d like, which could be due to how much I desperately need a haircut, but the amount of shine and oiliness is significantly reduced. I can officially exist around my boss and not feel like bowing my head (or covering it, I guess) in shame.
What’s your favorite dry shampoo? And as always, if you have a question or request, let us know in the comments!
Beauty Expert & Hairstylist, Contributing Editor
Dorothy has been a beauty fanatic since she was a preteen growing up in a small Idaho town. She honed her makeup and hair skills on her willing mother and she’s a pro with a pair of tweezers, having fixed many a friend’s unibrow in college. Susan believes the true secret to beauty comes from within, but the right application of mascara and lipstick can help.
