Is A Dry Conditioner As Good As A Dry Shampoo?

You’re probably well-versed on dry shampoos that suck up grease without leaving your hair looking like you dumped white powder on it but what about dry conditioners? If they have dry shampoos, it only makes sense that they would have dry conditioners, right? Dry shampoos usually come in the same spray format as dry shampoos and are meant to give you silky soft ends, all without getting your hair wet. Chi recently launched a dry conditioner in their new product range so I decided to test it out to see if dry conditioners are hero products the way dry shampoos are.

My ends tend to be on the dry side, so a bit of shine and nourishment are always welcome. The Chi Dry Conditioner, $15.99, is described as, “A dry conditioning spray composed of a waterless formula used to condition hair ultimately providing radiant shine. Without rinsing, spray the dry conditioner from mid hair to ends and style as desired.” It is also recommended that you apply it to your second-day hair.

Here’s my hair pre-dry conditioner and pre-gloss treatment:

And here it is after a spritz of dry conditioner:

Check out the close up:

You can’t really see a drastic difference in the before and after photos but I definitely felt the difference. My ends did feel a lot softer and there wasn’t any product residue on them. It did also bring out the wavy texture of my hair. No curling iron is needed here. There’s also no rubbing the product in like there is with dry shampoo. The dry conditioner is like a sheer veil that magically disappears and the only way you know it’s there is your hair is softer and there is the faint scent.

Speaking of the fragrance, when I sprayed the product, I was surprised that it had a warm, zesty scent made up of iced bergamot, lavender, and white jasmine. I expected it to smell either fruity like a regular conditioner or like that lemon-y cleaner smell that some dry shampoos have.

As for the bottle, I only needed a bit, so a large bottle would last a long time. If you want to test it out, it also comes in a travel size for $6.99, which you could stash in your purse for midday touch-ups. The handy twist-around aerosol nozzle is great because it prevents the product from randomly spraying if it gets pressed down. As nice as the scent is, you don’t want it wasted on your bathroom cupboard or handbag.

A dry conditioner may not have the wow before and after factor of a dry shampoo but if your ends are feeling like straw and you don’t want to use a heavy hair oil or sticky shine spray it delivers. It’s a great product to be used in conjunction with your dry shampoo or when you need a texture and/or shine boost throughout the day.

All they need now is a dry aerosol face cleanser and a dry body wash and we’ll almost never need to shower.