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View Full Version : Dry Shampoo: Where am I going wrong?



swords & roses
July 14th, 2014, 08:59 PM
I've tried a couple different dry shampoos, both store-bought and one home-made by a friend. But neither of them make my hair look any less dirty. Sure, it smells better, but with the kind of work I do, my hair needs to look clean at all times. I can't cover it at the office, & it looks more dirty pulled back (another requirement of my work) than it does when loose. I want to make the dry shampoo work, to enable me to stretch washes to more than every other day. It should just be a process of spray, smoosh, & brush to see less dirty hair with dry shampoo, right? Where am I going wrong?

(Side notes: the store-bought one is by Tresseme, so I'd assume it works decently for plenty of people, otherwise a big company wouldn't bother selling it. The home-made one works perfectly fine for my friend. Just not for me.)

kitana97
July 14th, 2014, 09:30 PM
The best one I've come across is NightBlooming's https://www.etsy.com/listing/121506296/moondust-herbal-dry-shampoo-2-oz?ref=related-7. The process - if using a dry vs a spray - should be to let it sit on your hair for about 15 minutes to soak up the oil and then brush it out.

amanda_the_tall
July 14th, 2014, 09:30 PM
Have you tried cocoa powder? As long as you don't mind smelling like chocolate and really rub it in, that's worked for me. I see you also have fine hair, I do too and I've never had a dry shampoo work for me. (I've also tried Tresemme). I think its because the finer hairs don't have as much surface area to disperse oils, but that's just my crazy hypothesis. Hopefully someone will be able to recommend something to help you out!

firevegan
July 15th, 2014, 12:42 AM
You could try looking over the 100% cocoa shampoo powder thread. I'm going to try this once my hair gets oily. (it's kind of dry)

Nesoi
July 15th, 2014, 01:08 AM
Batiste works great for me, if you haven't already tried that brand.

synchrostatic
July 15th, 2014, 03:50 AM
The Tresemme one doesn't really work, from my experience. Batiste is the best I've tried, the Not Your Mother's one and the Psst! brands are okay. Although, plain old cornstarch can work pretty good as well.

JustPam
July 15th, 2014, 04:45 AM
I found the Tresemme one is too light duty for more than a day dirty hair, maybe would only be useful for freshening up morning washed hair in the evening or something. I use Batiste and it works great for me, not sure how widely available it is at your end though, it's the most popular brand in UK. I'm also using peppermint essential oil in my shampoo for growth but it also helps reduce the rate of sebum production, so you could maybe try that too.

Nesoi
July 15th, 2014, 05:35 AM
JustPam, how do you use the oil? Just a drop in your shampoo or?

FoxyGhost
July 15th, 2014, 05:44 AM
The suave dry shampoo was the only dry shampoo that sort of works for me. Most of the time they seem to make my hair or almost waxy feeling. Have you thought of just washing your scalp with a diluted shampoo every other day and having you full wash only a few days a week.

mithrandir
July 15th, 2014, 07:24 AM
I have the Tresemme dry shampoo as well and every time I use it I see almost no difference. Since my hair is so dark it sometimes leaves a white streak and I look a bit like the bride of Frankenstein. :\ I'd love to try the Batiste next- I've heard good things about it plus they have a bottle for people with darker hair.

I read somewhere to apply dry shampoo at night, so as you tossed and turned it could work its way through your hair. I woke up happy with the results, but I don't know how hair friendly that advice is.

Cania
July 15th, 2014, 07:51 AM
Batiste is great, I had good luck mixing arrowroot and cocoa powder too. Are you using enough? Are you rubbing it in properly? I find I really need to scrub at my scalp with it and fluff my hair as much as possible, then brush out with a BBB or similar.

Are you applying to the top of the head, or all over? I find I need to pull my hair back in sections and apply to each area of the roots.
Also, how greasy is your hair when you apply it?

JustPam
July 15th, 2014, 08:19 AM
JustPam, how do you use the oil? Just a drop in your shampoo or?

Yeah I mixed a few drops into about 250ml of shampoo (half full bottle) and gave it a good shake.

Nadine <3
July 15th, 2014, 09:51 AM
Store bought dry shampoo never works for me and Tresemme seemed to do absolutely nothing. I've had good luck with cocoa powder though. For the most part I like giving myself a scalp massage and using my fingers to sort of pull the sebum down my length.

Cocoa powder does work very well, however be careful applying it so you don't get it anywhere but your hair. I got it on the side of my face once and it mixed with the oils on my skin and made a big brown skip mark by my ear. I didn't notice until a friend pointed it out for me...I was pretty embarrassed. I told her I spent the morning baking and must have itched my head with cocoa on my hands and didn't notice. :cool:

kochakaden
July 15th, 2014, 01:42 PM
I hate the Tresemme stuff - I swear by Batiste, and sometimes buy Got2Be when it's on sale.

SkyChild
July 15th, 2014, 02:10 PM
I swear by batiste too.
I tend to spritz LOTS on my parting, and then lift about a one-inch layer either side of my parting, right in at my scalp, and spritz under that too. Then I tjuz (I'm assured this is a real hair term) it around. I find that brushing out with a BBB actually takes most of it back out and makes me look greasy again. So I don't. I just fluff it with my fingers and go from there. You can get a brown-tinted one but I just use the white. I don't think it shows on me, and I have dark brown hair.

GetMeToWaist
July 15th, 2014, 02:29 PM
Sometimes i use flour and just a pinch soaks up all the oil AMAZINGLY, literally looks like i just washed my hair. You have to rub it in a bit and only use a tiny bit, but its well worth it!

ARG
July 15th, 2014, 02:36 PM
The suave dry shampoo was the only dry shampoo that sort of works for me. Most of the time they seem to make my hair or almost waxy feeling. Have you thought of just washing your scalp with a diluted shampoo every other day and having you full wash only a few days a week.

Yeah, Tresseme didn't work for me at all, but Suave worked, I just disliked how it felt against my scalp and end up washing it out that night. Corn starch on a fluffy make up brush works really well, and it leaves no other residue.

For the Suave, I apply it do my roots, mainly the front of my head, and do my makeup while I let it sit in (15 minutes), then rub it into my scalp with the pads of my fingers, detangle with a wide tooth comb, then use my BBB to brush it all through, then style.

With the cornstarch, I lightly tap my blush brush into it, tap off the excess, and pat it throughout my hair has a I part it. I let it sit for about 15-20 minutes, rub it in with the pads of my fingers, then detangle, BBB, and style.

The commercial aerosol dry shampoo tends to act more like a hair spray on my hair, so I work with it quicker, while with the cornstarch I can use less, and my hair feels better afterwards. I haven't used cocoa powder because I'm allergic to chocolate.

jupiterinleo
July 15th, 2014, 02:47 PM
I swear by batiste too.
I tend to spritz LOTS on my parting, and then lift about a one-inch layer either side of my parting, right in at my scalp, and spritz under that too. Then I tjuz (I'm assured this is a real hair term) it around. I find that brushing out with a BBB actually takes most of it back out and makes me look greasy again. So I don't. I just fluff it with my fingers and go from there. You can get a brown-tinted one but I just use the white. I don't think it shows on me, and I have dark brown hair.

I use cornstarch instead of Batiste but using a BBB to brush it all out doesn't work for me, either. I tried it today and I look greasy all over again, just with more volume than before, haha. Oh well. I'll use fingers next time.

ravenreed
July 15th, 2014, 03:36 PM
I also have hair that looks oilier up and back then down loose! Especially my bangs. I HATE oily looking bangs. Glad to know that I am not alone.

I use Batiste as my main dry shampoo and it works really, really well for me for hair that is just a bit too oily and flat be seen in public. It does't work for completely gunky hair, at least not for me. So, since I normally wash every other day, third day is when I might use dry shampoo to get out and about if I can't wash for some reason.

I lift up sections of hair and lightly spray the parted areas. I only do the bangs/fringe area, the hair above my ears, and the top/crown area. I don't seem to get too oily in the back. Anyway, I let the dry shampoo sit a little bit and then use my Tangle Teezer to help distribute it completely. After a few minutes, I vigorously brush with my Tangle Teezer, followed by my BBB. It is the only time I actually use a BBB, but it helps get out all the dry shampoo residue.

The other thing that I have used successfully is silk powder. I tried the Nanny Somebodie's airing powder and it smells HEAVENLY, but I don't like the crumbly feeling it leaves in my hair.

woodswanderer
July 15th, 2014, 03:57 PM
The Tresseme spray was a disappointment for me too. It made my up hair look old and dusty even after I brushed it out. I think the issue is that the spray is white. I'm sure it looks ok for blondes, but any residue might show up more for darker hair. I sometimes use a little of my translucent mineral veil powder, which is alright, but I plan to try the cocoa soon.

martyna_22
July 15th, 2014, 04:13 PM
I agree with cocoa powder supporters :D It looks like you could pull it off with your hair color. It really does work, you just have to be thorough, and it's amazing stuff.

Loviatar
July 15th, 2014, 06:23 PM
Another vote for Batiste. I found Tresemme was useless as was Inecto sadly as I would love to use coconut dry shampoo. Anyway I have Batiste, Lee Stafford (UK only maybe) and Batiste Nude, which is a non aerosol type, just cornstarch and talc I think. I put that on with a face brush, "powdering" my parting and hairline. For oilier days I like the aerosol Batiste.

I spray my parting, then spray about 2 inches either side of my parting but under my canopy. Then I leave it for 10 mins when I wash my face, brush teeth etc. I then zhuzh it around and if I have any white patches I brush it with my Denman (not a BBB, that makes it look oily again).

I find dry shampoo also works great as texturising/volumising powder. :)

Larki
July 15th, 2014, 06:38 PM
I have Tressemme. It gives my hair CRAAAAAAZY volume, but isn't the greatest as far as "making my hair look clean" goes. Maybe I'm just completely intolerant of oily hair, though.

swords & roses
July 16th, 2014, 05:41 AM
Y'all are awesome! So many great ideas here! Thank you all so much!

It seems a big factor I've been missing is to let anything I use SIT for a bit. Makes sense! Also sounds like I should dig out my old, busted hard-bristle brush for detangling after tzuzing (that's a fun word!), rather than my wire-&-BBB-combo brush.

I'm going to try my friend's concoction again, a little differently, & see how it does. I don't think I used nearly enough last time, and I didn't lift up any hair when I sprayed it on. So this time, more, & put some under my canopy! I'm also going to spray some on today, since yesterday was wash day & tomorrow is supposed to be wash day again. Maybe if I start the dry shampoo thing before my hair gets visibly gross, it won't look so bad tomorrow?

I'm adding the idea of a scalp-only wash with diluted shampoo to my list of experiments to try! Of course, I'd want to condition after, but that shouldn't hurt anything. ;)

I like the ideas of cocoa powder or just plain cornstarch or flour, too. I have a small empty jar that could hold any of those perfectly well for dunking a makeup brush into.

Batiste: Is this it? (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Batiste-Original-Dry-Shampoo-6.73-fl-oz/34329092)

swords & roses
July 16th, 2014, 07:30 AM
Ok, I'm a dork! When I reached for the homemade stuff this morning, I noticed a bunch of sediment that had settled to the bottom of the bottle. I didn't get it all shaken up the last time I used it! Whoops! :rolling: So now that I got it all mixed up right, let's see how it works this time! I have also learned I need to spray it on *before* getting dressed for work, wearing dark clothes. ;)

Forgot to mention, the idea of sleeping on dry shampoo could work for me. I sleep with my hair loose already. :couch: Only catch is that DH doesn't care for scented stuff, but I could try something without smell to it. Added to the experiment list!

shutterpillar
July 16th, 2014, 09:07 AM
I've tried Suave dry shampoo, and that works well for me but I haaaaate how strong the smell is. I'm sensitive to strong smells, so I usually get a headache while wearing it.
I've also tried cornstarch and that worked pretty well, but my hair is dark and I can never seem to get all of it out so it's not visible in places. That's probably just user error, though. ;)

Looks like I need to try this Batiste stuff!

Edit to add: I also tried Garnier Nutrisse's dry shampoo and it wasn't very good. I don't feel like it soaked up much of the oil at all. However, it did smell very nice. :)

divinedobbie
July 16th, 2014, 10:48 AM
I have fine hair and every dry shampoo I've tried works decently, so I don't think it's a fine hair thing. tresseme worked pretty good but it made my hair tough to comb. Aveeno doesn't work too well. The one that works amazing for me is 21-something or something-21.can't quite remember - someone help me out please:) also cocoa powder worked magic. It might just be finding the right one for you.

swords & roses
July 16th, 2014, 12:20 PM
Just got the details on the homemade stuff from my friend, for anyone looking to make their own! She mixed up witch hazel, cornstarch, lavender essential oil, & water in a spray bottle. :)

synchrostatic
July 16th, 2014, 03:49 PM
Also wanted to add that I've tried the Herbal Essence's Naked dry shampoo and it did even less than the Tresemme stuff.

winship2
July 17th, 2014, 12:09 AM
I don't have much good to say about Acure's dry shampoo either. Going to have to try the cocoa powder.

Firefox7275
July 19th, 2014, 10:58 AM
I don't massage in or brush out, I wipe the excess off with a soft microfibre towel for clean looking glossy hair. I use Batiste, it's the best I have tried and well priced in discount stores.