Dry shampoo, damaging? Advice please

[cdonald2]

Today i used some dry shampoo on my hair. It was Pantene, i was wondering, does anyone know if dry shampoo damage your hair? I almost prefer it to cleansers but i dont want to keep using it if it is damaging. Any advice?

[longhairvixen]

i think that is damaging. it has alcohol that dries out your hair you should make homemade dry shampoo. just take cornstarch and powder your hair so it absorbs the oils then brush it out. if you have dark hair mix it with unsweetened cocoa powder. here is a recipe

http://www.instructables.com/id/homemade-dry-shampoo/

[kitana97]

Check out NightBloomings dry shampoo https://www.etsy.com/listing/121506296/moondust-herbal-dry-shampoo-2-oz?ref=listing-10. I can't recommend it enough - it's the best dry shampoo I've ever used and it gets bonus points in my book for being all natural. It helps me stretch my washes by a few days.

[Caldonia Sun]

I second kitana97's endorsement of NightBlooming's dry shampoo. Very nice product and I don't think it's damaging unless you brush it out of your hair too carelessly.

[Firefox7275]

If you spray from a distance the alcohol evaporates quickly, I would have thought the sebum confers some sort of protection. A microscope experiment on the Sciencey Hairblog found that alcohol caused visible damage only when the hair was wetted with it IIRC. I find Batiste wiped off with a soft microfibre towel leaves me with glossy roots, and stretching washes must reduce hygral fatige (water damage) to older porous ends.

[torrilin]

I've never used a hairspray style dry shampoo product, so I can't speak to how drying they are. The issue with alcohol in hair products is not just for damaging the hair. Alcohol can be drying for your skin as well, and scalps are covered in skin. Some people have a lot of trouble with this, others have much less. For me, the alcohol would probably aggravate my dry skin, so it wouldn't be a good idea. For some hair types, brushing heavily to get all the residue out can be a problem too.

As a teen, I'd use baby powder and brush it out. It works fine, tho the white powder was visible on my dark hair if I wasn't careful. Other posters have recommended cocoa powder as an alternative that works better for dark hair. You can also find recipes online (here and in various online archives) for "airing powder", which is probably what my great grandmother would have called dry shampoo. She was born in the late 1880s or 1890s, so late Victorian and Edwardian beauty books would have been what she grew up with.

I'd class dry shampoo as being reasonably non damaging.

[sarahthegemini]

Unless you're spraying your entire head of hair with a can of dry shampoo each time, I can't see how it would be damaging - just make sure when you do.wash, you wash your hair thoroughly.

Eta: Oh and don't mercilessly comb/brush it out. Use a soft towel to wipe away the excess (tip from Firefox)

[sarahthegemini]

If you spray from a distance the alcohol evaporates quickly, I would have thought the sebum confers some sort of protection. A microscope experiment on the Sciencey Hairblog found that alcohol caused visible damage only when the hair was wetted with it IIRC. I find Batiste wiped off with a soft microfibre towel leaves me with glossy roots, and stretching washes must reduce hygral fatige (water damage) to older porous ends.

So the alcohol doesn't actually reach the hair?

[cdonald2]

wow :) thanks for all the info. I ordered some of the dry shampoo and im hoping it will work out well :)

[meteor]

If you spray from a distance the alcohol evaporates quickly, I would have thought the sebum confers some sort of protection. A microscope experiment on the Sciencey Hairblog found that alcohol caused visible damage only when the hair was wetted with it IIRC. I find Batiste wiped off with a soft microfibre towel leaves me with glossy roots, and stretching washes must reduce hygral fatige (water damage) to older porous ends.

I'm super-curious about this, Firefox! I seem to remember something like this: if you soak hair in something containing alcohol it's damaging, but if you let it evaporate quickly, it's fine. Is that correct?
Or, if you re-wet your hair later (high humidity, rain, misting hair), will it be damaging or should we assume that all alcohol has evaporated at that point? I only have these doubts because I know that hair always has some water in it, so it might hold on to some alcohol...

[Firefox7275]

I'm super-curious about this, Firefox! I seem to remember something like this: if you soak hair in something containing alcohol it's damaging, but if you let it evaporate quickly, it's fine. Is that correct?
Or, if you re-wet your hair later (high humidity, rain, misting hair), will it be damaging or should we assume that all alcohol has evaporated at that point? I only have these doubts because I know that hair always has some water in it, so it might hold on to some alcohol...

I should have posted a linky, I have gotten sooooo lazy whilst only having a smartphone and now this painfully slow netbook. :o
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/alcohol-in-hair-sprays.html


Speaking more from personal experience I have used a (pound shop/ dollar store) dry shampoo that actually wetted the hair, I assume with alcohol/ propellant. That was swiftly evicted from my home!! Batiste goes on dry unless you are right up close, I struggle to believe any alcohol penetrates the hair, after all the starch powder should contain less water than my hair.

So I am willing to take the risk with Batiste, after all within two or three months a given section of hair has grown far enough from the roots to no longer be dry shampoo'd/ very lightly dosed with alcohol. It's then going to spend perhaps FIVE YEARS being subjected to hygral fatigue every time I wash before it reaches my goal hemline. Whilst I don't stretch washes much there is a massive difference between one, two or three day frequency over the lifetime of that section of hair.

Also bear in mind that for many of you with virgin hair (and me, between dye sessions), the root area should be reasonably well protected by the protective fatty f-layer (18-MEA). It might be a different kettle of fish spraying aged ends which no longer have an f-layer so there is greater access to the lipid rich cuticle 'glue' or inner cortex. I would be way less willing to use a spray detangler or treatment containing any more than minimal drying alcohol on my lengths or ends.

If that makes any sense at all. You might post your query on Wendy's blog and see what she thinks about dry shampoo as opposed to hairspray, dry shampoo v. washing more often?

[AmberJewel]

I am currently trying a dry shampoo that I made the other day. It's a mix of ground oatmeal, baking soda, and 3 drops E.O. This is my first time, so we'll see how it turns out.

[ravenreed]

I use Batiste quite often. I don't find it causes any problems at all.

[meteor]

Thanks a lot, Firefox! :flowers: Awesome information! I love your hair expertise! :applause

[Firefox7275]

Ha ha thank you, sadly there are gaping craters in my knowledge base and my hair is FAR from :thudpile:

Fortunately I have all YOU guys to learn handling and styling techniques from. :grouphug: It isn't much but this cack hander can now do three different buns, use a hair stick, no more velcro ends nor splits, hugely reduced breakage.

[meteor]

:) You are definitely way too critical of your hair expertise and your hair, dear Firefox! You know A LOT about hair care and I'm always happy to see your posts because I know they are going to be practical and no-bull! :applause

Oh, and I remember seeing one picture of your hair - it was dyed beautiful pink - and it was so :thudpile: ! Like gorgeous mermaid-hair! Super silky and shiny! :D