Dry Shampoo?

[joyfulmom4]

Since I've been trying to wash my hair only once or twice a week, I've become interested in the assorted "dry shampoo" products out there. I would like to be able to improve the appearance of the hair near my scalp as it begins to look a bit dirty and greasy after 2 days. I wondered if a dry shampoo would be effective. They seem to get very mixed reviews online.

I did try plain old cornstarch and the results were miserable. It was so *white* against my dark hair and no amount of brushing would get it out. And it seemed to *create* dandruff by clumping together the oil in big flakes. I went from having slightly oily hair to having dull, grey-white coated hair with big flakes of white in it. And it *itched* something fierce. I couldn't stand the itching. Actually, just thinking about it as I write this is making my scalp itch! Shudder...

So, before I go investing money in purchasing salon products or in buying specialized ingredients to make home-made dry shampoos, are they really worth bothering with? Perhaps I'd be better off just washing?

[amaiaisabella]

Honestly, I bought a dry shampoo and found I had the same results with baby powder. I actually was able to better control the amount of baby powder directed onto my scalp, but it might have been the bottle's construction. It does have a nice scent, though, even though I don't mind the smell of baby powder.

It is good when it's freezing out and you don't want to wash, or are too lazy, like me :D

[joyfulmom4]

Honestly, I bought a dry shampoo and found I had the same results with baby powder. I actually was able to better control the amount of baby powder directed onto my scalp, but it might have been the bottle's construction. It does have a nice scent, though, even though I don't mind the smell of baby powder.

It is good when it's freezing out and you don't want to wash, or are too lazy, like me :D

Was the baby powder hard to brush out? Did it leave your hair whitish-looking? Dull? I remember trying baby powder many, many years ago (like young teens) and it was awful. But I may have applied too much or something. I'm reluctant to try it after the constarch experiment, but I could give it a go (sometime when washing is still an option if it doesn't turn out well).

[amaiaisabella]

It was not at all hard to get out. I sprinkled a little at a time, rubbed into my scalp, then brushed/combed. I had to be careful not to get any on the length of my hair, because it made it dry and tangly. I solved this problem by putting my hair in a loose bun, then lifting areas of hair near the scalp to sprinkle on the powder :)

[ratgirldjh]

you might try using chandan (sandalwood powder). it is brownish in color and smells great and it feels sort of like clay. i think it would soak up excess oils and not leave a white color in your hair and your hair would smell wonderful!

[EtherealJane]

I've looked into making my own dry shampoo too, and I've heard that cornmeal works better than cornstarch. It soaks up excess oil just as well, but it is not as finely ground, and thus easier to brush out. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I plan to.

[ratgirldjh]

i didn't have much luck with cornstarch - i have very dark hair and i could never seem to get all the cornstarch brushed out
but some people really love it - also powdered orris root - and orris root smells nice too!

[joyfulmom4]

Well, I have some cornmeal on hand, so perhaps I'll try that today. Can't hurt since I was going to shampoo anyway. If it works, I can delay the wash. If not, it should wash out.

[EtherealJane]

Well, I have some cornmeal on hand, so perhaps I'll try that today. Can't hurt since I was going to shampoo anyway. If it works, I can delay the wash. If not, it should wash out.
Let me know how it goes! I'm going to try tomorrow I think.

[joyfulmom4]

Let me know how it goes! I'm going to try tomorrow I think.

OK, I tried the cornmeal. I think I used about 1/4 cup (though it was real messy and a lot ended up in the sink immediately). I just used it on the front and top of my scalp, where the greasies show the most.

First, I must say that I liked it much better than cornstarch. B/c of the larger size to the grains, it was much easier to brush/comb out of my hair. And it did leave my hair cleaner looking, though it was a bit of a pitb.

To apply, I separated my hair near the scalp with the fingers of one hand and then sprinkled the cornmeal on the scalp with the other. I applied to multiple sections across the top, then kindof fluffed it around a bit and let it sit for 5 min.

While it was on my head, it was messy and felt the way my head does when I'm at the beach and one of my kids kicks sand into my hair... But sand apparently combs out more readily than dust.

I shook some of it out, then tried my boar bristle brush. When that didn't seem to do the job, I gently combed my scalp with a fine-toothed comb. This got most of the cornmeal out.

The cornmeal got the oil out fairly well. Not like a shampoo. Not even close. But again (as with corn starch) I had trouble getting rid of the little dandruff flakes that loosened. Now, I don't ordinarily notice *any* dandruff in my hair when I shampoo twice a week. But all skin flakes off regularly so presumably the dead skin is being rinsed away when I shower and shampoo, but is hard to just comb/brush away after the dry shampoo. It took a lot of combing, brushing and preening to get the flakes out. Kinda icky.

Afterward, I was able to comb my hair back and it looked smooth and didn't form strings or look oily. It had a bit more lift (though not a lot) and looked presentable. When I ran my hands over it, it did not feel greasy to the touch, but felt smooth and clean. I did think my scalp itched more over the next few hours than usual. Not sure if that was due to all the scritching and brushing or to the dry shampoo. But it wasn't bad, just a minor irritation.

I would give the cornmeal a grade of "C+" for dry shampoo. Unless I had a strong reason to want to keep my hair dry, I would prefer just to wash my hair in the shower. By the time I fussed with all the details of applying, waiting, combing, brushing, etc, it did not save me any time at all. In fact, it took longer than a shower and shampoo. And I would still need to bathe to clean my body too.

I was hoping to find a dry shampoo method for a quick touchup. This was not it. It would work fine though, if you simply could not wash your hair.

[carloota]

joyfulmom4: Have you tried the recipe posted in the link below? I made a batch using corn starch, not corn meal. The cocoa powder is for scent as well as for color. Incidentally, when I was at Sephora, I read the ingredients lists for some of the dry shampoos. Let's just say, some of the ingredients are not something I want to be inhaling. Plus, the shampoos are so expensive compared to just plain corn starch and cocoa powder.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15970

[EtherealJane]

Thanks for the review, joyfulmom4! I'll try it myself, just to test it out, but I'm afraid I'll have similar results. I might make up some for traveling or hiking in the woods or something, but as you say, it may be less time consuming to just suck it up and wash it! :D Luckily, my scalp seems to finally be adjusting from daily washes to every other day washes. I guess I'll just have to slowly stretch it out and deal with the greasies :rolleyes:

[Kerynna]

When I was adjusting to not washing my hair as often (I used to wash every other day, now I wash twice a week and I'd like to extend it even more), I tried baby powder, cornstarch, cornmeal, and mixtures of the above and all left my hair whitish, dull, and dandruffy looking.

I really love the Batiste dry shampoo in a spray can. http://www.sallybeauty.com/waterless-Dry-Shampoo/SBS-381226,default,pd.html It works wonderfully for me and I can target just the oily spots and rub it around my hair and brush it out without any lingering residue. It makes my hair look and smell fresh.

My only problem with the Batiste dry shampoo is that my local Sally's is always sold out of it and I can't find it anywhere else. :(

[enfys]

When I can afford it I buy proper dry shampoo, the one by Lee Stafford is my favourite, but I use baby powder when I'm skint. Haven't had dry shampoo in over a year now...

What I do to avoid looking grey is brush my hair straight back and lean my head back with it, then shake the talc all over that frontish bit of my hair until it's white. Then I brush it out, still with my head back, brushing straight back. When I put my head upright and part it enough talc has gone through it to blot the oil, but no talc went on it directly so it's not white.

This is a method I've had many "antiqued" days while perfecting.

[disoriented]

I occasionally used the commercially available "Batiste" brand. It actually works when applied properly, i.e., shake the can really, really, really well, AND hold the can VERTICALLY all the time and after applying the spray THOROUGHLY comb through. It's a totally complicated job, but when it's done like that, my hair looked fantastically clean and I can go for at least 2 days without washing my hair! However, I once forgot to keep the can in a vertical position and that made the can unusable!! It's so annoying. The can is still full, yet nothing comes out. I had to throw a can away.