Hairdressers often say that washing your hair every day will dry it out. But we all know what happens when you don’t wash your hair: Things can quickly go south, right into a bad hair day. But there is a happy compromise—dry shampoo. It’s not exactly a new concept, but today’s products are much improved and can leave your hair looking better than it does on the days you do shampoo! They offer something called ‘texturizing,’ which adds body and the right amount of hold. See what the T&S editorial staff thinks about the products it tested.
[home remedy]
» Vaughn Barber’s Powder
If you want to go old school, you can use baby powder to absorb excess oil on the scalp and hair. This classic talc offers “a smooth, silky, powdery feel,” and it has impressive ingredients: rice bran oil, arrowroot powder and meadow foam seed oil. The scent, American Riviera, is a little masculine, however.
—Dorothy Weiner, Editor in Chief
online at V76.com, $25
[still a fave]
» Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
This is meant to be an alternative to dry shampoo, and it lives up to its promise of building volume and adding texture. Supposedly, it’s the ‘patented polymers’ that absorb oil at the roots and add pouf to otherwise limp-looking hair. Whatever we have to thank for the result, it does deliver with classic Oribe ‘wow.’ Using it might take some getting used to, as it comes out like a blow torch, making it tricky to control flow and coverage.
—Dorothy Weiner, Editor in Chief
Neiman Marcus, $42
[less is less]
» Sephora Express Dry Shampoo
I don’t care what anybody says, if you have oily hair—and mine is still as oily as a teenager’s—dry shampoo is not the best option. It’s getting enthusiastic online reviews, but it didn’t work for me. Maybe I didn’t use it the right way—there aren’t any instructions on the can! But after spraying it on my roots and brushing it out, my hair looked as limp and lank as ever. It smells nice, though, like apples.
—Tony Di Martino, Senior Editor
Sephora, $9
[texture and scent]
» R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo
Don’t let the name scare you—this dry shampoo takes inspiration from the desert in the best way. With just a few spritzes, it absorbs excess oil and delivers hair that’s big, beautiful and wildly textured. Scented with one of R+Co’s signature scents—a combination of bergamot, wild fig, cedarwood and tonka bean—it smells great, too.
—Stephanie Zeilenga, Managing Editor
online at RandCo.com and select salons, $29
[thicker is better]
» SHOW Premiere Dry Shampoo
If you want noticeable texture and a little volume without any hassle, this shampoo is for you. The blend of natural powders and extracts removes excess oil from hair while also conditioning, so you can still have luscious locks between washes. Just be careful—the spray comes out with force!
—Karyn Meyer, Associate Editor
Sephora, $47
Photo: Bill Barrett