10 Unexpected Ways to Use Dry Shampoo
You usually reach for dry shampoo on those days when you just don't have time to actually wash hair — us too. But did you know there's actually a myriad of ways to use your dry shampoo?
We spoke with David Stanko — aka Formula Boss, an LA-based, bicoastal hair stylist — to learn more about how he uses his go-to trade secret: dry shampoo.
"As a dude with longer hair, I use a dry shampoo on clean, dry hair as my styling product to get a cool-clean-but-a-day-dirty-look," he said. He doesn't wash his hair every day and his hair texture is fine, so getting the greasy look comes easy — too easy.
So what's the solution? Stanko spritzes dry shampoo around his hairline and up into the roots.
"My tip for using dry shampoo: randomly flip your hair around, aim the nozzle at the roots, but whatever you do ... don't spray too close to the scalp: keep yo' distance — just works better," Stanko said.
And while the traditional way of using dry shampoo is where most people draw the line, there are actually a bunch of other applications.
First, Check the Ingredients
Before you start spraying whatever can of leftover dry shampoo you have lying around, make sure to check the ingredients. Dry shampoo always contains an absorbent. That's how they work. The VEGAMOUR GRO Dry Shampoo doesn't. . We use organic rice starch and kaolin, a fine, white, natural clay, to sop up grease. And if your current dry shampoo just isn't cutting it — good news: GRO Dry Shampoo is here.
Read: Hair Feeling Oily or Greasy? Try This
10 Surprising Ways to Use Dry Shampoo
Of course, there is the most common way of using dry shampoo to relieve your roots of that greasy look and feel. But dry shampoo has a lot of other uses you may not have considered. Here are 10 ways to use dry shampoo:
1. Secure Your Hairstyle
If your hair is squeaky-clean, and especially if it's fine and naturally silky (lucky you!), you may have trouble keeping braids or an updo from slipping and sliding apart. It's a fun fact that kinda dirty hair is actually easier to style, because it has more surface "grip." So, if your hair is just too pristine, or straight, or soft, or whatever, to hold a style, use GRO Dry Shampoo when you're out of hairspray — it even contains red clover and mung bean extracts!
Read: VEGAMOUR Dry Shampoo Review
2. Secure Hair Accessories
Spritz dry shampoo on bobby pins, clips and decorative combs as you style, to give them more traction. They'll hold your 'do longer and stronger.
3. Create Instant Bed-Head
If you want to give your normally innocent-looking 'do some been-there edge, spray a little dry shampoo from root to ends to rough up waves that are too uniform, and to mattify, for a downtown vibe. Dry shampoo can make locks look thicker, creating the illusion of hair density even if your tresses are on the lean side.
4. Tame Unruly Brows
So you've been undoing years of tweezer-abuse with our GRO Brow Serum, and now you're seeing the results. Brow growth can be unruly, which is why some of us overpluck in the first place. But when growing yours in, just mist a psssst of dry shampoo on your fingertip or a clean spoolie brush (do NOT aim dry shampoo directly into your face, please!) and stroke lightly over errant brow hairs into place. It also makes brows look a bit beefier.
5. Enliven Limp Locks
The hair growth journey isn't all marshmallows, unicorns and rainbows: some days, your hair just isn't feeling it. In which case, dry shampoo to the rescue! Mist in into dry hair, flip hair over and blast with your blow-dryer, then shake into place and set with a "cool shot" on the cool setting.
6. Undo a Hard Set
So somehow, you walked out of the salon with Shirley Temple ringlets. To redirect and tone it down, mist on dry shampoo, and use a blowdryer and a large brush to undo a 'do that's just too much.
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7. Rescue Your Rugs and UGGs
This is a legit tip from the trenches. When cooking and dining, oil spatters may go airborne and threaten to ruin your lovely things. If you create an oil slick, on carpet, suede boots, upholstery — give the grease stain a solid coating of dry shampoo, allow to dry for 20 minutes, and vacuum away any trace of badness.
8. Tease It Up
Because dry shampoo adds "tooth" or texture to even sleek, slippery strands, it's a power-tool when you tease or back-comb for height. It works kind of like hair spray but is far healthier for your hair. It won't add that plastic shine, either.
Also: 16 Foods to Grow Your Healthiest Hair Ever
9. Fluff Up Your Bangs
Bangs are so cute but can get greasy and piecey by noon — must be all of that brain-power sizzling in the frontal lobes. Mist the underside of a fringe to keep yours fluffy, and from sticking to your face. Then go about your day without worrying about stringy fringe for one more second.
Related: How to Grow Out Your Bangs Gracefully
10. Add Grip to Anything
Sweaty palms? Mist them with dry shampoo. It's great for yoga moves like downward dog, to prevent yourself from slipping off your mat. Inside scoop: dry shampoo is often used by gymnasts to keep palms dry, instead of messy chalk. You can even mist dry shampoo over your shoulders and back if you're busting a sweat and are in a pinch.
Read: What Is Karmatin?™ VEGAMOUR's Quest for Vegan Keratin
Dry Shampoo Is More Versatile Than Traditional Shampoo
Now, there's no denying the power of the shower. Especially in these stressful times, good water-pressure, a blast of steam, a leisurely lather, and a big, plush towel are just this side of heaven.
But when you just want to look cute for an emergency Trader Joe's run, a plant-based dry shampoo is just the ticket for a follicle-stimulating re-set in seconds.
Dry shampoos are versatile. They absorb oil, of course. But they do this by depositing an absorbent onto the strands of your hair. They actually bulk up the hair a little to create volume and structure, especially if your hair is not especially oily or dirty.
Therefore, your spray shampoo becomes a sculpting medium, and your hair becomes a sort of hair wellness art project!
Here's a tip from the pros: short bursts. It's easy to use too much dry shampoo, when you really just need a little. Section hair and just give each weft a quick spritz for heft. Finger-comb into place.
Use Dry Shampoo to Supplement Washing Your Hair — Not as a Replacement
Dry shampoo isn't a replacement for actually washing your hair — you still need a reliable shampoo in your arsenal — but it can help you get through the days when you don't have the time (or let's admit it, energy) to wash your hair or to spruce up your roots, bangs and even your rugs! Dry shampoo makes a great addition to any hair routine.
More from VEGAMOUR
- How and When to Use Dry Shampoo to Get the Most Out of It
- How to Choose the Best VEGAMOUR Product for Your Hair Needs
- You Asked: Can Men Use VEGAMOUR?
- Hair Vitamins with Biotin
Photo credits: Vlada Karpovich/Pexels
