A few thoughts on dry shampoo...

I was never the kind of girl who didn't wash my hair. In high school, in fact, I washed it every single night, then rose early enough in the morning to painstakingly spray and curl every strand with a scalding hot curling iron. Naturally, this daily ritual fell apart when I got to college. At some point during this hazy period of late nights followed by classes attended with greasy hair smelling faintly of the odd combo of Febreeze and bar smoke, I was introduced to the baby powder trick. Just sprinkle a tiny amount on your scalp around your part, tousle your hair, shake out the excess, pull hair into ponytail and go. The amount bit was tricky with my dark hair...too much and I looked like I'd made a lame attempt at looking like Cruella DeVille. However, it worked well enough to chase away any concerns that I'd receive looks of disgust from everyone I passed.

Flash forward to the present day, wherein I have a full time job with a little extra money to burn and what could safely be called a nasty Sephora.com habit (free shipping for orders over $50! Three free sample with every order!). As I was perusing the hair products I noticed a tab labeled "dry shampoo." Now, I work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or later every week day. My drive to work takes 10-15 minutes. I am not a morning person, for the most part. I think I COULD be, but that's a different story. Bottom line, I abhor waking up early enough to wash, dry, and style my hair. So when I saw the smattering of dry shampoo products I seized upon them.



For my first try I went with the Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray. Initially I was concerned that the scent would be too overpowering...and it IS pretty lemon-citrusy smelling, but overall nothing strong enough to clash with a perfume or make you smell like a house cleaning product. And it WORKED. A nice misting at the roots, a good tousle, and voila, hair that looked as though I'd JUST put down the blow dryer and curling iron. I was obsessed. I also drained the can within two weeks. Pretty sure it should last longer than that at $21 for 3.2 ounces. Right?



So with that thought in mind, I decided to try the Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser. $24, but 4.5 ounces. At first I didn't like it as well. Then I followed the instructions clearly indicated in the name. No one said I was the brightest crayon in the box. So as opposed to Blandi's tousle and shake and go procedure, Ojon requires you to spray the product onto your roots, rub it in with your fingers, and then brush out any excess. Initially this seemed to work. Plus, the smell was a little more up my alley: soft, powdery and unobtrusive. However, after using it a few times I realized that I had to be pretty careful when it came to getting the excess out...I think the rubbing procedure has a way of flaking off the product somehow, so that if you aren't cautiously observant you might walk out the door with what appears to be a mild case of dandruff. Not good. Plus, again, I went through the product entirely too quickly for my taste.




So what, am I a dirty hippie, you ask? Well, I admittedly found the products a little TOO effective, using both at least three times a week...maybe more. I decided to spend a few weeks without before ordering yet again...and then I happened upon a new product, Frederic Fekkai's Summer Hair Wash & Wear. The packaging was orange and rich looking and hip and fabulous. I knew that being a Fekkai product the scent would undoubtedly be divine. I also assumed that it would WORK. So I ordered it. Granted, I was a little confused as to how a spray, as opposed to a dry powder mist, would, as the product description states, "refresh limp or overworked locks without water." This seemed to be in direct contradiction to the name, Wash & Wear, which seems to assume the use of water. Was it a shampoo alternative or not? The directions instructed me to spray sparingly onto my roots and then brush and restyle. So I sprayed. I brushed. And I was horrified when my hair looked greasier than it had before. A couple of days later I tried again, only to get the same result. So now I'm left with a nearly full bottle and no intention of using it on the mornings where I just haven't bothered to wash my hair. Thankfully, I was dead on regarding the scent...it's lush and summery with a hint of coconut and just generally delicious. I think I'll spritz some on for days when I'm out on the boat with wet hair pulled up...especially since the product boasts UV protection.

In the meantime...a couple of mornings ago, as I stood dejectedly in front of the mirror staring at my slightly greasy hair with the realization that I had nowhere near enough time to wash it, my eyes drifted down to the large container of baby powder I've had literally for YEARS on my countertop. I picked it up, deposited a bit at the roots, leaned over and tousled, brushed, and pulled my hair back. It looked...decent. Not great. But decent. Looks like I'll be holding off on any further orders for the foreseeable future...