Photo source: lackeyandwhitleyrealty.com
Have you ever heard of dry shampoo? Truth is, many of us haven’t. When you think of shampoo, you think about getting your hair wet right? Well it seems that black hair beauty experts use dry shampoo every day for hair blow-outs. And it’s the type of hair treatment you can use anytime you want to quickly clean your hair.
Dry shampoo is powdered shampoo that provides a water-free option for cleansing your hair. This very cool product absorbs excess oils from your roots, freshens up the rest of your hair and leaves it smelling oh so fresh.
The History of Dry Shampoo
Finding alternatives to washing your hair without good old H2O goes back as far as the 15th century when Asian people used a clay powder to dry shampoo their hair.
Americans started using the water-free shampoo method in the 17th century. Back then it was a starch that colored and deodorized wigs, and busy housewives found the dry shampoo method extremely convenient, given their busy lives that included taking care of their husbands.
European women were also freshening up their up their wigs with a powder in the 18th and 19th century.
Which leads us to today, dry shampoos are now widely available and used by stylists and consumers alike.
How many kinds of Dry Shampoo are there?
Dry shampoos are available in aerosol sprays, flour-like powders and frothy mousses.
There are dry shampoos for:
- Fine hair
- medium to thick hair,
- curls or wavy hair,
- color treated hair,
- more volume,
- dark hair,
- oily hair,
- dry hair,
- natural lift,
- texture and hold
And yes, there are dry shampoos specifically formulated for Black Hair!
How Often Should I Dry Shampoo my hair?
If you don’t have time to wash your hair, some stylists suggest using dry shampoo once between regular washing. This hair cleansing option is really a short term solution for maintaining your hair in between washes. So, if you are camping, or on a business trip and don’t want to travel with all of your hair paraphernalia, dry shampoo may be a good option.
Are Dry Shampoos safe to use?
Another great question and the answer will depend on who you ask.
Some experts suggest that a lot of dry shampoos on the market contain talc powder, which (can be) linked to cancer, or harsh chemicals such as isobutane, butylphenyl, and distearyldimonuim chloride.
Others say that dry shampoos can coat the scalp and act as an irritant, which can then lead people to not wash their hair as often as they should, creating a buildup that leads to a red, inflamed, itchy scalp. Ouch!
Are there Organic Dry Shampoos?
There are a number of organic Dry Shampoos available that readily soak up a lot of grease and leave no visible residue.
They contain ingredients like, organic cornstarch, brown rice, horsetail, and orris root powders and essential oils, and boast a variety of pleasing natural fragrances.
Three Dry Shampoo Lessons
1. Don’t overdo it;
2. Do your homework – find a product that best suits your hair and lifestyle;
3. Use it when you need to,
and the rest of the time, learn how to rock a style that can cover up that ‘I need to wash my hair look”.