Purpose of Dry Shampoo Products

Dry Shampoo comes in many shapes and sizes.  You can buy commerical dry shampoo products in either loose powder or spray delivery systems.  You can also make your own formula at home with a variety of recipes utilizing a wide range of powder bases.

Avoid Baby or Similar Body Powders Unless Specifically Designed For Hair Use

Please do not use baby or related talc powders since they can contain ingredients which may are considered to be inappropriate for inhaling.  A common hair fallacy is that baby or related body style powders are a perfect dry shampoo option.

They are not.  If you wish to create your own on-the-fly powder experiment with cornstarch, finely ground cornmeal, oat bran or similar natural food bases.  These types of powders are less likely to cause any allergic reaction or create any type of toxicity to the lungs.

When To Use Dry Shampoo

Originally dry shampoo products were considered emergency first aid hair products designed for use on camping trips, long stays in the jungle (like Heidi Montag on NBC’s I’m A Celebrity….Get Me Out Of Here) or hospital stays.  When I used to work as a candy striper in St. Louis University Medical Center back in the late 1960s Pssst dry shampoo in a can was very popular on the shopping carts we took to the patient’s rooms.

Current Uses Of Dry Hair Shampoo Products

Today dry shampoo has a myriad of uses including:

1.  Functional Use for cleaning the hair.
2.  High Fashion Hair to design and develop a wide range of new textures (matte) and finishes to existing hair.

Type, Texture, Condition of Hair Compatible With Dry Shampoo Products

Dry hair shampoo can be used by any type of hair from fine, medium to thick and texture from straight, wavy, curly and kinky.  It can be used by super short to extremely long hair and for any hair condition or color.

If hair is extremely dark the key is always to make sure all the dry shampoo is completely distributed and/or brushed through to avoid leaving white streaks.  Also, dry shampoo is available in colors which can help with darker hair hues.

Hair Types Which Benefit From Dry Shampoo Products

1.  Functional Use Of Dry Shampoo

Hair which is naturally fine or thin will instantly experience a plumping of the hair with dry shampoo applications.  Also, any hair that gets oily or greasy quickly can benefit from dry shampoo.  In addition, dry shampoo works well for:

1.  Hair consumers with glue-in hair extensions or wefts who only wish to wet their hair as infrequently as possible.

This would also include hair consumers wearing cornrows or other braids, dreads or coils which are only washed infrequently.

Dry shampoo can be used to “spot clean” small sections of the hair such as the fringe areas or areas along the face which get dirty or oily faster.  Hair consumers with braids or extensions can spot clean their fringe or small sections or hair with dry shampoo to keep hair clean and smelling fresh.

2.  Hair consumers who wish to give their hair a break from daily washings.

This is true of hair consumers with very long hair who know that frequent wet washings will add the stress of wear and tear to delicate long strands.  Also, anyone with lots of hair texture such as wavy, naturally curly or kinky hair who follow a natural or no-poo routine will benefit from spot cleaning with dry shampoo.

3.  Hair consumers who can not wash their hair for a medical reason.

Dry shampoo works wonders for people in the hospital or with medical conditions that prevent them from washing their hair.

High Fashion Hair

1.  Dry shampoo will instantly give hair added omp at the end of the day and actually builds in volume.  It can be used afterwork to freshen up the hair, either small sections of the entire head if necessary.

2.  Combine hair prepped with wax, gel or paste and dry shampoo for a new matte textured finish which allows hair to have more pliability and movement.

3.  Use dry shampoo to enhance existing light colored highlights.

4.  Amp up blonde hues with white colored dry shampoo which blends with the hair color to give it more richness.

5.  Combine dry hair shampoo with gel to strengthen Mohawks or other hair shapes.

6.  Use dry shampoo to play with hair and create customized looks.

7.  Mix dry shampoo with styling gels, creams, waxes, puddings to add tighter definition to curls.

8.  Build big volume for hair bumps, updos or similar “big hair” styles.

9.  Remove excess styling products when a heavy hand is used.

How To Use Dry Shampoo

1.  Only use on bone dry hair.
2.  Use in a well-ventilated area.
3.  Make sure hair is completely detangled first before applying.  Use brush, comb or fingers to remove any obvious tangles or knots.
4.  Use in a bathroom or other setting that will not sustain powder residues or is easy to clean up.
5.  Avoid wearing dark clothing OR cover clothing with a towel or other cloth.  When possible dry clean hair before changing into final fashions.
6.  Separate hair into sections that require the dry hair shampoo application.
7.  Clip all other hair out of the way to avoid getting powdered.
8.  Shake can well. 
9.  Apply a minimum of 15″ from the face.
10.  Cover eyes to avoid getting powder in them.
11.  Spray in a sweeping motion to avoid overconcentration of the powder.
12.  After section is cleaned allow powder to sit on hair for 2-5 minutes.
13.  Blot powdered hair with a clean towel to remove excess powder.
14.  Use fingertips to tousle and remove additional powder.
15.  When all obvious product has been removed, use a boar bristle brush or hair friendly comb to style.
16.  If you wish to get even more volume repeat the cleaning steps above.
17.  You may set newly powdered hair on hot rollers or use a hot styling iron to add additional texture.
18.  Finish with a very light hair serum to add back shine and/or a hairspray.

More Information

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 4:34 pm and is filed under Hair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.