Dry shampoo is irreplaceable for those times when you inevitably snooze your alarm and sleep your way through a good chunk of your morning routine. Judging on how hectic our lives have become, it’s not unreasonable to want to work the occasional lie-in into your schedule in lieu of time you’d have normally spent washing your hair.
Of course, even the best dry shampoos should be used sparingly in order to prevent product buildup and clumping. And it’s not even a question of whether or not hair products such as shampoo and conditioner will always have a place in our routines. But sometimes, dry shampoo is our best chance of salvation from limp, greasy roots.
Best dry shampoo at a glance – our top picks:
- Best hydrating dry shampoo: Ouai Super Dry Shampoo, £24, LookFantastic
- Best dry shampoo for second-day hair: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, WAS £22 NOW £15.40, LookFantastic
- Best affordable dry shampoo: Batiste Dry Shampoo Original, WAS £3.25 NOW £2.44, Boots
- Best dry shampoo for styling: Hair by Sam McKnight Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo, £22, Cult Beauty
And what salvation it is. Before we were blessed with the invention of this unsung hero of a styling product, the only option we had to remedy oily hair was to douse our heads with things like talcum powder and tapioca starch – the original dry shampoo – which did the job. Apart from, the obvious of making our hair look incredibly dull and powdery.
Since its arrival, dry shampoo formulations have gone from strength to strength, with streaky, crunchy white solutions evolving into increasingly lightweight, invisible formulas that make your locks look as though they’ve been treated to a fresh blow-dry. There are subtle tinted options offering up even more in the way of root coverage to hide grey hair color or grown out dye jobs, as well as dry shampoos that are able to add oomph, shine and texture to fine hair while concealing and preventing greasiness. Plus, contrary to the sickly sweet scents of the first generation of dry shampoos, many modern versions have a sophisticated fragrance that makes us love a spritz even more than ever.
Combined with this dry shampoo hairdryer hack and the best hairstyles to hide greasy hair, you’ll never suffer from dirty looking hair again. Fancy shopping some more? We’ve got shampoos for thin hair, hair serums and the best soothing shampoo for itchy scalps and dandruff.
For more beauty content from Glamour UK Commerce Writer Denise Primbet, follow her on Twitter @deniseprimbet and Instagram @deniseprimbet.