Is Dry Shampoo bad for your hair? It’s a question many of us ask ourselves – especially with products we use so regularly!
Dry shampoo has saved our scalps more times than we can say. From last-minute dates to important meetings, dry shampoo has long been a quick fix that has saved greasy strands all over the world. However, have you ever thought about how this mystical spray might be affecting your hair? And, importantly, is Dry Shampoo bad for your hair?
Though it’s easy to brush off any potential issues in favor of keeping those locks dry and fresh, you should probably investigate dry shampoo as a viable product if you’re using it regularly. It’s important to ask yourself ‘Is Dry Shampoo bad for your hair?’ if you’re using it regularly.
So, if you’re wondering whether dry shampoo is bad for your hair, then you’ve come to the right place as we’re about to explore the ins and outs of the stuff!
How does dry shampoo work?
When investigating ‘Is Dry Shampoo bad for your hair?’ – the first thing to do is look at how the product actually works. It’s easy to spray this stuff onto your hair and magically rejuvenate your hair. But have you ever wondered how dry shampoo actually works?
Well, typically dry shampoo contains alcohol or starch as its main ingredient which basically soaks up all the oil and grease in your hair. So, when you apply it to your scalp, those ingredients work to hide that grease as well as they can! It often results in fuller hair, with more volume, and (of course) a less greasy appearance.
So, is dry shampoo bad for your hair?
OK, onto the all important question… Is dry shampoo bad for your hair?
Now, we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but we must tell you that dry shampoo really isn’t great for hair. Of course, it’s fine to use on occasion to extend that extra-special blow-dry, but we don’t recommend using it in place of shampoo or using it too often. We’re totally serious when we say that the last thing you want to do is damage your scalp, and continued overuse of dry shampoo is just asking for trouble.
However, it’s not just your scalp that suffers from too much dry shampoo. In fact, there’s much more to the story than that!
You probably won’t wash your hair as often
Dry shampoo doesn’t actually clean your hair, it just absorbs the oil from it. However, as your hair will probably still look good, you’ll be less inclined to wash it on the reg. Now, you don’t have to wash your hair every day (in fact, this can be a bad idea!), but dry shampoo might encourage you to skip more wash days than you should. At the end of the day, you still need to be washing your hair with a good shampoo to remove oil and dirt and keep your scalp healthy!
The buildup can be nasty
Not only will infrequently washing your hair cause problems with your strands, but if you overuse dry shampoo you might cause dandruff and flaky scalp skin as well. Though this is all fixable with proper scalp care, leaving your scalp oily and relying on dry shampoo is asking for problems. So, if you’re not looking for shoulder snowflakes, then we advise you to lay off the spray for a while!
It can cause scalp pimples – yes, we’re serious!
If the dandruff wasn’t enough to put you off, you might be horrified to know that using too much dry shampoo can also cause scalp pimples to form – yikes! Though the condition is more commonly known as folliculitis (which is caused by clogged hair follicles), the painful bumps that can develop under your hair will not be pleasant and can be tricky to deal with!
It can be hard to remove
Another reason as to why dry shampoo is bad for your hair is the fact that it’s just hard to remove. Because it basically sits on the scalp after absorbing all that oil, it’s extremely hard to wash off properly! Though you can get it out with clarifying shampoos or multiple washes, it can be a difficult product to get out with a simple shampoo and conditioner job.
It can cause damage
Though you might be surprised to hear this, the alcohols and starches in dry shampoo tend to cause major breakage. As these ingredients totally dry your hair out, it can cause individual fibers to crack when you’re brushing or styling. The result? Mega breakage!
Ahhh! So, what should I do instead?
We don’t want to scare you off dry shampoo for life, and it’s a product that’s fine to use occasionally. When asking ‘Is Dry Shampoo bad for your hair?’ whilst the answer is definitely ‘It’s not something you should use every day’ – it’s also not going to ruin your hair if you have it as part of an occasional routine.
However, if you’re looking for a long-term solution that won’t damage your scalp, then be sure to try one of our great solutions below.
Use natural dry shampoos with non-drying ingredients regularly
If you do a little bit of research, you’ll see that there are so many amazing dry shampoos out there that are way less damaging than your typical drugstore dry shampoo. Be sure to look on the bottle for ingredients that do the job with less damage, such as witch hazel and clay, as these ingredients are far less likely to cause long-term damage to your scalp and hair follicles.
Be gentle with your scalp
Whether you’re dry shampooing or washing, just treat your scalp kindly. If you wash your hair too much or wash it too little, you’ll soon find your scalp irritated, itchy, and a bit of a hot mess. So, if you’re trying to avoid fixing a problem and prefer to prevent issues from happening, then just wash your hair appropriately and give that scalp a little TLC.
Don’t wash but don’t leave it too long either
As a rule, you should wash your hair every other day. Though this may be slightly different for those with very thin hair or very thick hair, this rule of thumb tends to work well for most. So, instead of grabbing that supposed miracle bottle of spray, consider just giving your hair a good wash! We promise that your scalp will thank you for it.
Though our article on whether dry shampoo is bad for your hair should act as a word of warning, you don’t need to swear off the stuff forever! Sometimes, it really is the best option for your day, so if you need to fix yourself up in a jiffy, then spray away.
Just please do keep an eye on the condition of your scalp and try and wean yourself off the stuff where you can!
