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How to properly use dry shampoo [step by step]

How to use dry shampoo

You are probably wondering how to properly use dry shampoo to achieve better results and avoid white residues in your hair. There is nothing more annoying than a sticky and uncomfortable feeling at the roots of your hair!

Dry shampoos have been the great novelty of recent years and they are here to stay. Nowadays we have more and more the culture of not washing our hair too much with chemicals to help protect our scalp.

And dry shampoos will help us a lot to avoid washing our hair too much! But if you do not use them correctly you can feel the opposite effect of fresh roots, and this is not pleasant at all.

The best way to use dry shampoo is to shake and apply the product to the roots with linear movements, keeping about 8 inches away from our scalp. Your hair should be totally dry, and you shouldn’t have your hair for more than two days in a row without washing it.

In this article I will teach you all the secrets of dry shampoos so that you learn to apply them in the best possible way.

How to properly use dry shampoo

I am a total fan of dry shampoos! I have tried every brand out there, and have spent years using it on my clients to test different effects.

The truth is, dry shampoos have a love-or-hate-them reputation. And sadly I have verified that all the people who do not like to use them is because they feel that they leave residues in the hair, or they have a sticky sensation in the roots.

And this happens when we don’t use it correctly!

All these problems can be avoided very easily once we learn the rules of how to use it. It’s not just applying it to the roots!

If your hair is greasy, is quite probable that you might need to use dry shampoo between washes. The main reason is because you want to make sure that you keep the oils under control as greasy hair is bad for your scalp.

But if you don’t use your dry shampoo properly, you can clog your hair follicles! That’s why is important that you learn how to do it right so you can benefit from it.

Let’s start by looking at the basics of how you should use dry shampoo:

Dry shampoo basics

Basics on how to use dry shampoo

Dry shampoos have nothing to do with normal shampoos. A traditional shampoo is a soap-based product designed to be used on wet hair. Dry shampoos are small pressurized powder particles designed to absorb oil or dirt from the hair, and brush it off.

That’s where the name dry shampoo comes from. It’s just because they are small dry powder particles that trap grease and bad odors.

For the same reason, if we do not use it well, the results can be disastrous! The 3 basic pillars of how to use it are:

  • You always have to shake the product: If you don’t shake the product, you will have 3 times more white residue on your hair than normal. As soon as you pick up the bottle, give it a good shake so that the formula becomes homogeneous and then you can use it on your hair.
  • You should always use it on dry hair: If you use it on damp hair or with a little sweat, the powder will turn into a sticky white paste. And it will be impossible to remove! Make sure your hair is 100% dry to avoid sticky sensations on your hair.
  • You should not use it on very oily hair: If you use dry shampoo on hair that has been 4 days old without washing it, the amount of oil will be such that you will only accumulate more residue on your roots. Ideally you should use it the day after you don’t wash your hair or a maximum of two days later. You can use it literally every day, but don’t expect to have super dirty hair or it won’t work.

READ MORE >> The reason why you should avoid dry shampoo on wet hair

How to properly use dry shampoo step by step

How to use dry shampoo step by step

Now I would like to show you step by step how you should use your dry shampoo:

  1. Have your hair brushed and dry. In this way, you can distribute the product better.
  2. Shake the bottle well, and start applying the dry shampoo 8 inches from your roots.
  3. Go by sections, making a linear movement at your roots and lifting sections of hair to reach the most difficult areas.
  4. Once you have applied it in sections to all the roots of your hair, it is time to let it act for a few seconds.
  5. Next, give yourself a scalp massage so that the product can absorb all the fat and dirt from the hair.
  6. Once you have finished massaging your roots, grab a brush and brush your hair preferably in 3 directions (sideways and back).

And ready! You should have your hair clean and fresh. 

If by any chance there is an area in which you have more white residue, try to shake it with your fingers to remove the excess.

READ MORE >> How to fix when dry shampoo makes your hair greasy

make the most of your dry shampoo

Make the most of it

Now that you know how to use dry shampoo like the pros. Let’s see all the different ways you can use it!

Obviously its main function will always be to clean the greasiness of our scalp. However, it also works very well to eliminate all kinds of odors from the hair, including the smell of cigarettes.

Another of the most common uses of dry shampoo is to volumize hair. If you use it on clean and dry hair, it will give a volumizing effect on your roots because it will create texture in your hair.

If you put your head upside down and apply the dry shampoo massaging your hair you will get a spectacular volumizing effect!

My last piece of advice is to use the best quality dry shampoo possible! If you use a supermarket dry shampoo it will probably leave you with a lot of residue and will not give you a pleasant sensation.

It’s well worth investing in a quality dry shampoo that makes your hair feel clean and residue-free. My favorite is the Klorane dry shampoo. It cleanses your hair very well, smells delicious and doesn’t leave a residue on your scalp.

READ MORE >> How to wash your hair properly step by step

Bottom Line

I hope this article has been helpful to you in knowing how to use dry shampoo correctly to avoid white residue on your hair.

If you haven’t tried a dry shampoo yet, you should. I assure you that your results will surprise you! Just remember to never use it on wet hair, and buy the best quality product possible.

In case is difficult for you to tell if your hair is greasy and you are not sure if you should be using dry shampoo often, check if your hair gets greasy after one day. That is one of the main signs of oily hair.

And if you have oily hair, using dry shampoo frequently will be your best friend.

Until next time!