dry shampoo -- an infommerical.

after reading the many comments inquiring about dry shampoo, i thought i'd share my vast knowledge on the subject.

actually, i don't really have vast knowledge about it. i use it because my sister told me to. she has vast knowledge on this subject. she even wrote a paper about it. for credit. smart cookie she is.

anyway. you probably know by now that sulfates in shampoo are bad, bad, bad news bears. they are the same ingredients that are found in dish detergent, which make them extremely harsh on your hair, stripping it of its natural oils. over time, hair grows accustomed to shampoo and whenever it's not shampooed, your hair feels super greasy because the natural oils freak out and try to overcompensate for the oils that have been previously stripped. very technical terms, i know.

there are sulfate-free shampoos on the market, some better than others. i use the l'oreal brand, but if it wasn't so expensive, i'd use wen instead. you can also make your own non-shampoo, like this cool gal -- i definitely want to try this, but i'm not quite ready to make this big leap yet.

anyway, i wash my hair maybe once every 4-6 days. this includes days of "working out" (i.e. taking my dog for a brisk walk in the hot sun), swimming, etc. when i first started reducing the number of washes, it took a bit of time to "train" my hair to get used to the lack of shampoo. i'd start by washing every other day and wearing my hair up in a ponytail on the second day so the hair grease was less obvious. classy, i know. on non-hair-washing days, i simply put my hair in a ponytail or bun and hop in the shower. the ends of my hair will often get wet, but it's not a big deal. you can also be like my sister and wear an old lady shower cap instead.

dry shampoo helps reduce the grease in between washes. hence it being my BFF. :)

here's a quick and dirty how-to.

i can't believe i'm showing you this, but as in any infommerical, you totally need the scary black-and-white before shot:

greasy and nastypants. and apparently, i look like that scary thing from "the grudge" when i'm in black-and-white. not that i actually watch that scary stuff. eek.

step 1
grab sections of your hair and sprinkle the dry shampoo near the roots, but not directly on your scalp.



step 2
use your fingers to massage the dry shampoo into your hair.


step 3
repeat in other sections of your hair until the grease is eliminated. i usually end up going around the crown area, focusing specifically near my part where the grease is most visible.

and voila! non-greasy hair.


i use the oscar blandi dry shampoo that i bought at sephora. it's about $20. there are also drugstore versions and spray versions, but this is the only one i've used because my sister did her research and said this one was the one to go with. ;)


it's white and the same consistency of baby powder. at first, i was concerned that because my hair is dark, the dry shampoo would show, but once you really massage it in and it absorbs the grease and sweat (yum!), you can't see it. you have to be careful to not sprinkle on too much -- a little goes a long way. i've had this bottle since january and i'm not even halfway through!

good stuff. good, good stuff, i tell you.

okay, i think that answers all of your questions. if you have more, ask away. i'll bring in the big guns (aka, my sister) to help answer any other questions.

and because i can't leave you with that burning image of me from "the grudge," here is a cute picture of this little boy i know.


much better.
:)


p.s. oscar blandi and his peeps do not know i'm writing this. i just love this stuff so much, i had to share. grace + dry shampoo = tru luv.