Dry Shampoo Overview

Dry Shampoo is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to have the appearance of clean hair without investing the time necessary to achieve it. Let’s face it: washing hair takes time. It’s not just about spending the 2 minutes or so it takes to lather and rinse… once you get your hair wet, you then have to dry it, and in most cases, style it as well. This can become rather tedious day after day. Thankfully, you can skip all of those steps and save a lot of time by using a little-known product called dry shampoo.

Dry shampoo is a specially formulated powder that gives hair a clean appearance and fresh feeling. It absorbs the excess oil that leaves hair looking greasy between washings. All you have to do is apply the “shampoo” to your hair and then brush it through. The result is soft-looking, lightly fragranced hair and a few more days before you have to get out the liquid shampoo.

Although still somewhat of a beauty secret, this powder shampoo is available from several cosmetic brands in a variety of prices and formulations. It has been around since the 70′s and was traditionally sold in a shaker but is now also available in a more convenient spray bottle. It can be a little pricey, but it pays for itself in terms of saving money on water for washing, electricity for drying and styling, not to mention the cost of styling products. Moreover, the time saved by using this product makes dry shampoo well worth the money. It is also usefulon short trips so you don’t have to lug around all of your styling tools and products.

A brush is all you need when working with dry shampoo.

A brush is all you need when working with dry shampoo.

Another benefit of powder shampoo is that it adds some volume to your hair. Hair that hasn’t been washed for several days not only looks greasy but also rather lifeless. By brushing in some dry shampoo, volume is instantly created. A bit of dry shampoo can help give a little bit of body and create the illusion of freshly blow-dried hair. The fragrance can help mask smoke and sweat odors as well.

This type of shampoo is very convenient to use on oily hair in a pinch, but it is not a long-term substitute for washing your hair the traditional way with regular shampoo and water. It is intended only to extend the time between washings, not replace them. Most people need to wash their hair the regular way at least once per week, and on the days in between when hair starts to look dirty, turn to dry shampoo.

Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It Mattifying Powder

Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It Mattifying Powder is a great dry shampoo that is geared toward those with fine hair. That’s because this particular dry shampoo is very good at providing volume and lift. In fact, many people who don’t need a shampoo substitute buy Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It Mattifying Powder specifically for its volumizing capability.

This powder does a great job of giving hair a bit of lift without having to use the dreaded hairspray and backcomb technique. A small amount of this powder is all it takes to create some volume. You just rub it between your hands and then pat it into your hair toward the roots.

Because it is a mattifying powder, Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It can instantly make your hair look less greasy. When you don’t have time for washing, it’s a great quick fix that works well. When it’s your third or fourth day without washing your hair, this can combat both the greasiness and the limpness that are telltale signs of unwashed hair. While there are other dry shampoos on the market that work better at eliminating grease, this one is superior when it comes to battling the limpness and flatness that often come along with dirty hair. Some dry shampoos can make your hair a little bit too matte but Schwarzkopf got it right with this formula. It makes hair look matte but not powdery and it doesn’t show up on darker hair the way some other white powders can.

One word of advice: a little bit of Osis Dust It Mattifying Powder goes a very long way. Begin using the tiniest amount imaginable. You can always add more, but you probably won’t need to. It is very concentrated and you need even less than you think you do. The upside of this is that the bottle lasts a very long time. When you first see the bottle, you will be alarmed at its small size but in the end you will get plenty of use from it. You definitely don’t want to use too much or your hair will end up too stiff and feel a bit rough and even sticky to the touch.

If you need body, Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It is definitely the way to go. This powder can transform fine, limp hair pretty easily and make it look full of life. It’s just a matter of shaking a tiny amount on your hair and then poofing it up a bit with a comb or your fingers. It really doesn’t get any easier than that. Even better, you don’t need to use mousse or hair spray or any other products. If your hair does fall flat- for example, after wearing a hat- you only need to fluff it up with your fingers a bit and it will bounce right back to being full again. It’s hard to imagine how a bit of powder accomplishes all that, yet somehow it does.

If your hair needs a bit of life and body, Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It Mattifying Powder is the way to go. It’s a simple way to achieve volume and has the added benefit of eliminating the greasy look as well. Click here to read more reviews of Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It.

The worst thing about this product is the price. Although it retails for about $20, you can find Dust It much cheaper on Amazon and even buy it in bulk for further savings. Click on the links below for more information, to read more reviews, or to buy.

Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It 10 gm

$10.25

OSIS Dust It ~ Mattifying Powder by Schwarzkopf .35oz (Pack of 3)

$29.99

Coconut Oil For Hair

Many people are surprised to learn that using coconut oil for hair can completely transform the condition and appearance of your locks. If you are not aware of the benefits of using this natural treatment, it is time to learn more about what it does and how it works so you can decide if this treatment is appropriate for your hair. It is particularly effective on dry hair and damaged hair. In Asia, women have known about the coconut oil benefits for hair for many years but it is only starting to gain popularity in the rest of the world as a treatment for dry hair.

Coconut oil is unique compared to other oils typically used on hair such as mineral and sunflower oils because it can actually penetrate through the hair shaft to the scalp and infuse it with protein. This helps hair to grow stronger, have more body, and be less resistant to breakage. If your hair is lacking a bit of life, this is a great way to add some bounce. It also makes dry ends or split ends appear much healthier thanks to the fatty acids it contains. This oil moisturizes and fortifies hair in a way that no other treatment can.

Not just any oil or product labeled with coconut will do the job, however. First of all, coconut shampoo is easy to find but this does not carry the same benefits as the oil. Many of these shampoos only feature the fragrance of shampoo so you are going to have to look a bit harder to find what you need. A health food store or natural beauty aisle is a good place to start. You must use pure coconut oil for hair to reap the benefits so avoid the refined types. These lose all of the nutrients that help the hair during processing. That’s why it is essential to seek out something labeled as virgin coconut oil. For hair, the closest you can get to nature is usually a better choice so read labels and ingredients very carefully.

When you buy pure coconut oil, you might be surprised to find that it is not a liquid at all but rather is more of a wax. It only becomes a liquid at higher temperatures so some slight warming may be necessary before using it. It is usually enough to scoop a bit out and warm it slightly in your hand before applying it to your hair. If you purchase it in liquid form, there is a good chance it is not virgin coconut oil so again, make sure you are getting the real thing if you want to reap the benefits.

After warming the oil, apply it to dry or damp hair. Make sure hair is not dripping wet when you apply it. Pay extra attention to the scalp, massaging into the scalp so it can penetrate. Then distribute it all the way through to the ends of your hair using a comb. Put a shower cap on to help the oil stay in place while you do other things. It should be left on for a few hours or ideally overnight if possible. Stick to the lower range of time if your hair tends to be oily but try to sleep with it if you have really dry hair. Once it has had a chance to soak in, wash your hair and dry and style it as usual. Note that you may need to shampoo your hair twice to get all the oil out and you may want to skip conditioner. If you find that your hair looks too greasy the first time you use it, you can use dry shampoo to make your hair look less greasy and next time try using less oil.

Most people find that doing this intensive coconut oil for hair treatment once a week is plenty. This should help counteract the stripping effect of your shampoos as well as any heat styling you may do during the week. While you may want to do it more often than that at first to help restore your hair’s condition, you should eventually switch to once weekly for maintenance. Any more than that can be a bit of a hassle and really shouldn’t be necessary. As the condition of your hair improves, you may only need to use coconut oil once or twice a month.

After using natural coconut oil in your hair, you will start to notice less breakage and shiny hair. Straight hair will look more healthy and even and curly hair will have better curl separation and definition. This is a great place to start before shelling out for expensive treatments as many people find no need for high end deep conditioners once they try coconut oil. It’s a cheap and natural way to get beautiful hair.

Shampoo for Oily Hair

What is a good shampoo for oily hair? It seems like store shelves are overflowing with shampoo for dry or damaged hair while those with oily hair have fewer options. That is frustrating because it is precisely people with oily hair who go through the most shampoo! You know how it goes- you wake up, wash your hair, and by the time the afternoon rolls around, your hair is looking slick and you’re trying to figure out how to fit another washing into your afternoon before you go out to dinner.

The problem with many shampoos on the market is that they are too moisturizing. Indeed many people put their hair through the rigors of coloring and heat styling so there is a very large market for this. However, even “regular” shampoos seem to have a number of ingredients that can leave hair looking greasy. When shopping for shampoo for oily hair, take a look inside the bottle. Is the shampoo clear and thin or creamy and thick? The texture can be a pretty good indication as to how heavy the shampoo is.

One ingredient you might want to look out for is panthenol. Panthenol helps to give fine hair a boost of volume without weighing it down and contributing to the greasy look. Also look for words on the label such as “gentle” or “clarifying”. Clarifying shampoos remove buildup that accumulates in hair over time thanks to repeated use of hair spray, gel, and other styling products as well as conditioner. This buildup can weigh hair down and make it look even more greasy than it actually is. You don’t have to use a clarifying shampoo every day but it is often recommended that those with oily hair use a clarifier once per week to help get rid of everything that has accumulated over the week and start fresh.

Dry shampoo is perhaps the best shampoo for oily hair. This is a waterless shampoo so it helps cut down on time spent in the shower as well as drying and styling. Shake on a little bit of this powder and comb it through your hair and watch as it absorbs all the grease and makes your hair look dry and clean. Of course you’ll still need to wash your hair with traditional shampoo regularly but a few shakes of dry shampoo can be a quick fix when your hair looks embarrassingly dirty. It’s a lot easier to use a bit of powder shampoo on your way out the door than it is to wash and dry your hair all over again. Batiste Dry Shampoo is a budget-friendly yet very effective option that also gives your hair a boost of volume. Rene Furterer Dry Shampoo is perfect if you are looking for a green product. Like regular shampoos, there are plenty of formulations to meet every type of hair need but unlike regular shampoo, any type of waterless shampoo is perfectly suited for oily hair.

There are plenty of options when it comes to shampoo for oily hair. Now you know what to look for so read those labels carefully and you are sure to find something that does the job!