It’s everywhere….even at Urban Outfitters

What am I talking about?  Dry shampoo.  I keep seeing it in magazines (the ones I subscribe to and don’t have time to read!) and when I run into Ulta.  And then last week at the checkout at Urban Outfitters.  Hey, if the hip teens and twenty somethings shopping at Urban Outfitters are using it, it must be good, right?

Here’s one brand I’ve been seeing a lot of:

I have to admit…packaging is very appealing, and the price was right.

Why use dry shampoo?  It’s for those in-between days…when you don’t feel like washing your hair but need to perk it up a bit.  It’s supposed to absorb oil and odors, leaving hair refreshed and with more volume.  I’m not sure about you, but if my hair actually has an odor, I am just going to wash it!  (Unless I’m trapped out in the wilderness or something, and then there’s a whole other set of problems.)

So dry shampoo seems like a good idea, right?  Save time and look good? Sign me up!  Here’s the problem:

The ingredients.  I can pronounce maybe two of them.  There are a whole lot of warnings on that can.  Doesn’t seem like such a good idea after all. And don’t even think about lighting a match…you might go up in flames! I looked at a few other brands and they were similar.

So I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine.  I’ve been doing this for years…long before they were selling dry shampoo at Urban Outfitters.

This is my secret (well, one of them!):

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder.  I sprinkle a tiny bit of it in my palm, pat my hands together. and use my fingers to rub it into my scalp, concentrating on the areas that need it the most.  Then remove the excess with a gentle brush or my fingers.  Start with a tiny amount, unless you want to look like George Washington in a powdered wig. I’m not kidding.

Here are the ingredients:

Much better.  Basically cornstarch, baking soda, and clay.  The fragrance is a little questionable, but it’s still a much safer choice than the aerosols.

I just used some today.  It’s one of those in-between days.  I washed two days ago and feel like stretching it out.  I’m working on my blog at Starbucks all morning, and going rock climbing later.  After that I’ll be a sweaty mess and will legitimately need a shampoo.  But a little Burt’s Bees will get me through the day.

The main drawback is that this works best with lighter hair.  On darker hair it can still work, just be careful to really brush it all out.  I also saw some recipes online that mixed cornstarch (the main ingredient in the Burt’s Bees powder) with some cocoa powder to make a dry shampoo for brunettes.  You will smell like brownies but that wouldn’t be so bad.  I can’t vouch for this as I haven’t tried it myself.  Just wanted to pass it on.

So, can dry shampoo help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  It sure can!  You’ll be happy you saved some time (and maybe could sleep a few extra minutes).  It’s certainly healthy if you use the cornstarch method.  And having your hair refreshed, with added volume, with make you feel hot!

Let me know…have you tried any type of dry shampoo?  How did it work for you?