Searching for the Best Dry Shampoo

It’s my favorite time of year and I’m not talking about all the amazing holidays. I’m talking about SUMMER! I can never narrow down the exact thing that makes summer my favorite. Maybe it’s being able to comfortably wear shorts and tank tops without a jacket, or the sun on my skin. It could be the sweet taste of a juicy watermelon on a scorching day. Or maybe it’s as simple as the fact that I was born a summer baby.

Despite all the amazing things that summer brings, if there was one thing that I could do without is how it only makes my oil-prone hair more… oily. Disgusting, I know, but it’s the ugly truth. Through my teens and college years I used to wash my hair every day to combat the oils from building up too much. Since then I’ve learned to embrace my hair’s natural oils and only wash my hair three times a week – Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. Once those summer months hit, everything goes up in the air. As much as I love the warm weather, sometimes the oil builds up so quickly that it becomes unbearable. To combat the oils while still adhering to my strict hair routine, I either throw on a hat, put my hair in a messy bun, or douse my hair in dry shampoo.

I’ve only ever used two brands of dry shampoo – Dove and Bumble and Bumble – and both brands have left me disappointed. To make sure you don’t end up on the sad end of the spectrum – unlike myself – I want to share my personal input on two of the many different dry shampoos out there.

Dove Refresh + Care – Invigorating Dry Shampoo ($3.74): The Dove Refresh + Care line comes with three different types: Invigorating, Detox & Purify, and Dry Volume and Fullness. Among the three in the line, I tried the Invigorating Dry Shampoo. It wasn’t a terrible product for the price – approximately $4.00 to $5.00 depending on where you shop – but it did leave me hoping for more. Upon initial application, the product leaves a white cast that goes away with a little bit of working into the hair. My hair stays nice and fresh for a good hour or two, but eventually it becomes a stiff, flat mess. Now, I realize that you could always reapply the product, but personally I want a product that will last me the duration of the day. The one thing I really liked about this product was the aerosol spray dispensation. Since the product is like a hairspray, it made application quick and easy. Given this, it’s not a product that I repurchased once I used it all up. I do want to note that this product can have a slightly strong fragrance. I can’t quite discern the exact scent – it’s not good, nor is it bad – but there is a scent. If you have a sensitive nose – like me - I would advise staying away from this product.

Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder ($13.00-$27.00): Oh, Bumble and Bumble. I had such high hopes for this product as it comes well praised amongst the beauty community. I found myself mildly disappointed upon trying this product out for myself. Though it does the job in really soaking up those day two hair oils, it didn’t leave my hair feeling any cleaner. Despite its claims to leave hair with newfound volume and texture, it only left my tresses falling flat and the only texture I felt was stiffness at the roots. Additionally, it left a noticeable white cast on my dark locks that looked like dandruff at a quick glance. Not something I would expect from a well-loved brand in the beauty community. One of my biggest complaints about the product comes with the way the product is dispensed. Since it is dispensed through a hole, it leaves you squirting or tapping the product out, which can lead you to accidentally dispensing too much product. However, I do have to give Bumble and Bumble one plus, there isn’t a noticeable scent so it’s great for people who are sensitive to smells.

Now, I’ve only tried two different dry shampoos so I’m sure that there are way better options out there that work – I just haven’t found them yet. I’m sure with a little more researching and some testing I’ll find the dry shampoo that works best for my hair. Reviews.com wrote up a great post a few months ago with what they found to be the top 5 dry shampoos out there. Maybe Reviews.com will be able to tell me the perfect dry shampoo for my hair and maybe I’ll even pick up a few tips along the way. Until the “perfect” dry shampoo and I meet, I’ll stick to hats and messy buns.

Disclaimer: Reviews.com reached out to me to read their The Best Dry Shampoo post from May 2017. I was in no way paid to mention or advise you to read their article. It was through them that I found inspiration to write again and tell you my experience with dry shampoo. I do suggest that you check out their post on dry shampoos for a more in-depth review and ranking of dry shampoos for various hair types. You can read their article here.