Remember the scene in an early episode of Friends, when Chandler and Joey were so lazy they could barely get their butts away from the TV and out of their reclining chairs? Joey had a cooler of beers within arms reach and Chandler sent the pizza guy to Monica and Rachel’s apartment so they wouldn’t have to answer the door. Sweatpants and sloth-like behaviour ruled. And yet, their hair still looked good. Probably because it was, well, a TV show. But if that had been real life and their hair still help up, ten bucks it was because they had a can of dry shampoo stashed somewhere next to their chairs.
What is dry shampoo?
The perfect lazy guy’s hair product, dry shampoo is a refreshing powder-like, yet wet-ish formulation that when sprayed onto your hair absorbs immediately leaving you with I-was-born-looking-this-good style. “It’s designed to cleanse and refresh hair between washings by absorbing excess oil and moisture at the root and scalp,” explains Heather Reier, the founder and CEO of Cake Beauty. “It’s available in many formats, such as sprays, powders and even tinted options.” Chances are your significant other has one in her bathroom.
Why you need to use it:
It will save you from washing your hair every day, which can be a good thing to help prevent dehydration and breakage from over cleansing. “Dry shampoos also add texture, giving hair a thicker look and feel,” says Reier. “And the tinted versions (Cake, for example, has Light, Medium and Dark options to match your hair colour), may even help hide grey or sparse patches.” Plus, it’s a time saver, allowing you to get out of the house faster and still look great.
When and how should you use it?
Essentially, you can use dry shampoo any time, anywhere. “You can use them after a workout, pre-meeting or event, post-flight, basically any time throughout the day when your hair is feeling a little oily or heavy or there is just no time to shower,” says Reier. “Our products are produced vegan and cruelty-free so they are safe to be shared with the whole family.” For thicker, oilier hair, use a talc-free, cornstarch-based option, like Cake All Powderful Tinted Dry Shampoo Powder ($18, available at drugstores across Canda) to power cleanse between washes. Thinner, finer hair works best with lighter, aerosol spray options like Cake The ‘Do Gooder Volumizing Dry Shampoo ($19, available at drugstores across Canada) to add texture and volume. And don’t forget to rub the product in with your hands or brush it through your hair after you apply it to ensure even distribution of the product.
But you’ll still need to shower…
Yes, while dry shampoos are a bit of a miracle product—which is why your significant other has one—and they make your hair look great and smell cleaner, you’re going to need to take a shower at some point. “Men still need to shampoo every few days to deep clean the scalp and hair,” affirms Reier. “But you can feel confident that natural dry shampoo formulas are a safe and effective way to refresh on non-wash days without any chemical build up.”
