Spraypoo? Shamspray?

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated with the 1950s and 60s. When I was a pre-teen, my mom, a champion garage-sale shopper, brought home a stack of old Seventeen Magazines, all dated in the 60s and 70s. I must have flipped through those magazines a hundred times; I think they’re still stored somewhere in my parent’s attic. I loved looking at the clothes, the hair, even the advertisements. One of the ads that stood out was for something called PSSSSSST! Dry Shampoo. (I may have too many or too few s’s in there, but you get the point.) It featured the girl from the Partridge family, who google tells me is named Susan Dey. I thought it was so weird that dry shampoo was a thing! I even remember asking my mom about it, because it boggled my mind. (How can it be dry AND shampoo?!) It makes a lot more sense now, and after my “History of The Blowdryer” post, I can see why ladies didn’t wash their hair much. But back then, I was definitely perplexed.

 

Ten or so years later, I decided I needed some dry shampoo. It was back when you could still smoke in bars. I had very long, very thick hair that would reek of cigarette smoke after a night out. To a non-smoker with allergies, nothing is worse than waking up smelling like old cigarettes, but spending a couple hours washing and drying my hair after I got home from the bar(s) was out of the question. I remembered that dry shampoo had once existed, and searched the internets to try to find some. I don’t remember the brand, possibly Klorane, but it was pricey, and it was the only one I could find. It definitely solved my problem and I used it for awhile, but then I cut off all my hair and by the time it grew back they’d outlawed smoking in bars! My allergies and my hair rejoiced. So I didn’t need dry shampoo anymore and forgot all about it.

Then, a couple years ago, I started seeing dry shampoo in certain stores. There was a special at Sephora for a full-size bottle of Ojon Rub Out Dry Cleaner for $10, and I thought it would be perfect for extending my blowouts. And IT IS!  It also smells fantastic. It’s one of those things that’s good to have around, because it can really save you in a pinch. I only wash my hair twice a week, and every once in awhile I get off schedule and push it too far. I don’t realize until it’s too late that I really should have washed my hair that day. The dry shampoo fixes that right up. It could easily be called “one-more-day spray.” If you are someone who has to wash your hair every day, I bet this would help you go every other day.  And if you’re someone who gets greasy roots by the end of the day, dry shampoo might be your new best friend.

A lot of brands make mini-cans, which are convenient for travel or just for giving it a try.  I love using it when I don’t want to spend time washing/drying/ironing my hair while I’m away, and it’s great if you just need to freshen up your head after a long journey.

The secret bonus of dry shampoo is that it can add a bit of body and volume. It kind of makes your hair a little thicker and gives it a good texture. And if your hair slips around too much when you’re trying to put it up, this will let you get a better grip, give you a little lift, and help keep everything in place.

From what I understand, old-school dry shampoos used to leave white powder in your hair. In my experience, the newer ones don’t have that issue. I prefer the aerosol sprays, but I know people who are fans of the powders, specifically the ones from Bumble & Bumble which are offered in different colors to match your hair.

Today, there are tons and tons of dry shampoos out there. For awhile, I could only find high-end dry shampoo, but now even Suave makes one. And, hilariously, at Ricky’s they have PSSSSST!