7 Dry-Shampoo Mistakes—Are You Guilty of Any of Them?

Dry shampoo helps to absorb oil so you can stretch out the time until your next shampoo (or just refresh your hair after a workout), but you need to know how to use dry shampoo to get the most out of it. Misuse it and, sure, you may have absorbed some excess oil, but you could also be sporting flat, heavy hair or maybe some chalky residue. When used the right way, dry shampoo should make your hair look clean with zero oil and residue, but it all comes down to your technique and product choices. Here are a few common dry-shampoo flubs.

Mistake 1: Using dry shampoo too often

Dry shampoo is primarily used to help stretch out the time between shampoos so that your hair looks fresh, but it’s not meant to be used day after day. It helps to keep oil at bay, but if you use it for days on end, you’ll get a build-up of product that zaps your hair of moisture and shine. Make time for shampooing about once a week.

Mistake 2: Using more dry shampoo than you need

Spraying more product doesn’t mean your hair will look that much fresher or more voluminous. In fact, too much dry shampoo will have the opposite effect, making it look dull and heavy. You’re better off using a light hand when applying a dry shampoo spray, such as L’Oréal Paris Magic Invisible Dry Shampoo , and adding more if your hair still looks like it could use it; it’s easier to add a bit more dry shampoo than it is to remove excess.

Mistake 3: Using the wrong colour of dry shampoo

Nowadays, dry shampoo is available in tinted shades, from blond to brunette to black. Look for one that vanishes into your hair colour to avoid that telltale chalky residue if you’re using too light a shade or too murky a hue if you’re blond and using a dry shampoo for dark hair. Alternatively, you could use a product designed to be invisible on every hair colour, such as L’Oréal Paris Magic Invisible Dry Shampoo .

Mistake 4: Rubbing it in right away

Although you do have to massage dry shampoo into your hair, you should spritz it on and allow it to sit for a minute or two before massaging it into your roots. This will give it some time to absorb excess oil, and massaging it in will then distribute it through your hair.

Mistake 5: Spraying it too close to your scalp

It’s the roots of your hair that get greasy, so focus your dry shampoo spray on the roots and the top few inches of your hair, but make sure to hold the spray about 10 to 12 inches from your head. If you hold the product too close to your scalp as you target spray, you can end up with a powdery residue on your roots with certain products. To avoid any buildup, try an invisible formula such as L’Oréal Paris Magic Invisible Dry Shampoo.

Mistake 6: Skipping working the dry shampoo into your hair

Even if you massage in the dry shampoo after applying it, use a brush to blend in the product (or use your blow-dryer) to evenly distribute it on the roots and the first few inches of your hair. This brush-through will also help ensure there’s no telltale chalky residue.

Mistake 7: Using it only on dirty hair

Although most of us reach for dry shampoo to manage dirty hair, it can work as a great styling tool by providing a boost in volume and thickness. If you’ve got fine or thin hair, you’ll see that the starch found in dry shampoo helps to provide texture and fullness.