These days, it seems like more and more of our favorite products are being touted as “bad for us.” It’s a sad day to have to add a five-minutes-and-out-the door favorite to that list, but the verdict is in: Dry shampoo isn’t doing any favors to your scalp.
It turns out dry shampoo can cause your hair to thin or even fall out. It can even dehydrate your scalp, making it flakey and causing dandruff. But don’t go throwing yours out just yet. These problems arise when you’re using dry shampoo more often than you wash your hair, or as a substitute for regularly washing your hair, according to Redken Master Stylist Courtney Risse, who talked to Jezebel.
Dry shampoo clogs hair follicles, and when you don’t wash your hair regularly, the follicles remain clogged.
“If you’re using a substance every day that doesn’t allow those follicles to breathe over time, the buildup could cause more hair shedding, which is why I recommend that everyone should use a clarifying shampoo at least once a week, just like you would use an exfoliator every so often on your skin,” Risse told Jezebel.
Dry shampoo works by using aluminum or cornstarch to make your hear look matte, and visibly dull the hair, celebrity colorist Rita Hazan told Refinery29. That’s why the oiliness of several days of not having washed your hair seems to disappear when you spritz it on. Unfortunately, many with color-treated hair don’t see how much dry shampoo can dull their hair. They mistakenly use it as a substitute for regular washing, which they fear will wash out their color.
Refinery29 also consulted Ken Anderson, MD, founder and director for the Anderson Hair Sciences Center. Anderson explained that aside from clogging your hair follicles and dulling your hair color, dry shampoo can also disrupt your scalp’s natural shedding process.
“Like hairspray, [dry shampoo] holds the hairs against your scalp,” he said. “If it makes [the hair] sticky, it could tangle the hair, causing you to inadvertently pull some healthy hair out when you brush.”
Each of the experts agreed that the healthiest routine for your scalp involves washing it regularly (at least every other day), and using dry shampoo sparingly. While only you know the exact care and maintenance that your hair requires based on length and thickness, they all agreed that using dry shampoo every day as a substitute for actually washing your hair could lead to any of these problems.