Dry shampoo is one of those beauty products that I should love in practice – I swing constantly between work, the gym, mid-week meetings, and weekend parties (which leaves little time for hair maintenance). On paper, dry shampoo is a busy girl’s dream – but in practice, it never quite performs. Gritty roots, a grey caste, and powdery residue are just some of the many reasons why you won’t find a single can of dry shampoo in my bathroom – nothing comes close to giving my roots that slippy smooth, weightless texture of just-washed hair.
Enter Ouai’s Dry Shampoo Foam, that’s right, foam – the world’s first ever. Founder Jen Atkin describes it as a “quick drying, waterless cleansing foam that removes oil and product buildup”, acting “like a magic eraser” to remove product residue, impurities, and oil buildup. Thick, creamy, and just like a mousse, I was convinced that nothing good was going to come of applying this to dry hair. But if anyone could convince me, it would be Jen Atkin – the hairdresser who openly admits to sporting day four hair (even when taming the tresses of the Kardashians) with the help of this little white can. Application is effortless – simply rub a golf ball-sized amount between your palms and massage it into your roots exactly as you would a normal shampoo. Granted, it feels totally weird at first – it’s wet – but within 60 seconds it dries down and disappears completely, leaving no residue or colour whatsoever. The best part? Hair looks and feels cleaner.
If you like to know the science behind your beauty products, this is an interesting one… The technology is inspired by a no-rinse foam cleanser that hospitals use to bathe bedbound patients – the magic ingredient is a fossilised algae that actually removes buildup and impurities from your hair, instead of covering it up as traditional dry shampoos do. Likewise, whereas regular dry shampoo gives volume in that textured bedhead kinda way, this has more of a blowdry effect, leaving hair boosted at the roots and silky soft – plus it scents hair with the same lasting intensity that a hair perfume does – ideal for covering up any lingering food/club/gym odours.
It’s rare to receive a product that’s so innovative, unique, and hyped up (it’s practically been viral on Instagram since launch day), but that actually works. Use it when you put too much product in your hair, CBA to brave the gym’s showers, or simply have too many week-night dates to stay home and wash your hair.
