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Trend Alert: Dry Shampoos

John and Lotte Davis, founders of AG Hair Cosmetics

For most curlies, shampooing every day is a big no-no. But even if you don’t wash it every day, you want it to feel fresh and clean.

That’s why dry shampoos are gaining popularity with the curly crowd.

Dry shampoos comes in a variety of forms and provide a waterless way to freshen and restyle hair. Traditional wet shampoos contain a soap-free detergent that reduces the surface tension of the water, allowing it to move into the small crevices in the scalp and hair shaft, breaking up the oil into droplets that can be washed away. Dry shampoos usually contain a base of talc, cornstarch, potato, or rice that absorbs rather than washes away sebum and dirt.

For those who think of Psssssssst! when they think of dry shampoo — a relic from the ’70s that left a white film on the hair — the category has evolved dramatically in recent years.

This fall, AG Hair Cosmetics, creator of curly favorite Re:coil Curl Activator, developed FastFWD dry shampoo. It is designed to refresh without suds absorbing oil without leaving a film.

“Clients were demanding a dry shampoo,” said John Davis, founder of AG. “The main reason they want it is because of the shear convenience. And people with curly hair don’t like washing it every day because they don’t want to dry their hair out.”

Creating a dry shampoo wasn’t necessarily an easy endeavor. AG spent the past year developing FastFWD, Davis says. The biggest challenge was the technology — creating a powder that comes out in a spray that wouldn’t cake or lump. To accomplish this, the company looked at a variety of powders and liquids, working on different formulas in parallel until they came up with the perfect formula. Davis said the final product uses rice starch, silica and a polymer in an aerosilized can - a combination that absorbs dirt and creates body without leaving a powdery residue.

“You can get up in the morning, give it a quick refresh and boom, you’re ready to go,” Davis says.

3 comments for “Trend Alert: Dry Shampoos”

1. TripleThreatXoX Says:
   October 1st, 2009 at 4:46 pm

   hmmm………i wonder if you can wash it out or not i would love to get a dry shampoo the only problem is when i go to sleep at night, i lay on my hair so that when i wake up in the morning it looks like a ridiculous major bed headif it could cure my bed head i would totally get some but for now ill just try to get the facts………holla!! lol

2. AshL Says:
   October 5th, 2009 at 11:55 am

   I know most of these dry shampoos are to be brushed or combed out… How is a curly suppose to get this out of her hair.

   I have some but I only use it to extend the wash time after the occasional straightening and have never used it while my hair was curly.

3. ~Ghost Poster~ Says:
   October 7th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

   Oh, dear…not dry shampoo again! Pssssst brings back nightmares from my childhood, foolishly thinking I had found a solution so as not to have to wash, blow-dry and straighten my hair so often. I’ll let someone else do the experimentation this time around.