Dry shampoo changed the hair game and is a blessing for those of us trying to stretch the time between hair washes. Hairstylists often tell me it’s a good idea not to wash your hair every day as it strips your scalp of its natural oils. However, those pesky natural oils are exactly what makes my hair look less than impressive after a day. Needless to say, I’ve used dry shampoo since it hit the market, but that doesn’t mean I like the feel of it. I usually use cult favourite Batiste. I find I need quite a lot of product to beat the shine and have to rub my scalp quite vigorously to get rid of the white residue it leaves. Eventually I opted for the dry shampoo for dark hair, but the brown residue always gets onto my forehead. I can’t simply blast and go, otherwise it looks like I got stuck in a chimney. While I’m thankful dry shampoo can reduce the frequency with which I have to wash my mop, I hate how dry and crinkly my hair feels. So it was time to venture into some new dry shampoos.
Ouai has been created by hair stylist to the stars, Jen Atkin. Most will probably know her from the work with the Kardashians. I actually didn’t know she was the brainchild of Ouai until I watched a YouTube video from Scottish makeup artist Jamie Genevieve, who was featuring Jen. I’ve seen the products prettily displayed in Selfridges a few times, and was intrigued.
For a hefty price tag of £20 for 4.6 oz (circa 130ml), it’s a steep jump from Batiste’s humble £3.99 for 200ml; I choked on my own air when I saw the price tag. But in the name of reviews, I bought it. Like Batiste, the directions say to spray onto the roots from 6 inches away and flip the head and rub vigorously. So I did. When blasting the product on, there was no white residue, nor did it dry out my hair as much as Batiste. I felt I didn’t have to touch up as frequently either, and I very much appreciated that there was no residue. However, I still required a lot of product, so the can ran out fast. I’ve tried a few dry shampoos (not many, but a few) and this is definitely the best one so far. But for £20, I’m not convinced. If you’re determined to try it, I’d buy a small bottle first. For now, I’ll wave sadly to the Ouai bottles when I walk past them in Selfridges.