Allergies

DIY dry shampoo is one of the easiest recipes you can make at home with the best results. There are times in life that you are on the go and you need some quick fixes. DIY dry shampoo is an unsung hero in the get-ready-quick category. And the brilliant thing about it is there’s lots of ingredients to choose from that will do a sufficient job. Some also say it’s better for the environment. The damage shampoo creates starts when it washes down the drain. I much prefer my handmade version over the store bought varieties that leave my hair feeling dirtier and the gunk left on my comb is a pain to wash off. Fun sucker! If you want to skip a trip to the store you probably have ingredients you can work with in your cupboard. All of these ingredients are going to work great for you but you can tweak your recipe as you get to know it and make it in a larger batch to have around. DIY dry shampoo can get you out of a jam or work into your routine. It’s great if…

• You just worked out and you get called into the office.
• You bike to work everyday and you need to spruce yourself up in record time.
• You go to the gym and your schedule is tight.
• Something come up and you need to get out the door quick!

Recipe suggestions using my favorite ingredients For light hair and blondes

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoon arrowroot

For dark hair

• 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon arrowroot

Substitutions Before substituting from the list below consider your environment and cleanup. For instance, cornmeal will give you a great shine but most of this will come out of your hair and where does it go? Does it leave a mess behind to clean up? If cornstarch and arrowroot aren’t available to you try substituting the following:

• Baking soda
• Rice flour
• Cornmeal
• Oatmeal

Containers

• Use an old powder container and apply by shaking it
• Use an old jar and apply with makeup brush or fingers

Skip the talcum powder I will admit, using baby powder for my DIY dry shampoo in my teenage years was a lifesaver. But these days the dangers of using talcum powder are worth considering as it’s widely known as a carcinogen. A lot of these “rumors” are often unsubstantiated by pure research but the American Cancer Society breaks it down in this report. After reading this article, in my opinion, I’d say skip it. There are lots of great substitutes out there and no reason to take the risk. How to use your dry shampoo

• Shake onto hair or add little bits with your fingertips and tousle hair lightly with fingers to spread it around the scalp.
• Start with small amounts and add more to repeat if needed.
• Lift sections of hair if needed and shake more on at root of hair.
• Let it sit for a minute and then shake it vigorously with fingers and turn your head upside-down if you need to.
• Brush or comb out and style. If it leaves white behind keep brushing and tousling at root to pull ingredients of your scalp.

If the ingredients aren’t on your shelf you can find them all at the grocery store. For the best price per pound check out your local natural food store—they may have it in bulk. Have fun experimenting with your DIY dry shampoo recipe. If you have any ingredients you love then please let me know. I’ll always give you the credit! ]]>