Tag: Dry shampoo

Beauty, Hair, product reviews, Sithru's corner

PANTENE | Dry shampoo – a mini review

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If you follow me on Instagram (@sithrunz)  you may have seen this gem of a product I found at The Warehouse (I see that countdowns in some areas stock this too but not in my local one). The first impressions were given in the Insta post. To recap, it had no white residue, no harsh smells and did what a dry shampoo is supposed to do – make your hair oil-free and ‘feel-clean’ until you wash it. Now that I used it a several times, I decided to write a mini review here so that I can let you know what I really feel.

But before that let me tell you a little bit about the product. The active ingredient in Pantene pro-v nature fusion dry shampoo is tapioca starch which is an excellent DIY substitute for dry shampoo anyway. It appears fourth in the ingredients list after isobutane, alcohol denat., and propane. Kinda scary first few ingredients but they are essential to distribute the products into hair evenly – hence called propellants. Every dry shampoo has these for the same purpose. Having alcohol means it will dry out the scalp, but that is to be expected from any dry shampoo.

I used the dry shampoo on my third-day hair. I have naturally oily hair (Read this to learn how to find your hair type), which gets really oily by the third day. I usually use a dry shampoo on the third day if I need to extend the no-wash period :D. The instruction says the usual – Shake the can, spray on to the roots and rub well. Brush the hair to finish off.

My review

I used this on the third day as usual. I am pleased to report that I did not have to wash my hair until the fifth day after the first application. Oil on my scalp was pretty well absorbed by the shampoo without leaving it dry (surprisingly!). My scalp did not get flaky either. I also liked the fresh clean-feel it gave my hair, which I have not experienced with my other dry shampoos.

It was just NZD $3. SO what’s not to like?!

So overall, I give this 10/10.

This dry shampoo comes in volume boost form as well. Let me know if you have tried this or have any recommendations for other dry shampoos.

Until my next,

Cheers

Sithru

 

Hair, product reviews, Sithru's corner

Dry Shampoo showdown!

Hello fellow beauty lovers,

Welcome back to Sithru Beauty!

In my previous post, I shared with you what dry shampoos are and how they work. Today I am going to talk a little about the different dry shampoos I have used which I bought in-store in New Zealand. The choice is very limited in NZ when it comes to dry shampoo, but there are some decent ones out there that are not too expensive which actually does the job.

Batiste

This is probably the most popular brand of dry shampoo I have known. Even in NZ, varieties of batiste can be found in any supermarket chain. Batiste contains rice starch and denatured alcohol (full ingredients list here).

https://goo.gl/82Nz9ZThe rest are all flammable substances, so please be careful when using it. Also, check out Rachel’s review for a detailed description of the ingredients. Even though the ingredient list may throw you off from trying this, the abundant reviews show that Batiste is a really loved product among many.

Despite being a fan favourite, this is not my favourite dry shampoo. It delivers what it claims; gives the hair a complete oil-free refreshing look. Volumizing ones seriously volumises. Ones with different fragrances give the hair a lovely smell. BUT, the white cast it gives is unbearable for me. Also, my scalp tends to itch and dry out quite fast with this product and gives me insane dandruff overnight. So, I still use the ones I bought because they really are good at soaking up grease, but I won’t be repurchasing it. (I’d give this 4/5 because it actually performs really well despite making your hair white).

Lee Stafford

This is a brand I found in Farmers NZ. The ingredients list IMG_20170314_100834(now that I looked at it) scares me, though. It has Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate (don’t even think of asking me to pronounce this!) which is a basically an anti-caking agent used in foundations, moisturisers, sunscreens and other cosmetics. Based on my research there are mixed reviews on this ingredient regarding its toxicity (read this, this or this for more information).

However, the product itself is underperforming in my opinion. While I love the fact that it has an option for dark roots as well as leaves no white cast or residue behind, it also failed to absorb the oils for my liking. I had to use a quite a lot of the product to get a reasonable oil absorbance, and my hair was still not de-slicked enough. It smells great, though! So… I’d give this a 3/5 rating :).

Hask

I got to know about this dry shampoo through Tati. This is a new product in the Hask line if I am not mistaken and saw this available only at Kmart, NZ.

IMG_7345The same Aluminium based ingredient is found here. But it also has Thyme Extract, Glycerin and Silica listed as well which is kind of interesting. Hask claims that Thyme extract is the active ingredient in this product which is “a plant extract loaded with vitamins and minerals known to remove impurities from the hair and scalp“.

Aluminium or not, I like this product. It leaves no residue, takes off the shine, and leaves no white cast behind (obviously, because this has no starch I assume). It has an awful smell, though – very chemically. All in all, a product that performed well and accomplished what is meant to be accomplished. I give this a 4..8/5. (0.2 points lost for the smell :D).

Toni&Guy 

I have to admit that I used Tony&Guy dry shampoo only once at a friend’s place and immediately fell in love. This is available at Farmers NZ as well.img_20170308_112133.jpg

I used the volumizing one, and it did such a great job. Unfortunately, since I don’t have the product with me nor the list of ingredients is available online, I cannot give you my opinion on its ingredients yet. Will keep you posted once I buy the product.

But overall, this was an excellent dry shampoo and probably the best I have used so far. So I give it 5/5 until something comes along to drag this down :).

Even though I had used other random dry shampoo brands, these were the ones worthy enough to make it to the list.  Will see you soon with another post…

Love,

Sithru

Update (at 1.25pm 14 March 2017):

I just found the ingredients list of the Toni&Guy dry shampoo. It too has Aluminium starch, but CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) claims that in limited amounts it is not toxic. This dry shampoo contains quite a high amount of water compared to others. There are a few plant based derivatives in this like Citronellol which is found in citronella oils and Hexyl cinnamal found in chamomile. Hope this update helps…

 

 

Hair, Sithru's corner

All about Dry Shampoo!

Dry shampoos are used in between washes to keep your hair refreshed and oil free. This is one of those products that has become a necessity in any beauty-junky household. However, selecting the perfect dry shampoo is an ordeal especially if you have darker hair like I do. The white cast that they leave behind is annoying and not so flattering either. Even though there are pricier, fancier dry shampoos that actually are quite good and are effective, the high price point is such a turn off for me personally. The range of dry shampoos available for in-store purchase in New Zealand is very limited anyway, high-end or drugstore. So, before getting into investing on buying a dry shampoo let’s get to know what it is and how to use it.

First thing first, lets us get into some science :).

How do dry shampoos work?

The most common ingredients of dry shampoo are corn starch and alcohol. They soak up the excess oil in your hair and gives you a refreshing cleaner appearance. Apparently, according to Cleveland Clinic, you can get a similar effect from sprinkling corn starch onto your head (not recommended, though).  This Wired articFrom https://www.shutterstock.com/le explains the active ingredients in dry shampoo in detail.

In a nutshell, they are;

  • Cornstarch – This binds to the oil and soaks up the grease.
  • Kaolin – This is a Chinese soft clay that absorbs the oil and hides the shine of unwashed hair. The hydrous aluminium silicates coat hair strands, reducing reflectivity to create a matte look (says Wired).
  • Laminaria saccharina Extract – An extract of brown algae that also absorbs oils.
  • Magnesium Stearate – This keeps the starch from clumping.
  • Denatured Alcohol –  This is the solvent for cornstarch and Kaolin. Being a mixture of ethanol and other chemicals like methanol, this suspends the solids without dissolving for easier distribution and evaporates as soon as it hits the scalp providing a cooling effect. Usually appears on the ingredients lists as Alcohol Denat. or SD Alcohol followed by numbers. [Note: even ‘alcohol-free’ products may contain denatured alcohol (FDA)]
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas – this is used to propel the dry shampoo out of the can in a fine mist. LPG (often a combo of butane, propane, and isobutane), became the replacement of CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) in aerosol sprays. Unless you want crispy fried hair, don’t use a dry shampoo, or any other aerosol for that matter, near an open flame. 😀

How to use dry shampoo

Dos:

  • Only spray oily areas.
  • While spraying, keep the canister at least 6 inches from your scalp.
  • After spraying, massage your scalp to evenly distribute the product down to the roots.
  • Carefully and gently brush through any patches that have too much dry shampoo added.

Don’t s:

  • Don’t spray on damp or wet hair. It is called ‘dry’ shampoo.
  • Don’t spray the ends to avoid extra dryness or static. Add a pea-sized amount of coconut oil or hair conditioner if the tips feel too dry.
  • Don’t use more than two days in a row.

I am not a scientist nor have I used all the dry shampoos in the world to explain the how each product works and their ingredients. So please take these with a grain of salt.

In my next post, I will review a selected few dry shampoos that I have used which are not so expensive so that you can make an informed decision about whether to buy them or not.

Please don’t forget to comment if you have questions or suggestions and do subscribe to get notified of my new posts. Hope to See you soon.

Cheers!

Sithru