The Right Way to Use Dry Shampoo on Curly Hair

If we had to sum up what life is like for a curly-haired lady, it would be more about can'ts than cans. Follow the curly hair commandments—or suffer the consequences. These rules are non-negotiables and direct how curly hair must be treated, for your own sake. No touching curly hair while it's drying, unless you want unmanageable frizz. Absolutely no brushing after it's dry. Apply product thoughtfully, using the "rake and shake" method. Don't even try to style it if the humidity levels are high that day. And please, we beg, don't wash curly hair every day. It's a one-way ticket to a dry, desolate land with tumbleweeds of frizz and despair blowing in the breeze.

If you're like most curly-haired women, it hasn't been easy figuring out the delicate balance of maintaining healthy, clean curls while living a busy life that includes (but is not limited to) work, exercise, social time, and sleep. Keeping your hair looking more like Debra Messing and less like Chewbacca is a daily struggle. It's been rumored that dry shampoo is an "enter at your own risk" endeavor for curly hair, as it can be drying or frizz-inducing. But we want to squash those lies by saying it's all about how you do it—and you can do it perfectly well enough to keep your hair going for more than a day or two between washes, which is the holy grail for curly-haired women.

There are a few important steps to follow when using dry shampoo on curly hair correctly. First, pick the right product. We are unabashedly 100% committed to Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. It absorbs and removes oil, sweat, and odor with zero residue; and works wonders on curly hair too. You can go from spin class to date night without a drop of water (on your hair, at least!). We also recommend a dry shampoo that adds in a smoothing or hydrating component, such as Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo. It helps combat post-styling dryness and frizz.

Now, it's time for applying it to curly hair. You need to shake the bottle well, hold it about eight inches from your head, and spray the roots. Flip your part in different directions to target different layers of the roots as you spray. Very important step: wait around 30 seconds for the dry shampoo to absorb the oil, sweat, and odor. To help encourage volume, flip your head over and rake fingers through the roots back and forth to work the product into the roots and get rid of any powdery residue. Flip back upright and massage any spots that need a little extra coaxing. During this entire process, the dry shampoo and your hands should not even grace those curls below the roots at all. For curly hair, we recommend finishing with smoothing or hydrating oil on the body of the curls (avoid roots) to ensure you don't get frizzy or dry. We know you have it already in your product arsenal, you curly-haired girl!

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Follow these steps, and you'll be laughing about the time you thought dry shampoo wouldn't work for your curly hair. Say goodbye to sacrificing bouncy, fresh curls for another day without washing!