The Dry Shampoo That Changed My Beauty Routine

I’ve never really been a fan of dry shampoo. It’s not that I don’t love the idea of a product that conceals all evidence of my lazy ways, but for me dry shampoo has never delivered on its promise. Probably thanks to my dark hair, the white powder sprays typically leave me with unsightly white residue on my roots, and who wants to look like they have dandruff? I’ve tried a few products geared toward brunettes, and while they haven’t given me the faux-dandruff issue, they weigh my hair down and make it look limp, which is almost worse than having greasy locks.

I had all but thrown in the towel on the dry shampoo craze, and then I discovered R+Co’s Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste (that’s right, paste). The first thing I noticed was the product’s appearance. It is light gray color in color with a clay-like consistency, and it’s somehow both shiny and gritty at the same time. The idea that this product could absorb excess oils seemed at best far-fetched—if anything, it looked more likely to be a styling pomade. Given the paste-like quality I had little faith it wouldn’t leave residue. In fact, the only thing it seemed to have going for it was the delightfully fresh scent reminiscent of citrus and freshly washed laundry.

Once home I dubiously took a pea-sized amount and rubbed it in between my palms. The initially gritty texture melted into an oil which elicited both concern (why would I want to add more oil to my greasy hair?) and a little confusion. I massaged it onto my scalp with my fingertips and to my surprise, it morphed into a powder. My hair suddenly boasted a new-found volume, smelled clean and actually felt fresh (the paste contains an antimicrobial volcanic ash so it's actually cleansing my dirty hair). It's official, I've been converted to a dry-shampoo fan thanks to finally finding a product that enables my lazy-girl ways.