I had my doubts about trying this unusual ‘wet’ dry shampoo, but it stretched my hair style out for days and gave incredible volume, says beauty editor Laura Mulley
As someone with long, fine hair that’s prone to looking greasy at the roots after a day, I always have a dry shampoo to hand; I use it on my roots on day two to allow me to wash my hair every two days instead of every day. I’m not particularly fussy about which one I use (I have blonde hair so the dustiness of some of the cheap formulas doesn’t bother me), but I had serious doubts about an unusual one I tried recently – but I’ve been totally blown away buy how well it works.
The product in question is K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo, from the haircare brand best known for the K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask. AirWash contains technology to lift and remove odours, and absorbs excess oil without leaving residue or irritating the scalp for, K18 claims, hair that looks fresher for up to three days.
The AirWash Dry Shampoo usually costs £48, but I’ve found it’s currently cheapest on Face the Future, with 20% off, taking it down to £38.40. While I appreciate this is a lot of money for a dry shampoo – especially when you can buy ones for under £5 – here’s why I’ve been so impressed with it, and why I think it’s potentially worth your money…
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I tried this out on an especially lazy bank holiday weekend, when I really couldn’t be bother to wash my hair my usual regularity of every other day. As someone who hates putting unnecessary products in my hair for fear of making it even oilier-looking, when I first sprayed this into my roots, I was initially horrified: it felt wet – not the usual dry, powder feel I’m used to.
However, I had a little faith, and after a few seconds of rubbing it in, I couldn’t believe the result. All dampness had disappeared, and my hair looked instantly fresher and cleaner. It also had the added bonus of giving my limp locks some much-needed volume, movement and grip without any heaviness or crispiness. It also didn’t irritate or dry out my scalp at all – something I sometimes find with traditional dry shampoos. Using K18’s AirWash, I was able to go four days without washing my hair, instead of my usual two.
K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo
£48
£38.40
Face the Future
Buy here
A non-aerosol dry shampoo the stretches out your style for up to three days without looking dusty or irritating the scalp.
Stretched out your style for up to three days; adds volume and texture; doesn’t irritate the scalp; a little goes a long way
Not the cheapest; does go a little powdery if you get it on your face
My top tips for using this would be to try to avoid getting any on your face (as it will turn to powder), massage it in immediately, and use it sparingly – you really do only need the one spritz per section as recommended on the bottle. For this reason, this 118ml bottle will last me so much longer than my usual cheap and cheerful cans.
Of course, £38 is still a lot of money, and if you’re looking for a slightly cheaper option that also really does feel like it ‘cleans’ the hair, Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PhD) Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo is another long-time favourite of mine, and currently down from £26.95 to £20.
And of course, there are also plenty of bargain dry shampoo buys, including Batiste and Klorane – but for long-lasting results on my fine, limp hair, I’m so impressed with this K18 one.