Why Dry Shampoos Are Bad For Your Hair + What To Do Instead

Scalp health, or lack thereof, has undoubtedly become a huge topic in the beauty world. After all, your scalp is made up of skin just the same as your complexion, and as such, it needs taking care of.

However, when it comes to scalp health—and more specifically, the use of dry shampoo—the line between safely extending a blowout and potentially causing scalp inflammation is a very thin one. "You can do long-term damage to your scalp by washing infrequently and using dry shampoo often," explains expert trichologist and hairstylist Shab Reslan. "Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, and dry shampoo is not your friend in that quest."

Let's make one thing clear: We're not saying that dry shampoos are categorically bad or harmful. Rather, it's when they're used too frequently, left on the scalp for too long, or not sufficiently scrubbed off that problems can ensue. 

The entire concept of dry shampoo is that it works to absorb excess oil on the scalp—a particularly enticing quality when you're trying to extend time in between shampoos. However, just like the skin on our face and body, our scalp also needs to be cleaned of dead skin cells, oils, and product buildup on a regular basis. Because dry shampoo only absorbs oil on the surface of the scalp, it should not be considered a substitute for actual washing. 

"You need to remember that dry shampoo does not truly cleanse the hair, it is only absorbing the excess oils from the hair and scalp," explains Vickie Vidov, a hairstylist in New York City. "If not properly cleansed and removed from the scalp, a film residue will eventually build up, resulting in clogged pores."

Clogged pores, as we all know, are no good. In relation to the scalp, "when we have too much buildup, be it from dry shampoo or natural oils built up over a few days, the follicle opening (where each strand of hair grows out of) will become clogged and suffocated," Reslan explains. Not only will this lead to general irritation, including redness, itchiness, and maybe even some pain, but "exposing your follicle to this environment frequently can affect your hair growth and possibly damage your actual follicle, leading to hair thinning over time."

Attempting to mask dirt, oil, and pollution with a dry shampoo only adds more grime to your scalp and hair. Like attracts like, so the buildup you're adding to your scalp by using dry shampoo has a sort of snowball effect. Over time, this exacerbates another already problematic quality of dry shampoo: It's really difficult to truly slough off.  

"The problem with dry shampoo isn't [only] with the oil-absorbing power that it has; the issue lies with the fact that dry shampoo becomes difficult to sufficiently wash out of your hair," Reslan says. "Harsher cleansing shampoos or scalp scrubs do a better job at removing dry shampoo, but even then, using such products too often has its own side effects, including overcleaning the hair and drying out or irritating the scalp."

There will be times in your life that call for dry shampoo, and that is OK. When that happens, keep the following things in mind:

The bottom line hearkens back to the adage "Everything in moderation"—dry shampoo included.