Dry Shampoo Tricks For Combatting Sweaty Summer Hairlines

If there is one downside to summer, it is sweat. Summer — magical and beautiful in all other respects — has one glaring flaw, and that is the glare of the sun itself. And glare it does, so intensely it prevents us from keeping fresh and sweat-free all day during the peak of the season. This naturally results in many of us looking disheveled halfway through the day. But what can we do about that? Well, for starters, dry shampoo can be a real lifesaver in a pinch, especially if you know how to use it right. Plus, some added wash days sprinkled into your routine can't hurt.

Yes, we know, all your life you've heard how detrimental it can be to wash your hair too often. Well, this doesn't exactly work for everyone and more and more trichologists are speaking up in favor of washing your hair regularly. And yes, you might be tired of applying dry shampoo on your greasy scalp and watching it sit there atop sweat and grime without doing its job. Ever run your fingers through your hair after applying dry shampoo? Worst feeling ever. And it does not go away until you cave in and wash it off. Well, good news guys, because this grimy feeling just means you're applying your dry shampoo all wrong. Let us tell you how it's really done. (Hint: try applying it on a clean scalp rather than third-day greasy hair.)

Did you know the skin on your face and on your scalp are equally delicate? In fact, scalp and haircare are just as important as the rest of your skincare. And just like the rest of our skin, everyone's scalp is different, needs different care, and reacts differently to certain ingredients. In fact, one should always aim to treat the scalp with extra gentleness, since the high number of hair follicles on the scalp means more sebaceous glands than anywhere else on the body. This makes the head particularly prone to skin disorders, such as dandruff or psoriasis (via Eucerin).

While our scalp and face both demand lots of attention, this doesn't mean they need the same kind of treatment. In fact, you may be dealing with oily skin and a dry scalp, or vice versa. This is why, if you want to find the right dry shampoo for you, you need to do your research. Many brands these days have extensive lines of gentle dry shampoos, including ones specifically for dark hair, that will not dry out the scalp while doing their job.

The secret to dry shampoo isn't, contrary to popular belief, to apply it on the second or third-day post-wash to soak up the buildup of oil. Actually, the secret is to apply it to clean, recently-washed hair.

While it might sound counterproductive, dry shampoo is much more efficient at soaking up emerging sebum in real-time, rather than sitting on the grime and adding to the feeling of dirty hair until wash day comes around. We've all experienced that. Instead, when applied on clean hair, dry shampoo acts immediately upon sebum and sweat production, preventing the oil from traveling to the lengths of your hair.

Try it — next time you've washed your hair and have plans that are waiting to be ruined by sweaty hair, apply dry shampoo liberally all over the hairline and scalp and gently massage it in. Any areas prone to excessive sweating should receive extra product. This trick will save you some time between washes, and your scalp will be sweat-free all summer.

Dry shampoo may be a lifesaver, but it's certainly not enough against the heat of the summer. In other words, washing your hair regularly is vital during the summer, and your usual wash routine will most likely need to be revised. No matter how hard we work to keep our hair routines steady, heat and humidity work harder to mess up our plans.

While it's true that washing your hair too often can dry it out, the buildup of oil, sweat, dirt, and hair product is never good for your tresses either. This is why washing your hair at least once weekly (or two to three times if your scalp tends to be oilier) is so important. According to dermatologist Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal, African American hair should be washed at least twice a month, while other ethnic groups should aim for two or three times per week to maintain a clean, healthy scalp, and minimize inflammation (via Cleveland Clinic).

Let us guess, you're one of those people who leaves dry shampoo application until the last possible minute before leaving the house. How do we know? We've been there.

Most of us use dry shampoo this way: shake it up, spray all over, massage it in, quickly brush hair back into place, and off we go to do our daily activities. And it's usually the last step of an extensive getting-ready routine. What makes dry shampoo such a last thought for us? Yes, it's meant to save you a few washes, but this doesn't mean it should be a five-second step.

The truth is, dry shampoo works best not only when you apply it to non-greasy (preferably first or second-day post-wash) hair, but also when you let it sit, undisturbed, for a few minutes before rubbing it in. Fine, not exactly leave-in treatment time, but not as fast as we're used to for dry shampoo. According to haircare brand Living Proof, dry shampoo should be allowed to sit on the scalp for approximately 30 seconds before being massaged in. Other people swear by letting it sit for up to three minutes for maximized absorption.

Lastly, massaging it in properly can be what saves you from a build-up of product, and subsequently an extra sweaty hairline. Yes, it's that serious. Have you noticed the more product you use on your hair, the more greasy it appears in a shorter amount of time?

While dry shampoo is meant to soak up this grease, it works best the better you blend it out when you massage it in. Not only does this massage help stimulate the scalp (helping with hair growth), but it also prevents the product from showing on the hair and helps it do its job even better by spreading it out. Without this, it sits in clumps and doesn't allow for airflow or natural movement of oils from hair root to tip.

You can massage your dry shampoo into your hair by moving your fingers in gentle circular motions all over the scalp. Batiste also recommends massaging in your dry shampoo with a hairbrush, which results in faster application and a two-in-one brushing and blending step.