What Exactly Is Dry Shampoo Foam And Do I Need It?

At this point most of us are wise to the magic of a spritz of dry shampoo when you just can’t be bothered to wash your hair. Dry shampoos contain ingredients like starch, talc and sometimes alcohol to soak up oil and product and make hair smell clean(ish). They are also great volumizers.

But the classic spray or powder formulas can sometimes leave a visible residue, sometimes don’t have quite the oomph that thicker or curly hair needs and sometimes can make dry hair feel even drier. Enter dry shampoo foams, a newer formulation that contains water. Wait? What? Isn’t dry shampoo supposed to be, like, dry?

Most of these foams contain just a touch of water, which means you can use them in conjunction with your hair dryer. (They will also air-dry in less than a minute if you’re trying to refresh your curls. Massage a ping-pong-ball-sized dollop into your scalp like you would your shampoo, working from the scalp to the ends.) Dry shampoo foams are great for adding texture without making hair look matte. Bonus? If you have thick or long hair a foam will go further so you don't have to use the whole damn bottle in one go. Here are some to try today.