Before today, I would have never considered myself to be a dry-shampoo person. But unlike the way you can categorize dog people versus cat people, or coffee people versus matcha people, I could never find the direct opposite to the second-day hair styler to align myself with. (For the record, I love dogs and coffee.) Then, I met a dry conditioner and everything changed.
Dry conditioners, it should be said, aren't that innovative. In fact, the styler has been around for years. But it never quite exploded onto the scene in the way that dry shampoo did. It seems people love any excuse not to wash their hair. The thing is, though, once you spritz powdery shampoo all over your head to absorb the oil, you've got another problem to deal with one: second-day flyaways. These aren't just regular errant hairs — these stubborn pieces won't be tamed by your strong-hold hairspray. Normally, I throw on a headband and just deal. Or I did, until celebrity hairstylist Ryan Richman (yes, the man who touches Sadie Sink's ponytail) told me to try dry conditioner instead.
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Regular conditioner can be heavy and greasy, but Paul Mitchel's Neon Sugar Dry Conditioner is like a weightless, dry version of the bottle of product in your shower. It detangles, softens, and smooths down your wildest strands without making your style look any dirtier than it already is. (And despite the name, it doesn't smell like a pop-star perfume; it's a totally inoffensive baby-powder scent.) It won't sop up a week's worth of grease as well as a dry shampoo, but it'll do the job on day two and three, which is all I really need.
So, the next time someone asks my favorite dry shampoo, I'll say, "Sorry, I'm more of a dry conditioner girl," flip my deceivingly fresh-looking hair, and head to the nearest coffeeshop with my dog in tow — because there's nothing better than puppies, cold brew, and having good hair without ever stepping under the showerhead or blowdryer.
Paul Mitchell Neon Sugar Dry Conditioner, $14.99, available at Paul Mitchell.