To ask about dry shampoo? Batiste?

[Booksandflowers]

I use a lot of dry shampoo as my hair gets greasy the following day after washing it but I tend to use batiste. I’ve recently read that there was proof that it contained benzene which is apparently a cancer causing chemical.

I want to change to something else but which ones are deemed safe? I’ve seen georgiamane advertised as safe but it’s about £17 a bottle 😬

Any other recommedations?

I stopped using dry shampoos altogether as the front of my hair thinned out so much you could see my scalp. My hair is now back to normal thankfully.
I just use a small amount of hairspray combed through and style which helps it look better until I wash it

I switched to Living Proof.
It works well but it is not cheap

Aveda does dry shampoo powder. To be perfectly honest, I just use baby powder or corn starch with exactly the same effect.
Which products were affected by recall, though? Because my favourite dry shampoo is superdrug own brand and I am pretty sure they are not manufactured by Unilever.

You can use bicarbonate or soda to do the same thing but it's not fragranced.

Washing your hair daily would fix the problem.

I’m actually very interested in this. I have been using batiste every day for years (sometimes multiple times a day). I have a full fringe and due to the texture of my hair, if I don’t use it (even if fresh out of the shower), my fringe looks stringy and greasy. So the dry shampoo has been a lifesaver for me. But I wasn’t aware or looked into the ingredients which is a shame. But the thing is, so many things cause cancer. I think if we limited everything that ‘possibly’ can cause cancer, we wouldn’t be able to use or eat anything.

I have very straight, fine hair and even fresh out of the shower my hair looks stringy and greasy. Dry shampoo is the only thing that takes away that ‘greasy’ look of my hair - especially in my fringe

Isn’t this why pretty much everything has a ‘May cause cancer’ disclaimer on it in California?

’Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm’

It may fix that problem but will cause many others.

I used to wash my hair every day but my hairdresser said it was wrecking my hair and making it dry at the ends and knotty. Also losing its colour quickly. Now I wash it less it is definitely in better condition. The only problem is I can’t bear having greasy hair and mine does get greasy quickly.

Such a beautiful example of ableist response. I bet you have a). time and b). beautiful head of hair which you can just wash and go. Whereas some of us may actually not be able to spend 30+ minutes washing and styling hair before work and have thin frizzy hair which needs dry shampoo just to prevent it from sticking to our scalp and getting greasy 20 minutes after washing.
Not to mention that washing hair every day is not particularly healthy for your hair or your scalp.

Talc is good, and you can get fragranced if you want a scent (I use lavender, but wear a lavender perfume)

The benzine was a contaminate, not actually an ingredient. As far as I know they only recalled one batch and it was all the way back in 2022.
You can definitely minimise impact if you spray your hair somewhere with good ventilation and avoid inhaling the fumes.

Is talc good for your hair?

use arrowroot powder instead. brush through well. Apparently cornstarch can encourage dandruff - something to do with scalp bacteria eating it.

Who's got time for that shit? 🤦🏻‍♀️

the other thing is try to train your hair to need less washing - can go for longer between washes. I do things like co-wash, then leave a few days, shampoo maybe every other week, arrowroot powder occasionally - stretching out as long as possible. Using different shampoos when I do wash also helps (cycle between a few different ones). Training your hair really does work. It's not that fun but worth it.

If a dry shampoo contains benzene, it's a tiny trace contaminant that even if used regularly is not going to give you cancer. Honestly, you really don't need to worry about this. You can crack on with your Batiste.

No it wouldn't. Different hair and skin types need different care regimes. If I wash my hair daily it gets greasy by evening the same day and I still need dry shampoo. Washing it every other day reduces oil production. Washing more frequently increases oil production because the scalp responds to the oil being stripped off by producing more.

@KreedKafer if there's a safe alternative that's just as good, what is the problem? Repeat applications of a product over months and years can add up in your body. Why not switch it out for minimal effort and avoid that chemical altogether? Also bear in mind we all use so many dangerous chemicals in makeup, cleaning products etc they all add up. Which is why it's worth making the switch where it is possible and being mindful. It's a no brainer! I'm surprised so many people are so laissez faire over these dodgy chemicals.

Also, ref my comment above, arrowroot powder is way cheaper and natural. Will last ages. Just needs brushing out well. Some people with darker hair mix with cocoa powder to avoid the whiteness. Or you can put it into a salt shaker and leave on overnight, brush out in the morning, for extra effectiveness.

You should try using a clarifying shampoo as it's likely there is a lot of product build up if you are using it alot.

I use the reken hair cleansing cream in the grey bottle and its incredible, I get much longer between washes without having to use dry shampoo.

Not as a frequent thing. It can irritate if you've got existing scalp conditions. But the once a fortnight I use it hasn't had any adverse effects.

Don’t do this! Bicarb can really irritate your skin. You don’t need the alkali properties of Bicarb for a dry shampoo so the risk of irritation isn’t worth the benefit of it absorbing some of the oil from your scalp.

Very interested in this thread, for other reasons..

I have asthma and allergies. Dry shampoo, hairspray, root spray, bascially anything that comes in a spray can or contains perfume / chemicals, leaves me snotty breathless and choking my lungs up.
My hair looks like shit as a result; fluffy and untameable if just washed, lank and greasy by the next day. Does wonders for the self-confidence! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Arrowroot sounds like a good alternative, never heard of it before. Can I ask the ladies who use it, does it smell? And where do you buy it?

@Twentyfoursevenn no smell! I think I bought it online, you may be able to get in a health food store or supermarket otherwise. I have a huge jar of it. It can also be used in place of cornstarch in cooking.

The only annoying thing is distributing it evenly in your hair to avoid looking grey / white - using a herb jar with sprinkler is better for this. It needs brushing out well.

Some people add it to vodka or alcohol to make a spray that quickly dries after spraying (not tried this but you could google it!).

There's always one

Good for you if you can wash your hair every day 👏 Not everyone can.

I can't wash my hair nearly as often as I'd like to because it might be a choice between washing my hair & spending the day out of bed. Or washing my hair & going to work. Because many days i cant do both. I haven't been able to wash my hair while having a shower for about 18 months now

So much as I'd like to do it more often washing my hair takes a back seat to more important things.