Dry Shampoo - What is it and should you use it?

Ok, so shampooing is a really bad practice to follow everyday with products laden with loads of chemicals. But, we can not leave our hair dirty just so. So, Dry Shampoo is becoming popular as one of the ways to get rid of the oil (greasy hair) and dust in the hair.

What is Dry Shampoo? 

It is a mix of ingredients which are good at soaking oil in the hair and trapping dust so that they can be brushed off immediately. Most common of the homemade dry shampoo are corn meal, baby powder, orris root powder and ground oatmeal. You can store mix these ingredients or use them individually. You can also mix hair-nourishing ingredients like essential oils or aloevera gel. The powder soaks the oil from your scalp and also the dirt from your hair strands.

How to use a Dry Shampoo?

The quantity of powder to be used depends on the length of hair. Take two heaped spoons of the Dry Shampoo you have made for hair length which reaches up to mid-waist. Increase accordingly for longer lengths. But, make sure you do not get too much on your hair. It would become difficult to brush off. Rub most of it on the scalp. And, put some on your hair strands. Now, brush your hair to free it of tangles and spread the Dry Shampoo evenly on your scalp and along the hair body. Let it stay for 10-15 minutes. After the waiting time is over, flip over your head and brush off all the shampoo from your hair. Keep brushing till you are sure your hair and scalp gets rid of the shampoo. Your hair should look clean instantly.

Advantages of using Dry Shampoo

• saves a lot of time so is best as a quick fix
• hair-nourishing ingredients can be fed to hair anytime
• can add volume to hair and make hair look puckered up

Disadvantages of using Dry Shampoo

• is lot messy and needs a lot of cleaning up to do
• may not suit some of the hair types as it can be little drying 

Most Important: Dry Shampoo, since being a mixture of various ingredients in their powdered form, when applied to scalp may sit on the scalp and not get brushed off effectively. This causes the hair follicles to clog and the scalp to become dry. And, ultimately, it needs a proper shampooing regimen. If Dry Shampoo is used quite frequently, it can lead to severely clogged pores and other scalp problems like dryness, itchy scalp or scaly scalp. It can, also, effect the hair growth and health of the hair overall. So, in my viewpoint, Dry Shampoo should only be used when there is an extreme emergency. Otherwise, either stick to shampooing your hair alternate days or you might consider co-washing your hair regularly.

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Scalp Problems: Home Remedies to get rid of them

Today, I would be discussing with you one more benefits of making Neem a part of your daily lives. Scalp problems are one of the main causes of hair fall, dry and dull hair or thin hair prone to lots of breakage. Dandruff, itchy scalp, redness in the scalp, dry scalp, acne on the scalp; these are some of the problems related to scalp which can be easily cured using neem leaves or neem water or even oil. 

• Use neem water as a rinse after every shampoo. Let your hair air dry. 
• Mix neem water and lemon juice and massage into scalp. Let stay for 30 minutes. Wash off. You need not follow it with a shampoo. A simple rinse would be fine. This is a cure for dandruff.
• As we all know that neem leaves are extremely good for acne on skin. So, make a paste of neem leaves and apply on the skin. Let it stay for 30 minutes or till it dries off. Wash off. Regular application (two times a week) should show results in a month. It would also cure itchiness and irritation in the scalp. 
• You do not have to go and take high frequency treatments to kill bacteria in the scalp. Mix neem and olive oil and massage into your scalp a night before you will shampoo your hair. This would kill all bacteria on the scalp. 
• If you do not get neem oil, you can put lot of neem leaves in olive oil and leave under direct sunlight for a week or two. Shake the bottle everyday. This would infuse the essence of neem leaves in the oil. And, this would be equally effective. Always remember to buy a Cold Processed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the purest form of olive oil). This is one of the healthiest ways to grow more hair on your head. You can use little warmed oil for massaging into your scalp.
• You can mix neem water or neem leaves in various hair masks you make.
• You can also use neem leaves while making the herbal shampoo.

READ MORE - Scalp Problems: Home Remedies to get rid of them