I have super fine hair, and when I was in high school and college, the only way to keep it from looking like an oil slick was by washing it every single day. Once I started getting my hair color treated, though, that was no longer an option. (TL;DR: red dye fades the fastest and frequent shampooing only speeds up the process.) Thankfully, I discovered dry shampoo and have been hooked for nearly a decade.
Like all beauty categories, though, not all dry shampoos are created equally, so I’m always up for trying the latest and greatest formulas to see if a breakthrough has been made. Because of this, I recently added the new Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo ($30) to my hair-care routine.
I was intrigued by the Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo because only is it designed to absorb excess oil and erase the appearance of sweaty strands, but it’s also meant to detox the scalp in the process—which is notable because dry shampoos often leave behind heavy residue that can make the scalp feel itchy. Plus, this product buildup can trap dirt and oil underneath it, which can make your hair look dirty faster than it typically would.
While the claims for this dry shampoo definitely seem lofty, the formula is built to deliver the results. It’s got ultra-fine micro starch sourced from brown rice to absorb oil (which, obviously is the main job of any good dry shampoo), plus antioxidant-rich rambutan seed extract to soothe and detoxify the scalp. The real icing on the cake, though, is that it also contains the brand’s signature OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology, so it strengthens strands while you wear it. Above all, the dry shampoo promises to extend the time between washes, and for me, it did.
The Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo launched on January 31 and after trying it for a few weeks, I’ve found that it’s a reliable dry shampoo for quick sprucing. While it doesn’t make my hair look 100% refreshed (TBH: none fully do—such is the life of a fine haired woman), it works well to absorb excess oil at the roots without making my hair look super dry (or feel super dirty), which has allowed me to stretch the time between my washes. It also doesn’t feel itchy at all in the process. With this dry shampoo in tow, I can revamp my second-day hair to the point that it looks clean enough to wear down; by day three, my hair looks rough, but with this dry shampoo, enough oil is absorbed that I can smooth it back into a slick bun and call it a day. And hey, that works for me.
One thing I will note, though, is that this dry shampoo claims to leave no white residue. While that’s true if you spray from 10 inches away (which is what stylists recommend), any closer and your hair will look like it’s been inundated with a baby powder bomb. Awful as it sounds, though, I find that spraying up close is the only way to get truly stellar results (at least on my fine red hair), as spritzing from a distance allows the product to disperse more. Thankfully, even when I did spray up close, I was able to easily brush the ultra-fine starch through, so my hair didn’t look muted or dull as a result. That said, if you have super dark hair, it’s probably best to follow the distance directions to a tee. FWIW, our senior beauty editor who has dark, thick hair, has also been testing the shampoo, and has seen great results with barely any residue left behind. One last pro tip? Be sure to brush the dry shampoo through your strands (instead of letting it sit on top of your scalp) for best results.
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