Hair appears cleaner in just a couple of minutes (Batiste Dry Shampoo)

Member Name: Sacheverell

Product:	Batiste Dry Shampoo
Date:	09/11/09 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Makes hair look clean; very quick to use; doesn't irritate scalp; good value

Disadvantages: Leaves a bit of a deposit in the hair; doesn't look as clean as proper washing

I am a bit of a slave to my hair as it needs washing every day. Although some hair stylists don't recommend daily washing, I think some peoples' hair just needs it, and I'm one of those people.
If you have a morning when you're in a real rush, washing and drying your hair can be too time-consuming. It can be much quicker to pop a shower-cap on and have a quick shower without having to deal with shampooing, conditioning and using a hairdryer for 20 minutes - but I never feel clean and presentable if my hair looks a little bit greasy.

I bought Batiste Dry Shampoo ('original' scent) from my local chemists' for rushed mornings such as those. It cost just £2.07 so I could afford to experiment with it. I'd read about it on the internet and people were very enthusiastic about it. The packaging is rather retro, which I enjoyed - I think it's been in production for a number of years; and if a product works then there's no need to change it! It's made by Schwarzkopf, a company which produces a wide range of haircare products.
I had a day of not washing my hair in order to try it out. The instructions tell you to shake the can, remove the lid and hold it 30cm from your hair whilst you spray it. I followed those instructions and concentrated on the hair near the scalp. A white powder was deposited on the hair. I then rubbed it into my scalp and brushed it through and out of my hair, as per the directions.

The scent is described as 'citrus', but I wouldn't describe it as such. It is a clean smell, and fairly pleasant, although it has a hint of 'air-freshener' about it. Batiste Dry Shampoo does come in a variety of fragrances, so I will try a different one next time.
My hair did look clean and soft after I'd brushed out the powder, although not quite as clean as after a proper shampoo. There was a hint of the product's fragrance left behind, but not to an overpowering extent. I then styled my hair as normal.

I did notice throughout the day that if I put my fingers through my hair I did find a sort of deposit left behind, even though I did brush it through thoroughly. The main ingredient is rice starch which I suppose absorbs the natural oils present at the scalp, and the deposit was as a result of that (which sounds rather disgusting, I realise!).
The Batiste website also recommends the product for use in volumising hair that has already been washed, to create 'big hair' styles. I can see how it would work and I may try it in the future, although I imagine the deposit would annoy me.

Another point worth noting is that Batiste comes in miniature canisters too, which would be handy for camping, festivals and other such occasions, although like all miniature toiletries wouldn't be such good value for money.
All in all I think it's worth having a can of Batiste Dry Shampoo for hair emergencies; it produces a cosmetically clean effect on the hair, but doesn't quite leaving it feeling clean because of the deposit left behind. It's cheap enough to buy if you want to try it. I would probably recommend trying a fragrance other than 'original' to avoid the 'air freshener' edge to the scent. It's amazing how it can make your hair appear clean without using any water; it's certainly better than the old trick of using talcum powder. I have dark hair and once it's brushed out you can't see any white powder making my hair look grey. In addition, it doesn't irritate my scalp, even though I have a sensitive scalp. I may even use it on clean hair in the future for the 'big hair' effect - I'll visit their website again for instructions!

Please note that I've also posted this review at Ciao.

Summary: It's worth having this product on your dressing table for emergencies. It's surprisingly good.