How to Choose a Dry Shampoo That’s Safe for Your Hair and the Environment

 

Dry Shampoo Can Be Good for Your Hair – if You Pick the Right One

Your dry shampoo is so much more than a grease-buster, it’s a time-saving superhero. 

When your alarm goes off in the morning and you choose a few more minutes in bed over washing your hair? Priceless. Dry shampoo just gave you 40 minutes of quality extra snooze time. 

And if your day looks like work, gym, cocktails – no need to let your sweaty hair get in the way. Dry shampoo to the rescue. 

As a stylist for almost two decades, I’ve seen a lot of hair trends come and go. But dry shampoo has always been a client favorite. With so many to choose from, here's what you need to know to pick a dry shampoo that's good for you, your hair, and the environment.

 

Which Dry Shampoo is Safer – Powder or Aerosol?

You already know that dry shampoo is convenient, fast, and effective. But is it always safe? 

Maybe you heard about the 2022 dry shampoo recalls¹ when big brands found toxic levels of cancer-causing chemicals in their products. Or maybe you just like to dig deep into ingredient lists. 

You want the convenience of dry shampoo – but not the health and environmental hazards. You don’t want to worry about nasty chemicals while you are rescuing second-day hair. 

The original dry shampoo was only available as a powder. Now you can choose between powder or aerosol products. At Arey, we believe the best choice for your health and the environment is always powder dry shampoo. 

 

How Aerosol Dry Shampoo Damages Your Hair and the Environment

As a hairstylist, I’ve used my fair share of aerosol products. I had a wake-up call in October 2022 when there was a safety recall on several aerosol-type dry shampoos.¹ The issue – toxic levels of a chemical called Benzene. 

Benzene is an aerosol propellant. It is a cancer-causing chemical that attacks the immune-defending antibodies in your blood. It also damages your hair over time.

It’s not just your health that suffers from inhaling Benzene. The environment is being damaged too. 

Aerosol propellants damage our planet's ozone layer. The ozone layer is our built-in sunscreen layer. Without it, we face rising temperatures and crop damage.²

Aerosols are quick and convenient, but, if you’re like me and most of my clients, you want clean hair and a clean conscience. At Arey, we share those values. 

We did extensive research to make sure we only use ingredients that are safe for you and our planet. That’s why we started by identifying all of the things that we didn’t want in our products.

 

Ingredients to Avoid in Your Dry Shampoo

Arey’s commitment to clean means we only add in the good stuff. But there are many products out there that don’t follow that philosophy. Here’s a checklist of dry shampoo ingredients that you really don’t want in your life: 

❌ Talc – an oil-absorber. Talc is still used in many conventional dry shampoo formulas despite being linked to cancer. 

❌ Cetrimonium Chloride – reduces static. This toxic dry shampoo ingredient is irritating and allergenic.³ It’s also lethal if orally ingested. 

❌ Alcohol – a degreaser that can over-cleanse your hair and scalp. This can lead to dandruff, dryness, and blocked pores.

❌ Siloxane, Silicones, & Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane – used to smooth and gloss hair. Silicones are safe for you but harmful to the environment. The residue ends up in oceans and rivers where it becomes a hazard to sea life.⁴ At Arey, we use only natural ingredients that break down in water.⁵ 

❌ Benzene, Butane, Isobutane, & Propane – propellants in aerosols. You’re exposing your lungs, skin, and the environment to toxic petroleum products.¹ 

It can be hard to switch from your favorite brand. Many of my clients are concerned that natural dry shampoos won't work as well as their old aerosol-based favorites.

At Arey, we took that as a challenge. The result – Wait A Sec. A clean, non-aerosol, effective dry shampoo that also nourishes your hair and scalp.

Our powder-based product delivers everything you need for fresh, healthy hair and nothing that you don’t. Not just a quick fix for busy days, but a treatment for your hair.

I like to let the reviews of our Wait A Sec dry shampoo speak for themselves. Our customers don’t just love it because it’s good for the planet, they love it because it really works.

Meet Wait A Sec – Our Dry Shampoo That Also Delays Greys

At Arey, we didn’t want to just make a fabulous dry shampoo. We created a multi-tasking hair product that cleans, conditions, and stimulates pigment production. 

We avoided all the pollutants in aerosols by using a powder formula. Then we added all the healthy hair benefits that are core to Arey’s hair care system. 

Here are the 7 key benefits Wait A Sec dry shampoo brings to your hair:

✅ Cleans – our lightweight formula absorbs excess oil for fresh-as-a-daisy hair.

✅ Adds volume – refreshes your hair without weighing it down.

✅ Works invisibly – you’ll never see white, chalky deposits.

✅ Effective on all hair types – straight, curly, fine or voluminous, Wait A Sec is gentle enough for all kinds of hair.

✅ Freshens – our all-natural cedar and sage fragrance refreshes lived-in hair.

✅ Preserves and stimulates pigment – our clinically-proven ingredients delay grey.

✅ Moisturizes your scalp and hair – hydrated hair is fuller, thicker, and healthier.

At Arey, we care about your health, so we only put the good stuff into our products. Wait A Sec is free from fillers, gluten, animal products, and always cruelty-free.

Wait A Sec delivers so much more than traditional dry shampoo. It’s effective and it’s good for your hair.

We like to think of Wait A Sec as an anti-aging, grey-delaying powerhouse, that is also a great dry shampoo. That’s why we packed it full of all the best ingredients to nourish, soothe and re-pigment your hair.

 

 

Clean and Boost: The Powerful Ingredients in Wait A Sec 

We researched the cleanest and most effective ingredients to use in our dry shampoo. Here are some of Wait A Sec’s high-performing active ingredients:

Mica 

Mica is a mineral widely used in beauty products. We use it to provide a subtle tint that blends with all hair colors so you never get chalky roots. 

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

This is a powder that absorbs excess oil and sweat without causing buildup. We love this starch because the Mayo Clinic, PubMed, The World Health Organization, and others approve it as completely safe for daily use in beauty products.⁶ 

Capryloyl Glycine and Undecylenoyl Glycine 

These lipidated glycines regulate your skin’s natural pH. This maintains your scalp and hair health. They also help control acne and dandruff-causing microorganisms.⁷ They help your scalp retain moisture. This makes your hair more manageable, soft, and volumized. 

(Fo-Ti) Root Extract

Fo-Ti is a herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It helps maintain your natural hair color and delays the onset of new greys. Research shows that Fo-Ti can also potentially deepen your natural hair color.⁸

Sesamum Indicum – Sesame Seed Extract 

Sesame oil is packed with fatty acids that moisturize your scalp and hair. Easily absorbed, it repairs dry hair and split ends.⁹ It also stimulates your scalp’s blood circulation to promote hair growth. The antioxidants (anti-aging molecules) found in black sesame seeds combat cell damage. They also have anti-aging and even re-pigmenting properties.¹⁰  

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Ginseng is a traditional Korean medicine used for more than 2000 years. Famed for its anti-aging properties, it’s an antioxidant powerhouse that soothes your scalp and softens your hair.¹¹  

At Arey, we don’t just look out for your hair health – we care about your overall health. 

That's why all our products are free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, polyethylene glycol, formaldehyde, and dyes. Plus, our gluten-free, vegan, and cruelty-free products are naturally fragranced with cedar and sage.

We want you to feel good about everything you choose to put on your hair and skin. 

 

How to Use Wait a Sec 

You can use Wait A Sec dry shampoo any time your hair needs a quick refresh. 

Here are some styling tips for getting the most benefit from our dry shampoo:

✅ Shake well and apply to your dry hair and scalp in sections – hold the bottle about 1-2 inches from your head. 

✅ Let it sit for a couple of minutes – don't immediately brush or shake it out. Give Wait A Sec a chance to absorb the oil at your roots before you massage it in and brush or comb it through. 

✅ Try using it at night – let your hair absorb while you sleep and you’ll wake up with fresh tresses in the morning. 

✅ Don't use too much – a little goes a long way. Start with a small amount and add more later if you need it.

✅ Use it where you need it most – part your hair and spritz Wait A Sec to your roots only in the greasiest areas.  

 

At Arey, We Care About Your Hair and the Planet

That’s what motivates us to create clean, science-based products that slow the signs of aging hair and improve hair health. 

We want to make it easy for you to do the right thing for your hair – that’s why we offer 15% off on all auto replenish orders to help keep you on track with your hair health goals. Because we believe that science + consistency = results.

We are Arey.

Aging is beautiful – but if your greys are growing faster than you wish, we are here for you with science-based, effective solutions. We want you to feel happy and confident with your hair. Have questions? Say hello at hey@areygrey.com.

 

Discover The Benefits of Science-Backed Haircare 

 

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REFERENCES:

1. Independent lab finds cancer-causing chemical CNN
2. NASA - a World Without Earth's Natural Sunscreen
3. EWG Skin Deep® | What is CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE 
4. Is Silicone in Shampoo Bad for the Environment? 
5. Hydrated Silica - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics 
6. Safety assessment of aluminum starch octenylsuccinate
7. The Phenoxyethanol-free Preservative 
8. Polygonum multiflorum for the Treatment of Hair Graying 
9. Sesame Oil: Benefits for Hair & Scalp |
10. Antioxidant activity of white and black sesame seeds 
11. Panax Ginseng Root Extract