We Love You Nigella, But We Won’t Be Copying Your Dry Shampoo Hack

When it comes to food, glorious food, we would happily try every single recipe in Nigella's cookbooks. Be it her watermelon salad, her all-in-one chocolate cake or her vodka pasta – we want it all. Yet, her latest recommendation (albeit, it’s not cooking related) isn’t one that we can get behind. She shared in her recent Sunday Times column that her top trick for tackling greasy or dull hair is to use dry shampoo – which is, of course, totally fine. But it’s when she applies said dry shampoo that troubles us. 'Blast yourself with it before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning, it will have disappeared, taking the grime and grease with it,' she advised in her column.

Usually reserved for those lazy hair days when you want a quick freshen up between washes, dry shampoo is designed to be spritzed on and then brushed out. It’s rarely recommended or designed to be used pre-snooze. But, what’s the issue? We’ve spoken to the pros for their take…

Why Should You Avoid Using Dry Shampoo Before Bed?

'If you apply dry shampoo before you sleep, your scalp will still continue to produce sebum and shed dead skin cells during the night,' says Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley. 'Ultimately, you will not wake up to "fresh hair' – quite the opposite. You will actually be waking up with a dirtier scalp than you went to bed with.'

Is Dry Shampoo Bad For Your Scalp?

Don't be fooled by the term 'shampoo', as the experts agree dry shampoo should not be used as a replacement for real shampoo. ‘It doesn’t remove skin secretions, dead skin cells, dirt or cleanse the scalp effectively,' points out Anabel.

In fact, we should be cleansing our scalps daily. ‘The scalp contains the same sweat glands found in the underarm and pubic region,’ says Anabel. ‘If you don’t wash your scalp frequently enough, oils, sweat, dead skin cells, daily grime and dust, as well any product residue, are left sitting on it.’ And that includes dry shampoo, which leaves an added layer of product build up that can block the hair follicles. ‘It’s akin to washing your face with talcum powder,’ adds Anabel, which is not something we would ever dare to try - especially not before bed.

When Should You Use Dry Shampoo?

'Every once in a while, when you cannot shampoo, it’s OK to use dry shampoo,' advises Anabel, 'but avoid it if you have dandruff.'

Of course, not every dry shampoo is created equal, which is why you should look out for key ingredients that will benefit the scalp. Philip Kingsley's One More Day dry shampoo, £20, contains soothing and anti-inflammatory Zinc, Bisabolol and Allantoin.

And while we won't be misting our hair with dry shampoo before we hit the hay, a la Nigella - we'll still be using it for those last-minute, lazy hair moments when you just need a little refresh.

SHOP: Our Favourite Dry Shampoos Here

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