At 6:45 a.m. on the Monday morning after Thanksgiving break, I had approximately 2.5 minutes to get ready and get out the door to make it on time to my 8 a.m. class. Like almost all Monday mornings, I went to reach for my favorite dry shampoo – Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo – to rejuvenate my hair that I hadn’t washed since Saturday night… except, I couldn’t find it. Of course, I left it on my home bathroom counter, 3000 miles away, and for the remainder of the day, my oily hair was safely hidden under an incredibly unfashionable baseball cap.
As soon as I got out of class (well, after a much-needed shower and some hair-washing), I raced to Walmart to find a replacement for my Oscar Blandi. My college town doesn’t have a Sephora, so I was in search of cult favorites Psst or Batiste. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find either of them. However, I did see TRESemmé’s Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. I purchased it (for about $4), and was ecstatic about finding a dry shampoo that cost less than my favorite Starbucks order.
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What is it?
TRESemmé’s product, like all dry shampoos, promises a clean head of hair without the hassle of washing – perfect for making that blowout last a day or two longer. Basically, you spray the product at your roots, brush it out, and voila– oil-free, clean hair.
The dry shampoo market isn’t perfect – even the best products (like my beloved Oscar Blandi) can give dark hair a greyish tint and take a while to completely brush out, so I really did not have high expectations for TRESemmé’s dry shampoo. I figured as long as it made my hair look not disgusting then I’d be happy. After all, I’d bought it for $4, so really, how could it even be a waste of money?
How did it work?
6:45 a.m., Wednesday morning: I reached for the TRESemmé and sprayed it on my roots. I waited a few minutes while I put on mascara/brow pencil, and then brushed my hair out. When I looked in the mirror, I expected marginally clean, maybe a bit matte, hair.
What I actually got was flat, lifeless, greyish greasy hair. Never before have I used a hair product that’s made my hair look worse than before I used it. Imagine how your hair looks after three or four days without washing it, and that’s how my hair looked after using this product. Some dry shampoo doesn’t exactly clean, but makes hair more voluminous- not this, as my hair fell flatter than before.
Honestly, I cannot see any positive use for this product. It might be one of the worst hair products I’ve ever personally tried – my roommate even tried it and hated it. This is definitely a waste of money – that $4 could have been better spent almost anywhere; even baby powder would have been more effective for the money. So if you’re looking for a good dry shampoo, don’t look to TRESemmé – you’ll end up disappointed.
Your thoughts?
Have you guys tried TRESemmé’s dry shampoo? What did you think? What is your favorite dry shampoo? Tell me in the comments!
I totally agree with this article! I have thin/fine hair, and this stuff just makes it really dry along the strand, but still oily at the roots. The result for me is pancaked roots with flyaway straw like hair. Ugh, I use Pssst dry shampoo, and it works ALOT better. However, Tresemme does add great texture to my hair after I have just washed it, and it helps some of my bigger styles hold.
I too absolutely hated this product. I’ve used dry shampoo for years due to having baby-fine hair and an oily scalp, seeing as I like to keep my dyed red hair red and not hot pink 😀
Since I had the same issues with the TRESemme dry shampoo, and I’m a typical starving college student, I decided to try the new Suave dry shampoo which just came out. I tried it for the first time this morning and so far I’m fairly impressed. The spray went on very smoothly, with no major white blotches which Pssst tends to give me. It brushed out easily and left no visible residue, but really freshened up my hair and gave it a little bit of volume. The only downside for me is the scent… it’s a fairly strong citrus sent, and citrus just isn’t my thing, but after about 10 mins the scent faded, so it’s not a deal breaker.
I suggest trying the Suave dry shampoo as an alternative, see if it works better for you 🙂
i was actually going to buy this product and give it a try but after reading this review, i wont! i have thin dark brown hair and an oily scalp. i cant go a day without washing my hair because my hair is just that oily so when i heard of dry shampoo, i was so excited. I tried the Tigi rockaholic dry shampoo and it was horrible for me. I hate the smell, i find it too strong and it didnt really do anything for my oily hair. I am definitely going to try the other brands mentioned and hopefully i can find a really good one!
I bought this too and I HATED it! I totally agree, my hair looked so much worse!
I like Ojon’s dry shampoo, it does leave a bit of a grey finish, but it’s better than any others I’ve tried and it smells amazing. I really don’t like Klorane’s, and I’ll be wary to try this now because I have dark hair!
I’ve used this a few times, and I have thick brown hair in a short pixie cut. My bangs get oily much faster than the rest of my hair and I’ve used to help soak up some of the greasiness.
I’ve found out that it does work if used correctly, and it also depends on your hair type. You must comb the dry shampoo out once you let it sit for minutes, and shake the bottle very well before and in between sprays.
This works great as a texturizer, but I do agree that this isn’t the best dry shampoo you can get your hands on
TRES’s dry shampoo works well as a texturizer on CLEAN hair – it works terribly as a dry shampoo. Terribly. It does exactly what the article says – makes dirty hair look dirtier, greasy hair look greasier, and flat hair go flatter. The only thing it works well for is for fine-haired girls to achieve the messy bed-head look on already clean hair.
If you’re looking for a cheap dry shampoo, my personal favorite is Pssst. I’ve tried a lot of the salon brands, and I think Pssst is a fantastic duplicate at a much cheaper price. I also like Batiste, but I find that it gets used up very quickly (like a can lasts me 1-2 weeks only versus Pssst lasting a month). Baby powder also works in a pinch, but Pssst is so cheap its hard to pass up, and I like the control the spray can gives me.
To get the best results with Pssst, spray on roots from underneath (like you would a volumizing product) from about 5-8 inches away. Let it sit, then using a natural bristle brush, comb through the hair. For fine haired girls, I find it helps to brush the hair while holding the head upside down, and blast roots with a blow dryer on a medium setting. Repeat this on sections of hair’s roots throughout the head, and you’ll get clean, bouncy, fresh hair for a fraction of the salon brand price. (Note: I have dark hair, and this works just as well for me as it does for blondes – the trick is to use the blow dryer & a natural bristle brush versus a comb).
i’ve tried it and i don’t like it either! i keep hearing all these great reviews and yours was the first one i related to! sometimes i use the sally’s beauty supply brand (rock on dry shampoo) but it’s not that great either. maybe i’ll splurge on oscar blandi.. or maybe i’ll just have to pull my hair back in a pony when i don’t wash it! ha.
I’ve bought this twice, and both times the nozzle clogged with the first use.
I just bought some of the tresemme fresh start dry shampoo for straight hair and had no problems either. I didn’t use much and was sure to shake it up a lot, and shook it up between sprays as the bottle recommended. Perhaps it only works well for hair that is only a little dirty? I did find though that it didn’t do much to replace lost volume, but that’s not a big deal to me.
I haven’t dried the dry shampoo for straight hair from TRESemme but I have tried the one for curly hair from them and I had the same result! Even though it smells good, it left my greasy but still bouncy curly hair gross, dull, and made my blonde hair brown. Gross all around!
I have the one for oily hair, just like the one reviewed. I have to say, I really like it. It works wonders on my oily hair. I’ve tried the Oijon dry shampoo and the Tresemme one is much better. I’m thinking you maybe need to play around with it more. It took me awhile to get it to work for me, but now its a must-have on days I don’t shampoo.
I use it the way Ginny says she does, and it works great for me. I’m not a big fan of the scent, but it does freshen up my hair and remove oiliness. I use their fresh start spray afterwards to add shine to my hair, as the dry shampoo does kill the shine a bit.
I have tried the Anti-Frizz Creme and the Waterless Foam Shampoo for wavy/curly hair. I like it. My hair is usally a mess and out of control if I skip washing it (which I have to or my scalp freaks out) and this actually makes it look better. I guess different hair types and different product is the key to an accurate review.
While I love Psst, this dry shampoo actually works wonders on my locks! I wash my hair every other day and use this product on off days. I have very blonde hair and only sometimes get the gray tint. I suggest it for honey blondes or lighter!
Honestly, I love TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. At first, I hated it because it left my hair all greasy with white specks all over it. But now, I just shake the dry shampoo a lot before and spray it from an 8 inch distance. then you have to comb or brush it out so it disperses. now i love that stuff.