Superdrug Dry Shampoo Head in the Clouds

I have used dry shampoos off and on for years now, mainly the Batiste brand as it seems to be the most readily available. I have tried other brands but I generally found that they either work less well or are much more expensive. So last summer I was interested to see that Superdrug do their own dry shampoo priced at £1.99 for 150ml, which worked out a little cheaper than Batiste per ml. I bought the "Head in the Clouds" scent as it was the only one in stock.

WHAT THE SHAMPOO CLAIMS TO DO.

I am sure most of you will know what a dry shampoo is. For those that don't I would describe it as a shampoo in the form of an aerosol spray or powder than is used on the hair without the need for water. I have quite fine hair which tends to get greasy quickly on the top while remaining dry at the ends. I often need to wash my hair everyday in order for it to look and feel really fresh. When I am short on time I use a dry shampoo spray to rescue my hair and enable me to skip the occasional wash. I also use them when I am camping and hot water is in scarce supply!

This particular shampoo promises to "refresh dull and lifeless hair between washes", and to leave your hair feeling clean and smelling fresh with "a delicate fragrance."

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The shampoo is packaged in an attractive aerosol can, with a bright and colourful flower design on the front. Packaging of hair and body products doesn't matter a lot to me personally, but I think that this one would please those who don't like own-brand products to look too basic and boring. There is no hint as to what sort of fragrance to expect. I presumed it would be floral because of the flowers on the front. In fact I would describe it as more fruity, with a definite and lingering sweetness. In fact it reminds me of tropical fruit juice. I would recommend that you try and test a can in the shop before you buy as it is a distinctive scent and it won't suit everyone. This is especially important as the scent does linger on the hair all day. Of course, this is a good thing if like me you enjoy it! There are other "flavours" available, but I have not tried these.

IS IT EASY TO USE?

I think that dry shampoos as a whole are easy to use and this is no different. You are directed to spray your hair from a distance of 15cm, massage the shampoo in and then brush and style your hair as usual. It is very quick process overall, and I find that one application over my head is enough. I was impressed that this shampoo leaves no white powdery residue on my hair which is a problem I have had using Batiste in the past. The powder does brush out eventually, but I have to spend extra time checking my hair carefully to make sure it is all gone, which cuts down the time saving aspect. So I found the Superdrug version slightly quicker to use for that reason. The spay makes my hair feel damp when it is first applied but this feeling disappears quickly. My hair doesn't look wet after more than 10 mins so I am confident enough in the product to use it shortly before I go out. Massaging it into the hair is also easy and feels pleasant. Brushing the hair afterwards doesn't take any longer than it normally would either.

DOES IT LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS?

The first time I used this, I had washed my hair the previous day but my scalp was starting to look greasy. The ends of my hair were ok but I wanted to freshen my hair in general. I applied the shampoo first thing in the morning and the results were instant. My hair looked like it had been washed which is brilliant considering I had only spent a few minutes on rescuing it! The scalp area did not look greasy and my hair smelt fresh - and fruity. I could detect the fragrance at times throughout the day, right into the evening. Although it smelt strongly when I was applying it, the scent did become much more subtle. Although the shampoo doesn't claim to help give the appearance of increased volume specifically, it has that effect on my hair in a modest way. It certainly didn't look flat anymore. I was happy enough with how my hair looked and felt to delay washing it until that evening. I don't style my hair extensively, so I am not sure if the effects would prove as long lasting if you do. I have since used the spray dozens of times to freshen my hair between washes with the same success. As I don't use it at regular intervals, it is hard to judge how long a can would last. Some weeks I don't use it all, other weeks I may use it twice. I would guess that one can probably lasted about 16 weeks.

Later that summer, I put the shampoo to a tougher test by taking it camping with me. On this occasion I had to miss washing my hair for three days in a row partly due to ill health. I felt and looked awful. My hair was flat, lifeless and definitely in need of freshening. I used the dry shampoo in the usual way but I noticed immediately that the shampoo wasn't going to be as effective this time. My hair did look slightly less greasy but it was still flat and and it did not really feel clean. As I was massaging it in I could feel that my hair was greasy and that didn't change even after a second application. I washed my hair with water as soon as I could and I have to say it was a huge relief. The nice scent of the dry shampoo had been as evident as usual but it did not console me when I could see my hair still looked dull and horrible. I have used Batiste on hair that was almost as bad and I feel that it does a better job of making the hair both look and feel clean, although nothing really replaces a traditional hair wash in my experience.

WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?

I have long ago finished my first can of "Heads in the Clouds" and I have bought several more. I would recommend it for those of you looking for a way to easily and quickly freshen your hair when it is looking a little past its best. Personally, I think it is as good as Batiste in these circumstances. If, on the other hand, you want something to tackle hair that is really greasy, I don't think this would be efffective enough for your needs. It is intended in Superdrug's own words to freshen hair between washes rather than replace hair washing completely, so I think it does well enough at what it is supposed to do. Since I last bought a can, the price has been reduced to just 99p for the same size aerosol, which is even more of a reason to give it a try.

Available in most medium and larger Superdrug stores, where you will find it with the regular shampoos. [

Like all of Superdrugs own brand toiletries, this has not been tested on animals. It is BUAV approved - see http://www.buav.org ]

[This review also appers on Dooyoo under the same user name.]