Review: LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo

I've recently discovered that I can survive a day without washing my hair.  I had always put it out of question, since puberty made my hair turn into a sopping mess of oils and flat hair, and from then on, the improvements were far and few.  Eventually the excessive oil phased out, and I was just left with hair that can't be slept on, or else will lose all the volume I put so much work into.

But with all the magazine articles insisting that we should not be washing our hair everyday, and the detriments to hair health that comes along with the habit... I had to give dry shampoo a chance.

Enter LUSH Cosmetics' No Drought dry shampoo, the first I ever tried (partially due to circumstance -- working there meant I got to try it gratis).  It took a lot of convincing for me to finally try it, because it is a white powder with a lemon scent -- I don't care for citrus scents, and white powder didn't seem like a good idea with dark hair.  There was a small bottle kicking around in my bathroom though, so after a while I caved to curiousity.

Source:  http://www.lush.ca/No-Drought/9999903589,en_CA,pd.html?start=5&cgid=liquid-shampoos

The talc in the formula works to mop up oil, while the grapefruit and lime oils clarify the scalp and leave it smelling fresh with a hint of citrus.  I have to admit, the scent doesn't bother me at all now that I've used up a bottle of it.  Also, speaking of essential oils, no it does not make your hair more greasy with its oil content.  In fact, compared to the dry shampoo I'm now using (I will review when I am finished with it, or when I can no longer stand it), I quite like that the oils were there to make the scalp smell like you just washed your hair.  Soaking up oil is fantastic and all, but if people can catch a telltale whiff that you skipped your shampoo today... well, what's the point, then?

The only downside I have had from friends and others is the usage.  I admit, it's a weird product to use, but once you get a hang of it the routine becomes fairly easy.  I think on the website and catalogue they suggest shaking it directly onto the scalp and massaging it in from there, but I personally find it easier to use when I shook a small quantity onto my palm (size of a quarter perhaps).  From there, I massage it into my scalp against the direction of gravity, i.e. if I am trying to get the front/crown, I flip my head upside down and carry the powder in my palm to make contact with the scalp, thereby creating no mess.  I found that this way, I used the product more efficiently -- it's not expensive, but it's money nevertheless -- and had less random white flecks on my clothing or on the floor.  My usage also did not leave me with a white scalp, which is a common complaint from users.  Lastly, because I have long hair (but really everyone should just do this), I brush my hair with a bristle brush to get any white residue off the strands so I don't look like I have aged overnight.

With No Drought, I did not find the effect long-lasting.  It was sufficient if I wanted to amp up my day-two ponytail or if I wanted to degrease and didn't mind the lack of lasting volume.  It's definitely not for if you need it to make your hair seem like you did wash it -- if anyone knows of such a miracle product, please tell me about it!  Overall, I would purchase it again.  I think it is still under $20 for the large bottle, and the small bottle lasted me a good couple of years of irregular use.  I think if I were to have used it every day the small bottle would have lasted half a year or less, suggesting that a full bottle would be a good run for your money.  It's better than most other dry shampoos for their value.