Dry Texture Spray vs Dry Shampoo. Your Need To Know

DRY SHAMPOO RECALL: IS DRY SHAMPOO BAD FOR YOU?

There was a major recall of dry shampoos because they contained benzene, a known carcinogen. Before we get into that it’s worth noting that benzene has been on our banned list of ingredients since the inception of TO112. But what does it mean? What is it in? What does it have to do with the Dry Shampoo vs Dry Texture Spray debate?

When an announcement like this comes along there is a lot of fear and consumer confusion out there so we turn to science and our chemists and peer-reviewed scientific papers for real data. Rest easy knowing that at TO112 we do not formulate with any toxic ingredients, including known carcinogens, and we formulate to the highest standards in the world including California's Prop 65 and the EU formulation and labeling regulations. 

WHAT IS BENZENE AND WHY IS IT IN DRY SHAMPOO?

Benzene is not typically used in cosmetic formulations and in most instances it is discovered as a contaminant of aerosol products. This will never be detected in TO112 products because our facilities do not work with benzene in their formulations so there is no risk of croscontamination. 

IS BENZENE THE SAME AS BENZOPHENONE? WHAT ABOUT BENZOPHONE-4?

No, benzene is not the same as benzophenone. And benzophenone is not the same chemical as benzophenone-4 (also called sulisobenzone) which is not a carcinogen. Benzophenone-4 has been vetted as safe under California's very strict Proposition 65. There is substantial scientific research that has confirmed it is safe for use in cosmetic preparations and has a low risk or concern when it comes to endocrine disruption and reproductive organ disruption and not considered a carcinogen.  

Below is a list of resources on the topic should you wish to dig into the the scient a little deeper (but we warn you, they are not a riveting read 🙂): Open scientific/peer reviewed literature

CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.

IS DRY SHAMPOO BAD FOR YOU?

While the big dry shampoo recall was likely a result of contamination, it’s worth considering is dry shampoo is good or bad for you. Dry shampoo is not really a cleansing product, but it can stretch the time between washes by giving you the appearance of clean hair without the wash. Dry shampoo is a no-wash spray that “cleanses” the scalp of oils by using formulas containing absorbent ingredients to soak up excess oils, and because of its nature, this leaves a powdery film in your hair that sits on your scalp and clogs up the follicles until you wash it away with shampoo. It focuses its efforts at the scalp and root to create lift. We can all agree, there’s something about second day hair that just feels better and not everyone wants to wash their hair daily. It’s touted as a great timesaver in busy lifestyles but like everything else, it’s best used in moderation. Too much powdering of the scalp’s natural oils to fake clean hair can result in less than optimal scalp health. And poor scalp health results in poor hair health and can lead to hair loss. While dry shampoo is not going to ruin your hair through periodic use and a proper cleansing routine, creating texture is the non-follicle clogging alternative that can help stretch the time between washes.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO CREATE LIFT AND TEXTURE TO STRETCH BETWEEN SHAMPOOS?

 

Dry Texture Spray, as a great alternative to dry shampoos because it provides the lift without the clog. So you get the effect without trying to powder down the scalp. And because dry texture spray isn’t meant to replace your hair washing routine it leads to healthier hair practices. But it certainly helps you gain an extra day or two stretch, and without leaving a layer of product or sebum buildup sitting on your scalp.

WHAT IS SEBUM AND IS IT BAD?  

We know that follicles are what grow hair, they also produce sebum, a natural oil that is a necessary component for healthy hair and scalp. The purpose of sebum is to lubricate the hair follicle and protect the scalp from moisture loss. It’s normal to have oil production, it allows hair to be soft and flexible, giving it a natural resilience to all that you do daily to your hair, but a buildup of oil can suffocate follicles and leave a greasy residue. When your scalp starts to overproduce sebum and lead to an accumulation of sweat, oil, environmental dirt, and dead skin cells, your scalp can no longer ‘breathe’ and health issues start to arise. Clogged follicles lead to brittle, weakened hair shafts, and hair loss.

The health of hair follicles is compromised by inflammation and infections when hair is not cleaned regularly or properly. Any new hair growth will not be secured firmly at the root, which can result in the new growth falling out, and stunting any new hair from growing. This can be particularly frustrating if you’re trying to grow out your hair!

IS DRY TEXTURE SPRAY A HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE TO DRY SHAMPOO?

Even though dry texture spray brings about similar results of dry shampoo neither should replace regular hair washing. Instead, consider it a styling aid to accentuate your natural hair texture, it creates a natural looking lift in your hair by catching onto its hair neighbours to give you touchable movement throughout. It also gives your freshly washed hair that extra volume and grit when clean hair is too soft for your decidedly touseled style. The last step in your beauty product arsenal is the make or break in your style lasting all day long. 

TO112 Dry Texture Spray is created without starch ingredients and has our keystone Tamanu Oil for its healing properties, for a weightless, invisible and free of chalky build-up that for a weightless, touselled look. And we agree, it’s a better alternative to dry shampoo.