A letter to my dry shampoo—a pandemic love story ❤️

Relationship status: it's complicated.

By Ellen Schmidt Updated Mar. 31, 2021

My relationship with my hair has had its ups and downs, and I presume many of you probably feel the same way. While I’ve never used a ton of product, I’ve also never lived during a pandemic—until now. As a result, dry shampoo and I have begun a torrid romance, and I’m here to share all the juicy details. Do I wish I didn’t need it so badly? Yes. Will I keep coming back to dry shampoo after the pandemic is officially over? Only time will tell.

Over the years, I’ve tried different hairstyles and lengths. Curly and straight, long, short and even shorter (a regrettable choice during most of my college years, but that’s a story for another time). I’ve gone for hours where I thought my locks looked amazing only to discover a cowlick the size of Texas, and whole summers cursing the frizz caused by humidity. And let’s not forget the hair I lost after birthing 2 humans . Great hair days have occurred every now and again, thankfully. I looked pretty polished on my wedding day, a mere 14 years ago. And don’t we all look like a million bucks when we leave the salon? My hairdresser has learned when to expect my “Don’t you want to come blow dry my hair every morning?” plea, and each time, offers a tepid and slightly sanctimonious response about using a round brush (I’m not there for the conversation, clearly).

But living, or rather, plodding my way through a pandemic has thrown any sort of constructive hair styling out the window and far, far down the street. In 2020, otherwise known as “the lost year” in my house, I can count the days on one hand that my hair wasn’t in a ponytail or messy bun. Simply put, when going from my bed to my “office” in the corner of said bedroom (a corner office!), good hair was not top of mind. But I’m not completely without vanity, however, and this is where dry shampoo enters the scene.

I first learned about the miracle spray from where else—my mom friends . I’d been living under a rock, apparently. Proclaiming its ability to keep your hair looking shiny and oil-free (while skipping showers thanks to small children underfoot), I decided to give it a try. Like any great love story, I had to sample a few bottles before finding the right dry shampoo brand for me. But once I did, well, your girl never looked back. I have seen what hair looks like when you don’t have time (or can’t remember when) you last showered, and well, there’s a reason why my hair was in a bun the entire month of June. These days, with a generous spray of Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak in the morning and a fresh pair of sweatpants, mamas, the sky is the limit. I wish I didn’t need you dry shampoo, but I’m very glad you’ve become a part of my mom-perfected 5 minute morning beauty regime.

Now, when things return to normal (or fingers crossed, some version of the “before times”), I assume that I will go back to obsessing over my hair again and you know, general upkeep and regular hair cuts. I hope that, while our time together was the stuff of old Hollywood musicals, I can find a spot for you in the back of the toiletry shelf next to four bottles of nearly empty sunblock. And when regular showers become “a thing” again, I hope you will know it’s not you, it’s me.

But who am I kidding, dry shampoo. You’ll be back, and my hair and I will be glad to see you.