Splurge vs. Steal: DRY SHAMPOO

Touted as a water and timesaving way to stay quote-unquote gorgeous on the go, these wildly popular shampoo substitutes allow the busiest exec to head straight from the bedroom to the boardroom without a pesky shower in between.

Americans love to shampoo. We lather up an average of 4.59 times a week, twice as much as Italians and Spaniards, according to shampoo-maker Procter & Gamble. But that's way too often, say hair stylists and dermatologists. Daily washing, they say, strips the hair of beneficial oil (called sebum) and can damage our locks. An alternative between washes: Dry Shampoo, the convenient, quick fresher-uper for your hair! No water or blow dryer required. Although there are a wide variety of dry shampoos on the market - ranging from the very affordable to the very expensive - all spray-style dry shampoos are essentially a starchy mixture containing a basic set of ingredients used to clean the hair when it is not possible or practical to use water and traditional shampoos; on camping trips - after sports - when ill - any time you can't (or don't want to use) water. The idea behind dry shampoo is to absorb and remove excess oil from hair follicles to refresh, revive, and rejuvenate the hair in a matter of minutes. It thoroughly and effectively soaks up oil, removes product buildup, and boosts volume.

The market for dry shampoos, which are sold in both spray-on and powdered formulas, has exploded over the past few years. Name a high-end hair-care brand; Frederic Fekkai, Bumble and Bumble, Oscar Blandi, Rene Futerer; and the chances are good that a revolutionary new dry-shampoo product is one of the top-selling items in the company's inventory. Their average price hovers around $20 for about 3 ounces - not exactly a bargain. Two very recognizable dry shampoos are Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder and Oscar Blandi's Pronto Dry Shampoo. Although the Bumble and Bumble offers a line specific for each hair color (black, brown, blonde and red), it will run you around $40. Allure magazine's favorite, Oscar Blandi, is a less expensive option but it will still set you back $11-19 per bottle. As an inexpensive alternative, people started using baby powder to achieve the same effect. Unfortunately baby powder does not give you the same volume as the actual dry shampoo. I also do not recommend it as it leaves the hair looking gray and you walk around smelling like a baby's bootay all day long.

So what do I recommend? In my opinion, no need to pay extra $$$ for brand recognition. You need to pick yourself up some Pssssst Dry Shampoo, a STEAL, costing you only $7.00 at most any drugstore. In the December 2010 issue of Lucky magazine, Psssssst Dry Shampoo was named one of the Top 10 Best Beauty products of the past decade. When Psssssst was relaunched, they claimed their hair got "1,000 times better looking - bigger, cleaner and with more texture." With a circa 1970's logo, you can't miss it on the shelf. I even saw a travel size of Psssssst at Bed Bath and Beyond last week.

How to use it: Shake can well. Hold can 6" to 8" from hair. Lift sections of hair and lightly but generously spray scalp and roots of each section. Fluff. Wait a few minutes, then brush hair well. Style hair as desired. Voila! Fabulosity achieved.