I read with interest the recent fun piece here by Kirsten Anthony on ‘gym gloss’ and the women who go to the gym looking glamorous. I know quite a few of them – and I tend to be one myself because of the business I’m in.
One of the other tricks of a beauty routine and the gym is what to do with your hair. Many, but not all, women need to wash their hair after a really good workout at the gym, which means it can be impossible to go on the way to work, at work, or even after work before going out.
If you’re like me, it takes far longer to blow dry my hair to look half-way presentable than it does to put on some make-up!
So what’s the secret of those who don’t worry about it? One of two things – they either have very dry hair (which has its own problems) or they use dry shampoo.
This is a great beauty product staple that absorbs oil and sweat if used properly, and works really well for preserving your hairstyle or, crucially, for helping to get your post-workout beauty routine to a sensible timeframe for whatever you need to do next.
Dry shampoo is usually a sprinkle-on powder or an aerosol spray. I prefer the spray products of the ones I’ve tried. It works by absorbing the oil produced by your scalp, creating the illusion that it’s freshly-washed. You can even get colour specialisations but I haven’t tried these.
All of the varieties I’ve seen come in a size just perfect for your gym bag or handbag depending on what you use.
To make it work effectively, here’s what to do.
1. Start by tying the top layer of your and drying your damp hairline. It’s best to do this with a hairdryer but if you don’t even have time for this, dab it with a towel.
2. Holding your hair up, spray (or sprinkle if using powder) at the root of the hair, underneath the top layer and, if necessary, along your part and crown. Do it about 18-20cm from your scalp so the strands do not become saturated. Whatever you do, don’t put on too much to start – it’s best to add a little more later if you need it.
3. Next spray along your hair line from back to front. Either massage it in with your fingers or gently brush it through.
4. If you want to make sure the oils are really absorbed, flip your head over, shake your hair and flip it back for extra blending and volume.
5. It should be good to go if you take these steps. If you want to, you could give it a very quick blast with the blowdryer (and I mean very quick), but you don’t need to.
Once you master this simple technique, you should be able to use dry shampoo about 3-4 times a week and wash your hair 2-3 times a week after your workout. Unless you’re really good at styling your hair, or you have the type of hair that you can just ‘wash and go’, it’s a great time-saver and helps you make the most out of your fitness time.
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