Alright, so, dry shampoo is apart of my daily routine. I can not go A DAY without using it. My hair gets extremely oily. And no - this is not because I wash my hair too much. I just have this odd inconvenience in life where my hair doesn’t look great without help. So, I have to make sure that I have dry shampoo in my purse and travel bags at all times. When I first discovered dry shampoo, I tried all the different brands that Target and Walgreens had to offer. All of them left a white residue in my hair. I thought maybe higher-end ones would get the job done but I was still left with the same white residue.
One day, in the back of a TJ Maxx, I discovered the life-changing UK product, Batiste. It was sitting there just waiting for little ole me. Who knew such a can could change my life forever? Out of all the different dry shampoos offered by Batiste, the Divine Dark was my favorite. Hair life was all roses and dandelions until I recently discovered that talcum powder was and is still used in most dry shampoos.
What!? As soon as I heard this, I darted across my living room, through the bedroom and ripped open my cabinets and started reading the back of my heaven-sent cans. Interestingly enough, none of the Batiste dry shampoos contain talc besides my most coveted angel can, Divine Dark. Talc was an ingredient in the beloved dry shampoo. Disgusted with the world and full of betrayal, I tossed all the cans. After further research, I have discovered that the Batiste website claims the company only uses four ingredients which are: starch, propellant, alcohol, and fragrance.
Recently, when I looked up the ingredients for Batiste Divine Dark Dry Shampoo, I found: Butane, Isobutane, Propane, Oryza sativa starch, Alcohol denat., Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool, Distearyldimonium chloride, Cetrimonium chloride, Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499. Now, first off, I am pretty sure that is thirteen ingredients. Secondly, talcum is no longer listed as an ingredient…which is excellent news! And all the angels sang, “Glory, glory…”
Talcum powder is not to be taken lightly, especially if you are applying it to your scalp every day for years. Since the 1980s it has been linked to ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer causes more deaths of the female reproductive organs than any other cancer. This has been showcased in the ongoing Johnson and Johnson trials. The first lawsuit was filed in South Dakota in 2013 by a woman named Deane Berg. Since then, women have been fighting the corporation after developing ovarian cancer from regular use of the J&J baby powder.
The talc is contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos. The problem here is that the government does not make sure commercial talc products are safe prior to them hitting the market. The industry is supposed to regulate itself. I assume the government expects the industry to also have integrity.
Johnson & Johnson are still lying to us today by saying that their powders are safe. Even when the jury proves their guilt, J&J either appeals the cases or they end in mistrials. All in all, ladies, check your dry shampoo and live a talc-free life!
Some great alternatives to talc are rice, charcoal, or bamboo powders.
Try making your own dry shampoo in a blender using the ingredients below:
