I just tried a 'waterless' shampoo on my fine, flyaway-prone hair—here are my honest thoughts

What if I told you I found a shampoo that’s completely waterless, plastic-free and plant-powered? Introducing: The Powder Shampoo.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t the same as dry shampoo which refreshes your hair in between washes. The Powder Shampoo is a powder formula that lathers up when water is applied and washes your hair like a regular old shampoo. 

So what’s the point in switching from your current favourite shampoo? Well, The Powder Shampoo is completely plastic-free and waterless (the brand doesn’t even use water in its production), meaning thousands of litres of water are saved annually when compared to conventional shampoo. 

Obviously, the lightweight, water-less formula means that it’s great for travelling with, not to mention it will allow for 100 washes, meaning one bottle will last you about the same as four regular shampoo bottles (making it, in practise, a more affordable shampoo option when you think about it). 

It’s also plant-powered, with no sulphates, silicones or synthetic fragrances, so this sustainable product is pretty great for your hair, too. 

Great stuff. But what I’m most interested in is whether the waterless formula actually performs. I’m pretty fussy with my shampoos. As someone with fine and wavy hair that’s prone to flyaways, I like my shampoo to be just the right balance of volumising and hydrating—not an easy feat, I can tell you.

My scalp is also pretty sensitive, and has been known to get dry and itchy with certain haircare formulas (shampoo and conditioner bars, I’m looking at you), so I was intrigued to see how The Powder Shampoo would perform.

Before we get into the actual review, you can shop the powder shampoo formulas I used for yourself below, and read on to find out how I got on with the powder shampoo process.

The Powder Shampoo: A review

I’ll be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about how easy this would be to use, but the directions couldn’t be simpler. Simply sprinkle the powder onto wet hair and lather. That’s literally it. 

I was surprised at how similarly it worked to a conventional shampoo once I got over the initial powder application. I scrubbed my hair—using fingers or a scalp brush—rinsed and repeated. 

The shampoo smells incredible (which I found surprising considering there’s no artificial fragrance added), and my hair felt just as clean as it would with a conventional shampoo. It has a surprisingly hydrating effect for a powder formula, so it didn’t irritate my sensitive scalp and I didn’t get as many flyaways as I do with most shampoos.

One thing I will mention is to make sure you close the cap immediately after you’ve sprinkled it on your hair—if you shower head sprinkles everywhere like mine does, you don’t want to get any water in the bottle accidentally.

Overall, The Powder Shampoo left my hair shiny, soft, volumised and surprisingly hydrated. Intrigued? Shop more options, including a powder body wash (yes you read that right) below…