Olaplex’s Dry Shampoo Has Divided Opinion Among R29 Editors

Has any beauty brand been as busy as Olaplex in the past couple of years? We've had the No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum and the No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment, not to mention the adored No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask. Now another highly anticipated hair product has joined the dynasty.

Enter: Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo.

Dry shampoo is a staple in many a routine thanks to its ability to eke out your hair for an extra few days between washes. The aim of the game is to reduce oil, suppress odour and add volume, lending hair a cleaner, fresher look and feel until you get a chance to wash it. Olaplex's version goes one step further.

When shopping on the high street, you can expect to pay somewhere between $5 and $20 for an effective dry shampoo. This one is a little pricier at $54 but, like all Olaplex products, it boasts the brand's patented bond building technology.

Without putting you through a science lesson, that technology utilises an ingredient called bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate. Though wordy, what it does to damaged hair is simple: it helps repair broken bonds caused by things like over-processing hair with bleach or dye, heat damage from styling tools or even mechanical damage from over-brushing and styling. It takes parched and brittle lengths and works on making them stronger.

Another key ingredient in this new dry shampoo is what the brand refers to as 'ultra-fine micro starch', essentially the tiny particles which absorb oil and dirt from the strands and scalp. Lastly, there's rambutan seed extract, from the rambutan fruit, which is native to southeast Asia. This is a powerful antioxidant, which means it shields the hair and scalp from flecks of dirt and pollution that you might come into contact with during the daytime. Olaplex promises that this product is for all hair types and textures, too.

So is the No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo worth the hype? Three R29 staffers put it to the test and here are their honest thoughts.

"Every dry shampoo I’ve tried, from high street to high end, has been a powdery white texture meant to be massaged in with your fingers and brushed out. But this one? It’s completely invisible. No, really — it doesn’t leave a single trace. For that reason, I was sceptical. When I spritzed it into my greasy roots, I couldn’t tell where it had landed or if any product had come out at all.

To be honest, it didn’t do as brilliant a job at mopping up every ounce of oil as Living Proof’s PhD Dry Shampoo (I maintain that this is the best). But what it’s really good at is refreshing limp hair after a workout, when I often don’t have the time or energy to wash it. Like a sponge, it soaks up sweat, somehow eliminates odour and stops itching in its tracks. At the same time, it makes my hair look voluminous. I’ll stick to Living Proof when my roots are really oily but Olaplex No.4D is certainly a gym bag staple. I’ll continue to use it alongside my favourite Olaplex product: No.8 Bond Moisture Mask. This product gives my hair an incredible, glasslike shine and I'm truly obsessed with it."

"Nine times out of 10 I regret using dry shampoo. After spraying my roots, my hair feels gritty and I have to pull it up in a bun or ponytail because it looks dirty. Hairstylist Jimmy Paul, an Olaplex ambassador, tells me that there’s a reason this happens: 'Most dry shampoos really mattify the hair, which can dull the natural shine and can make your hair look heavy.'

However, he adds, Olaplex Dry Shampoo No.4D (the 'D' is for 'Detox') refreshes the scalp naturally using rambutan seed extract, an antioxidant that neutralises dirt and grease by promoting cell turnover (it has been used in skincare, too). I’ll use it to stretch my hair from day three to day four. Amazingly, it keeps my hair soft, like it's on day two (the best hair day, in my opinion)."

"For me, dry shampoo has been like a toxic ex that I can’t shake. I constantly go between cutting it out of my life completely only to go back to it during a moment of need. Then I regret it afterwards. It might be early to say but I have a feeling that Olaplex Dry Shampoo No.4D and I are in it for the long haul. Like Jackie, I’m also a fan of Living Proof PhD Dry Shampoo, which really deserves all the hype it gets. That said, my expectations of dry shampoo are lofty; I want it to freshen my roots and absorb grease but feel invisible. It’s a lot for any product to live up to but Olaplex’s formula actually achieves it.

I’m not sure if NASA was involved in the making of the product but I literally don’t know where the stuff goes once I shake the can and spray it directly where needed. There’s absolutely no trace of buildup that I can detect, and I have very dark, very thick brunette hair that doesn’t make it easy for product to hide. What’s more, it’s a nice companion to my other go-to Olaplex product, No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum, which I love using on freshly washed hair and sparingly on dry hair to smooth and add shine."