K18’s Dry Shampoo Actually Cleans Hair — & It Has Replaced My Favourites

Dry shampoo is one of those things that seems amazing in theory: Wash hair less, extend your blowdry, instantly nix greasy, flat roots. But more often than not, it ends up leaving hair feeling dirtier than before. No matter how many brands claim to have cracked the code on dry shampoo formulations that actually clean your hair, I can’t say I’ve been blown away by any that I’ve tried. Until K18’s Air-Wash came along, that is.

The brand behind the innovative bond-repairing masks and hair oils has, in typical K18 fashion, now reinvented the dry shampoo category with AirWash, a non-aerosol (!) spray that claims to eliminate excess oil without leaving behind a powdery residue or a strong fragrance to mask odour. Lofty ambitions, to be sure, but if anyone could make it happen, it’s K18.

The biotech-meets-beauty brand has won the favour of savvy salon professionals and clients who want at-home solutions for healthier hair with products like the Molecular Repair Hair Mask, and Damage Shield shampoo and conditioner. I’m a fan of its products; they really, truly do make my hair feel stronger, softer and healthier, especially after color-treating. So as a longtime dry shampoo-avoider, I was hoping this one would be the one to break the spell. 

Right off the bat, I knew that K18’s AirWash was not like any other dry shampoo I’ve tried. For starters, it wasn’t, well, dry. Unlike the aluminium cans of dry shampoo that dispense spurts of concentrated, starchy mist, AirWash is a water-based formula. I first used it on second-day hair, just to get a feel for the product. After shaking to activate the product, I held it a few inches from my hair and carefully sprayed it where needed. (According to the brand, less is more.) It definitely refreshed my roots and felt weightless in my hair, but then again, my second-day hair is usually still pretty clean. To truly see what this could do, I planned to test it after my weekly hot yoga class, seeing as I always leave pretty drenched.

One very sweaty hour later, my once-dry top knot had devolved into a damp, matted-down mess of hair. Then, came the true test: I sectioned pieces of hair and went to town with AirWash. I was definitely more heavy-handed this time, but even so, I evenly massaged and distributed the product as I spritzed. After misting my entire crown, I flipped my hair upside down to finger-comb everything in — and to my surprise, my hair felt almost completely dry. It looked pretty good, too: slightly tousled, a little messy, but not dirty-looking in the least.

The fragrance is light and fresh, with a hint of floral sweetness. But best of all, it disappeared without a trace, even on my dark brunette hair. Because this is K18 we’re talking about, the brand has patented a proprietary time-release ingredient that not only addresses odour and oil, but keeps doing its thing for up to three days. (I ended up shampooing a day later, but my hair did feel fresh as a daisy until my next shower.) I also like that it’s not an aerosol, which is not only kinder on the environment, but easier to recycle when I’ve finished the bottle; I just rinse and toss it into my recycling bin.

While K18’s AirWash has easily replaced all other dry shampoos in my bathroom, at £48, it’s on the more expensive side. As such, it's a product I’ll likely use only when I really need it, like if my roots are feeling super greasy or if I’m running late to dinner after a post-work pilates class. That said, for this sceptic-turned-convert, seeing (and feeling!) the difference really is believing.