10 Dirty Hair Hacks To Fake A Fresh Wash

Pressed for time in the morning and need to opt out of that shower? If you’re worried that your hair will look gross and feel greasy throughout the day, here’s how you can camouflage that dirty hair with ease.

But first, a longer-term tip to preface these hacks: don’t wash your locks so frequently! While it might seem like it’s doing the opposite, over-washing makes hair more prone to overproduction of sebum, an oil created by scalp sweat.

Here are 10 dirty hair hacks to fake a fresh wash.

1. Dry Shampoo

Utilize dry shampoo! This soaks up grease and oil, as well as giving hair a little more volume. Batiste and Dove are some affordable favorites. We suggest keeping a full-size bottle at home and a travel-size one for greasy work emergencies and all-day maintenance.

2. Baby Powder or Cornstarch

For a cheaper alternative to dry shampoo, baby powder or cornstarch also does the trick! Rub baby powder or cornstarch into your roots and brush off the excess to avoid hair from looking white.

3. Face Sheets or Toilet Seat Covers

You can also efficiently absorb excess oil and grease with gentle pats of oil-absorbing face sheets or even toilet seat covers! Though those things are made with very different purposes, they have virtually the same effect.

4. Hand Sanitizer

Rub a very small dollop of hand sanitizer in your hand. The same alcohol that’s used to kill germs can help to dry out the grease in your hair. Just make sure that you use is sparsely, since this concentration of alcohol can be harsh on the hair and even damaging if used excessively. But it does the trick!

5. Blow Dry

Give your dry hair a quick blow dry. It adds lift and gives it that fresh, just-washed look. Doing this can reduce oil buildup and fake a shower, but be careful not to damage your hair by overheating, since a blow-dryer on high can do that.

6. Shampoo the Front

Take some shampoo and just wet the fronts and sides of hair in the sink, applying the product to the parts that are most visible. This might sound odd, but it works surprisingly well. No one’s staring at the back of your head anyway, right?

7. Wear a Bun

If your hair is long enough, take advantage of a partial undo – the front of the hair is often the most oily culprit, and a half bun or even a full top knot can hide that and do wonders in masking that. Plus, it’s a low-maintenance look that pulls the hair out of your face.

8. Accessorize

Accessories can also help mask the grease. Girls will find that a good claw clip, headband or scarf is a lifesaver, while guys can play around with different types of hats.

9. Wear a Braid

Ladies, style hair in a braid. Greasiness is hard to notice when your hair is in a braid that adds structure and texture. If anything, the grease will help your braid stay more cohesive and prevent fly-aways from taking over.

10. Dry Shampoo Paste

There are also alternatives to powder dry shampoo, such as dry shampoo paste with a creamy texture. It won’t get all over black t-shirts, as powder can do. It doubles as a styling texturizer, and this one by R+Co Badlands contains volcanic ash which cleans the scalp rather than layering more on to dirt and grease.