Bold Claim: This $48 Dry Shampoo Is My Favorite Hair Product of All Time
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We've pretty much all just accepted the pitfalls of dry shampoo at this point, right? Like, it's dry shampoo—it's gonna leave a chalky white cast on your roots, cover up your unwashed hair's stench with a fruity scent, and make your scalp feel itchy and gunked with powder. It's just the way of the world, and there's nothing we can do about it... or there wasn't, until K18 got on the case to find a way to make dry shampoo a little less, you know, blah. The result? K18 AirWash , a mist dry shampoo that claims to eliminate odor, as well as soak up and prevent oils, all without the dreaded product buildup.
When it first launched, I gave it the ol' college try. But since then, it's officially become my most-beloved beauty product of all time. I don't even say that lightly. I've used up at least four bottles, keep a travel-size in my carry-on permanently, and have convinced every single one of my friends to buy it. IMO, it's the best thing since sliced bread.
After two years of using the product consistently, I'm sharing my updated, very thorough review on K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo . Don't have the same hair type as me? All good; I consulted two other Cosmo editors (that I've converted) to share their thoughts.
How K18 AirWash works:
What it is:A non-aerosol dry shampoo spray that helps soak up oils and sweat and eliminates odors
Key ingredients:Peptide complex, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid
Hair types:All* (*but likely will be too drying for 4c hair)
- Left our hair smelling and feeling very clean
- Doesn't leave any white residue whatsoever
- Actually keeps scalp oils at bay for multiple days
- Doesn't add as much volume as a powder or aerosol dry shampoo
- Expensive (but one bottle does last a long time)
AirWash Dry Shampoo is actually a liquid in a mister bottle, like a leave-in conditioner or setting spray —and not the usual starch-filled formula in an aerosol can. The liquid is filled with porous, translucent microbeads that soak up scalp oils and sweat, but don't turn into a powdery, white substance that leaves a ghostly cast on strands or buildup on your scalp. The liquid dries on your hair—no added greasiness, FYI—and claims to continue absorbing those oils for up to three days.
The formula also incorporates a patented biotech ingredient called OdorBind, a brand-new technology that actually gets rid of odors, not just masks them with heavy fragrances like other dry shampoos. This tech is said to recognize odor molecules in your hair, bind to them, and then eliminate them—and continue fighting off odors for three full days.
And, of course, it's filled with good-for-scalp ingredients, such as peptides that help strengthen your skin barrier and encourage collagen production, lactic acid to gently exfoliate your scalp and break down product buildup, and hyaluronic acid to help hydrate your skin. So instead of leaving your scalp with a gunked-up, irritated situation, AirWash actually helps to improve your scalp's health. Now that you know how it works, let's get into what we really thought about it...
My K18 AirWash review
Initial thoughts
The first time I opened this up and realized it was a liquid, I gasped. A wet dry shampoo? Huh? I didn't believe it could work, even though I trusted K18. I have baby-fine hair and an extremely oil-prone scalp (fun stuff); anything that isn't a powder to soak up oils is just gonna make my scalp greasier. Or so I thought.
How I use it
I'm used to liberally dousing my hair in dry shampoo to soak up my oils, but I quickly learned I need about a quarter of that amount with AirWash. Just three spritzes about an arm's length from my scalp was all it took. At first, yes, this does make my hair feel a bit wet, but it dries fast. If I really need to redo my hair, I'll spritz this all over, then use my Dyson Airwrap with the round brush attachment to blow-dry it into my hair and style at the same time.
Often, though, I'll put this on at night, so I wake up with hair that looks and feels clean (which is virtually never the case for me without it).
Results
As it dries, it really does absorb the sweat and grease on my scalp without leaving behind any residue whatsoever. I would honestly confuse my hair with being clean; that's how well it gets rid of oils. I wish it added a bit more volume, but that's when I'll spray on K18 AstroLift Volumizing Spray to help fluff up my fine hair a bit.
The best part is that it seriously lasts. This helps soak up grease for a few days, not just when I spray it on. So I can shower on Monday, use it on Tuesday, and not need to wash my hair again until Friday. Without AirWash , my hair needs to be washed, ideally, every other day, but sometimes daily. This has single-handedly changed my hair routine. I get more time out of my vibrant copper hair color and spend way less time styling my hair. Sure, $48 for a dry shampoo is expensive, but for how much easier it is to do my hair, that's a price I'm willing to pay over and over (and over, lol).
Rating:4.5/5
More Cosmo editors' reviews of K18 AirWash
Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor
After AirWash.Hearst Owned
As someone who tries to limit her wash days as much as possible—but hates the grainy texture and residue of typical dry shampoos—finding a refreshing product for my hair has been quite the struggle. I usually wash my hair every three days, but by day two, my front pieces become visibly oily. I'll usually end up reverting to a slicked-back ponytail, so I was super excited when I found out that K18's dry shampoo was a completely different formula than the typical ones I've tried. In the past, hairspray-esque canisters or powder-based products have left my hair overly brittle or chalky (or both).
After just a couple of sprays, K18's liquid formulation surprisingly absorbed my hair's grease in minutes. I was in utter shock. Who knew a water base could somehow soak up oil!? Not only did the formula immediately make my hair look actually clean, but it also boasts a fruity fragrance that made it smell clean too. One application kept my hair looking and (smelling) fresh for an extra two days. Oh, and the best part: no white residue! I'm a convert, tbh.
Rating:4.5/5
Arianna Shooshani, social media manager
I avoided dry shampoo in the past because I hated how it felt in my hair and I never felt like it really worked—in fact, I felt like my scalp got dirtier when I used it and my hair looked even worse. That is, until I tried out K18's AirWash dry shampoo per a Cosmo beauty editor's rec! After using it your hair almost instantly looks like it was just washed (no idea how they figured that out) and although it does feel like there's product in your hair, it feels clean to the touch and doesn't have that strange residue that I feel normal dry shampoo usually leaves behind. Plus, it looks even better the longer it's in your hair—again, no idea how they figured that out. Definitely a holy grail beauty product for me and something I very enthusiastically recommend to all of my friends.
Rating:5/5
K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo
When I do wash my hair, it's pretty commonly with this shampoo. It helps break down all the oils and product buildup on my scalp without stripping it (and it's color-safe).
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask
After Peptide Prep, I always leave in this mask, which is iconic (and a Cosmo Readers' Choice Award winner) for a reason.
K18 HeatBounce conditioning heat protectant
I always spray this all over my dry hair before blow-drying AirWash into my roots, and it protects without weighing my fine hair down.
K18 AstroLift Reparative Volume Spray
I use this on wet hair, but also dry hair after AirWash to give my hair a little extra volume. IMO, it kind of works like a dry conditioner in that way.
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