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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Review: Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo

Longtime readers know that I'm a bit of a dry shampoo connoisseur and I've lost count of how many dry shampoos I've reviewed here over the years. I've got oily skin, oily roots and side-swept bangs, so dry shampoos are a necessity for me when I skip a day between washings. A few sprays and my bangs can return from the Land of Grease to live another day!

I was very excited when I received the new Aveeno dry shampoo for review a while back because I've had good experiences with Aveeno haircare (I'm a big fan of Aveeno Nourish+ Moisture Shampoo, which won my Cheapie Award for "Best New Shampoo" in 2009). I've been using this dry shampoo for over a month now, so let's see how it's been working for me.

Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo
(retail: around $7.99, 4.8 oz)

Keep reading for my full review, included before-and-after photos...




I believe this is the first dry shampoo I've ever used that contains seaweed extract.

From the Ulta website:
Description
Discover a pure way to refresh and renew your hair without washing with water. This exclusive Active Naturals formula, infused with Balancing Seaweed Extract, instantly revives hair for healthy manageability. Rejuvenates hair for a clean, fresh look between washes. Removes excess oil and impurities to help boost volume. Sulfate-free for gentle cleansing. Developed by Aveeno's expert team of scientists and a leading stylist, Aveeno's Active Naturals formula harnesses the power of nature and science for beautifully healthy looking hair.

Directions
Shake can vigorously before use and in between sprays. Hold 8-10 inches away from head and spray lightly and evenly to dry hair, focusing on the roots. Leave in for 1-2 minutes, brush out thoroughly and blend away excess powder into hair using fingers. Style as desired. If nozzle clogs, rinse under a stream of warm water.
Ingredients: Isobutane, SD Alcohol 40-B, Propane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Magnesium Stearate, Arcylates Copolymer, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Magnesium Carbonate, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance.



Let's get right to the before-and-afters:



The above pic was taken 48 hours after my last washing. I pulled back the top layer of my bangs to reveal how greasy my hair gets in the area where my bangs rest on my forehead.


Following the directions on the can, this is what my hair looked like immediately after application. I held the nozzle 8-10 inches away from my hair and sprayed lightly, focusing on the roots as directed.


Again, following the directions to a "T", I left this product in my hair for two minutes, and then "brush[ed] out thoroughly" and "blend[ed] away excess powder into hair using fingers." The above picture was taken immediately after brushing and blending as directed.



And here's what my hair looked like after combing my bangs into place (please excuse the gray hairs--I'm overdue for a coloring).


Overall, I'm very pleased with the results of this product. It does a very nice job of absorbing the oils in my hair and I absolutely love the fragrance, which is very clean and fresh and very Aveeno-esque.

One thing I want to warn you about--especially if you're an experienced dry shampoo user--is that you really need to follow the directions with this product. I'm used to using dry shampoos that I can spray onto my hair and then immediately work through with my fingertips. If you do that with this dry shampoo, it's not going to yield the best results (trust me, I've tried). You really need to follow the directions and let this product sit in your hair for a good 1-2 minutes to allow it to "work its magic" before combing/brushing out. If you don't do this, I've found that this product becomes very powdery and doesn't absorb oil nearly as well as when you allow it to sit in your hair for a minute or two. 

As for any residual white cast--I know this is a concern for those of you with darker hair--I have light brown/dark blonde hair with blonde highlights so it's hard for me to say whether or not you'll see a white cast in your hair after you use this product. For me personally, it seemed to help restore my hair to its original color (my hair gets very dark-looking when it's oily) and the "after" pics you see above represent what my hair normally looks like when it's clean.

I know that a lot of us use dry shampoos for added volume (this is a great trick even if your hair is clean--a few sprays of dry shampoo can pump up the volume on even very fine or thinning hair) so I want to mention that I do see a touch of extra volume when I use this product, but not a lot in comparison to other dry shampoos I've used over the years.

FINAL VERDICT: I think this is a nice addition to the world of drugstore dry shampoos. The fragrance is beautiful and it really adds to the overall "refreshed" feeling I get when I use this product. I think it does a very good job at absorbing the oils in my hair (just remember to follow the directions to a "T") and I don't experience any residual white cast after I've brushed out this product. The only thing it lacks, for me personally, is the added volume that dry shampoos can provide, but it does give my hair a touch of volume (just not as much as other dry shampoos I own). If your main concern is oil absorption and you prefer clean, fresh scents in your hair, I think this one's definitely worth a shot.

Do you already own Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.
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17 comments

  1. I have a question, what does it do to the texture of your hair? I have found that some of the cheapy generic ones and tresemme leave my hair texture something like heavy feeling and coarse.
    I have fine straight hair but alot of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to know the answer to this as well because the Tresemme one does the same thing to my hair!

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    2. VERY good question and I thank you for asking! I have fine hair but a lot of it also, and the TRESemme dry shampoo also didn't work for me (I reviewed it here when it first came out).

      If you don't follow the directions and wait a minute or two after application before you brush it out, this product feels heavy and quite powdery to the touch. But when I follow the directions, I find that my hair feels soft, but not coated or heavy. There is also a slight powdery feel, but it's about the same as other dry shampoos I own. Hope that helps!

      Delete
    3. Thank you!! I will definitely give this one a try them, thanks for info and the review!

      Delete
  2. Thank you for this review! I'm about to cut my bangs again for the winter (my hair is so oily that I've simply given up on bangs in the summer haha) and the only dry shampoo I have is the Tresemme one which I don't like very much. I can't wait to try this one out!

    Also, I'd love to know what your favorite drugstore dry shampoo that you've tried is!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My all-time favorites are Batiste (you can get it at Ulta) and got2b Fat-tastic:

      http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-new-got2b-fat-tastic-fresh-full.html

      Both contain rice starch, which seems to work really well with my hair. Hope that helps!

      Delete
    2. Awesome, thank you so much! I have fine hair but a bunch of it so I bet if these work well for you they'll work well for me too!

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  3. Thanks for another great review! One question: what would be your top 3 dry shampoos now that you've tried, ahem, a few? I find that most don't work with my naturally curly hair (frizz can be an issue), but they're great for my daughter's straight hair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so welcome! And to answer your question, please see my comment above. :)

      Delete
    2. Cool, thanks! I'll be on the lookout for sales. :-)

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  4. Have you tried a Do It Yourself recipe for dry shampoo? My favorite is cornstarch, baking soda and an essential oil for fragrance - I like lavender.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you have any links for tried and true recipes for this? I'd be very interested!

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    2. I haven't tried that one, but thanks for the tip! The only diy version I've tried is straight baby powder, which works in a pinch, but it's really powdery (duh!). :)

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  5. Excellent review love!! I have been trying out the new Suave version but the fragrance is a turn off so I will pick this one up :)

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  6. Oh wow, I have to try this. I've come to really love Aveeno this past year, I started using their lotions when I got my tattoo and needed an unscented one. And my hair gets super oily pretty fast, so dry shampoo is pretty much necessary for me if I oversleep for class and can't find a hat...

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  7. Please note that the first ingredient on this and all other propellent dry shampoos is butane or propane. I don't know about you all but I don't want that sitting on my scalp, going onto my fingertips, into my eyes, mouth, etc. I use a talc dry shampoo, which has its own set of issues, but I'm hoping is safer than propane.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi, I have never tried dry shampoos before and today I got this one and the got2b volumizing styling powder. I bought the got2b more for the volume thing because I have straight, thin a not a lot of hair. I wonder what are the differences between the Aveeno and the baptiste dry shampoo?

    ReplyDelete

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