Product Review: Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo

I love a good dry shampoo. When you're a "shampoo every 4-5 days" girl like me, dry shampoo can be your best friend. But I have certain expectations from my dry shampoo, and if they're not met, then that product is tossed or given away.

I have these expectations from my dry shampoo:

• light, pleasant scent that dissipates fairly quickly
• no white/light-colored residue on hair
• doesn't leave hair feeling stiff or "dirty"
• doesn't leave hair looking dull
• leaves my hair easy to style

If you read my last review on dry shampoo (drybar® Detox Dry Shampoo), then you know that I was less than thrilled with the product. It failed on every point, and I cringe just thinking about the scent of it. Seriously. Short story: We recently took a little trip so Lulu could do an interview for a Pharmacy residency (BTW, you should totally follow me on Snapchat because I snap way more than I blog! I'm enjoythevue there!). Anyway, we were getting ready one morning and all of a sudden, I swore I could smell Drybar dry shampoo. Gus thought I was crazy, but I kept getting whiffs of it. I tracked down Lulu, and sure enough, she had sprayed it in her bathroom - but I could smell it clear across the condo and in my bathroom. Nasty (she agreed). So I'm happy to bring you a much better review (and product) today with Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo.


(This post contains some affiliate links which were added to make it easier for you to find the items. If you click on the links and make a purchase, it doesn't cost more, but I will receive a small commission. You are free to use the links or not. If you do, I thank you!)

I picked up a travel size of this somewhere - I think it may have been Meijer. I had used the Not Your Mother's Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder in the past, so I was familiar with the brand. I loved that I was able to purchase a travel size. So many times, if I want to try something, I have to buy a full-size product - then if I don't like it, I have the hassle of returning it. With a travel size, it's not a big deal if I don't like it. I don't remember the price, but it was fairly inexpensive.

The Clean Freak dry shampoo promises to absorb excess oils, leave no residue, and give you fresh volume. (I'm not sure what "fresh volume" is, but I guess it's good.) The full-size product is 7 oz. and retails for around $7. The instructions say to shake the can well, and spray generously on roots and throughout hair. Let it sit for 30-60 seconds, then brush through.

First, let me tell you that the scent is fairly clean and fresh. And it dissipates quickly. Even better? This product is also available in an UNSCENTED version! I haven't tried that one, but it's on my list. Light, pleasant scent that dissipates fairly quickly? Check!


It sprays out clear! There was absolutely no residue and my hair was still shiny. No white/light-colored residue on hair? Check! Doesn't leave hair looking dull? Check! I do want to note that some of the reviews I read said that they noticed a fine white residue, but others said as long as they shook the can well before spraying, they didn't see any. I was always careful to shake well, so I assume that is why I never saw any residue.

After letting it sit on my hair for about a minute, I would then brush it through as directed (I didn't work it through with my fingers). My hair felt soft and clean. I couldn't tell that I had sprayed dry shampoo on it other than my hair now had a little more volume and wasn't "limp" near the roots. And I was able to style my hair as usual without any problems! Doesn't leave hair feeling stiff or "dirty"? Check! Leaves my hair easy to style? Check!
 
This dry shampoo met all of my requirements - all for less than $10! It actually reminds me a lot of Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, except for the scent (and the price). Living Proof's dry shampoo has been my favorite for awhile now, but there's that $26 price tag. So I think if you're a fan of Living Proof, you might like this NYM Clean Freak Dry Shampoo!


I do recommend the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo, and I plan on trying their unscented version as well. It's a great product for the price, and I especially love that there's no residue!

What's your favorite dry shampoo? Tell me in the comments!