Bumble and bumble Hair Powder
A long time ago I read an article about using powder in your hair to absorb oil, and I immediately tried it out. I think I used baby powder; the next time I went a day without washing my hair I shook it onto my scalp and rubbed it in.
Result: oily, powder-coated hair. Lame.
The last time I had a haircut and color, my stylist used a spray-on product I hadn’t seen before. She lifted my roots and gave them a few brief blasts, and when she combed it out there was a surprising amount of volume and bounce in my normally flat-ass hair.
“What is that?” I asked. (I am such a sucker.) She showed me the can: Bumble and bumble’s Hair Powder.
I almost always buy some novelty hair-goo product at the hair salon, even though it’s pretty rare that I get similar results at home. You’d think I would learn; after all, I’ve just had a professional style my hair after it’s been cut and chemically spit-shined, why is it always a surprise that I can’t re-create the magic in my own bathroom?
Yet hope springs eternal, and in this case I found something that outperforms even my beloved spray-on shiner.
This stuff is basically superfine powder in aerosol form. I use it by holding up sections of hair and spraying the roots. It goes on a bit like those Halloween colored hairsprays – which is to say, right after applying this my hair is weirdly white in spots (my hairstylist recommended the White color instead of Blonde, ostensibly because my hair is more ashy than golden). I then brush it out or finger-comb it, and the color disappears.
If I’ve just washed my hair and styled it, this spray gives my hair all-over body, volume, and manageability. My roots have lift and I can finger-style pieces of hair and they stay put. If I’ve skipped a shampoo, this does a fantastic job of making my hair look, well, clean. The only way I could deal with unwashed hair before was by tying it up in pigtails, this lets me actually leave it down. It does everything that magazine article said powder would do, without the mess and crappy results. RAD.
On the con side, it’s very drying, so if you already have really dry hair overall this would probably be no good. I only use it on the roots, because while my scalp is oily, the ends of my hair are very dry (hate you, combo hair).
More annoyingly, it’s expensive. I don’t mind paying for a quality product, but twenty bucks for a tiny can I can go through in a couple weeks? I love this stuff, but damn.
I bought another brand, with the hopes I could wrap up this review by saying that I found something that works just as well for less money, but…no. The Algemarine dry shampoo smells funny, the nozzle gets clogged easily and thus sprays little wads of wet powder-clumps everywhere, and the weird 70’s couple on the bottle freak me out.
So, I’m forced to recommend the Bumble and bumble powder, although I disapprove of the pricetag. Amazon is running an “overstock” sale on this product currently, so you can buy a larger can for 12% off the normal price. Which I think I’m going to do – unless one of you uses something similar that you really like? Let me know!
Link: Bumble and bumble Hair Powder 1 oz, 4 oz.
Ballpark price: $18.48 and $33.38, respectively
Posted: October 16th, 2006 under Hair, Personally recommended by Linda.
Comments: 26
Comments
Comment from Amalah
Time: October 16, 2006, 4:48 pm
Dude, I LOVED that stuff. The price killed me though — I went through it soooo fast that I haven’t been able to justify buying it again. But oh, the volume! The non-oily-grossness!
Definitely taking advantage of the Amazon sale.
Comment from Bethany
Time: October 16, 2006, 8:25 pm
I have looking and looking for information on this product - I had heard something about baby powder treatment, etc. so I am very happy to read your review. I don’t like to wash my hair and blowdry it every morning (I usually wash the night before) because to mush blow drying kills my hair - and it saves me time. But, sometimes by the end of the day, my hair looks a bit oily. Plus, I have hair with limited amounts of body, so I think this could help. I did find some on e-bay, 4oz for about $35 - includes shipping. I’ve already ordered it. BTW, I’m really enjoying your “buzz”. =)
Comment from Jenny
Time: October 17, 2006, 5:22 am
I’m giving it a try — I too had been dismayed at the results of the baby powder thing and until a friend of mine told me she did that I couldn’t imagine that it would actually work on anyone. It just made me look like I had dirty, really dandruffy hair. Blecch. So anyway, I’m excited that this might work! I don’t like to wash and dry my hair every day, but I kind of have to or it looks like I haven’t washed it in weeks and I can almost feel the oil seeping in ACK. Anyway, yay! I use other Bumble and Bumble products and really like them (I am an avowed salon whore) but my salon doesn’t carry this stuff. It’s worth a shot!
Comment from Fab
Time: October 17, 2006, 5:32 am
Love Sundrybuzz! Just wanted to tell you that! 
Can’t wait for more reviews, specifically your skin care/hair reviews!
Comment from jonniker
Time: October 17, 2006, 6:34 am
I tried hair powder before, and it was most definitely in a powdery sort of container - like baby powder, that you shook out, and I’d swear it was B+B, too. I wonder if they reformulated?
And now I want to try this, which is crushing. And I do wonder if I would go through a can less often, considering I have about 1/4 the hair you do, and thus, would be worth a shot? I have combo hair, too, not just in texture/oiliness, but in color, which sucks. Red in parts, white-blond in parts, dark brown in parts. I sense this might be a sticking point when it comes to purchasing the right color canned powder for me.
Comment from Andrea
Time: October 17, 2006, 9:53 am
B&B Hair Powder vs. Baby Powder vs. Cornstarch:
Comment from drunken monkey
Time: October 17, 2006, 10:32 am
So, it’s good, huh? Fuck. I talked myself out of buying it when I saw the price, all “It probably doesn’t even WORK.”
Comment from Rosetta
Time: October 18, 2006, 10:52 am
I worked in an Alzheimer’s Unit to pay my way through my last year of college, and we had a couple residents who had major phobias of the shower. We used a product called Pssssst (what the fuck kind of name this is for a hair product?) on their hair on days when taking a shower was just too traumatic. It costs, like 5 dollars a can, and I would be willing to bet it is the exact same stuff that Bumble and Bumble is selling for 30. It dried up the scalp, gave their hair more body and made it easier to style, and also left those white spots you mention. Budget-minded readers may want to go to their local Walgreens and take a look for the Pssst. (Which, I must say, has The Worst Product Name Ever, hands down.)
Comment from Serror
Time: October 20, 2006, 4:47 pm
Pssssst is 5.49 on drugstore.com and seems to also have awesome 70’s styling. And it is unscented.
Comment from guinness girl
Time: October 24, 2006, 2:03 pm
Hey! I stumbled over here from Jonniker’s blog. I have an older version of this (not in a can - more like a plastic squeeze bottle) and hated it. I’m happy to mail you the leftovers if you’re not freaked out by an offer from a total stranger (see email above).
Comment from Andy
Time: June 4, 2007, 8:46 am
Salon Grafix just came out with a dry powder shampoo. Color match for blondes, brunettes, black and silver hair. Only $8! You can buy it from their website or at rite aid. it works great!!
Comment from karin
Time: June 17, 2007, 11:11 am
I just tried the salon grafix for brunettes-every time i touch my hair my fingers come away brown-yuck. gives my hair A LOT of volume though
Comment from wvcspsxktz
Time: July 3, 2007, 12:34 pm
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Comment from kathy
Time: July 16, 2007, 8:50 pm
I tried the brown B+B spray on powder and got horrible results. I have brown combo hair (oily scalp but dry ends). It was messy and slightly stained my pale skin. It took 15 minutes to clean up my face and ears after just trying it out on my hair part. I think an old-fashioned shaker would give much better control than this clumpy spray. However, it did do a good job of drying my oily hair and giving it lots of volume. Definitely not worth the mess, though. I think I’d rather just use cornstarch, if only it came in brown.
Comment from LibraInSD
Time: August 7, 2007, 9:31 pm
I just heard about B&B’s hair powder and have been trying to find it, not realizing that it’s about $20 for a small amount. I think I’ll try the Salon Grafix at first. Thanks Karin!
Comment from Jules
Time: October 22, 2007, 1:17 pm
Hey! I stumbled across this B&B hair powder entry and am going to try the Salon Grafix first BUT have you ever had trouble with getting that funny ol’ vertical part in the top back of the head on the second day of not washing hair?! No matter how I try to brush it out, the part manages to resurface. Maybe I should try spraying that portion of my hair with a water bottle and hair drying it out? Or use a clip at night to keep it in line?? Any suggestions for an easy way out of this part in the back of the head hell?!! Thanks, Jules
Comment from Leesavee
Time: November 10, 2007, 12:54 pm
I have used both the Salon Graphix and the Pssst! brands of dry shampoo. Actually, I bought the Salon Graphix earlier today at Rite Aid for $6.99 and just tried it out. I used the Pssst! (which was $4.99 at Rite Aid) last year right after surgery on my neck, when I was unable to get the area wet for 10 days. I do not recommend either neck surgery or going that long without washing your hair.
The Salon Graphix in brunette matches my root color very well, but it makes my head itchy, but that may just be me and my allergies. I’m not personally having a problem with color transfer onto my hands, and if you have any gray hairs rearing their ugly heads, this would be way helpful as far as extending the life of your color. The Pssst! brand actually worked better as far as the “cleaning” aspect is concerned, but because it only comes in one color - white - it made me look a bit dandruffy, since my hair is brown with some (fake) blonde highlights. For a blonde or someone with natural silver or gray hair, this probably won’t be an issue.
Both of these products really do provide excellent volume, and I very well may give the B&B a try, but I like the price of these other products FAR better.
Comment from Elicia
Time: January 18, 2008, 2:59 pm
I was interested in buying the Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder to cover the roots between colorings, but then I read the ingrediants and found ” aluminum starch octenylsuccinate”. I looked this up and found it was toxic to nerves and brain, etc. This is more a concern than the price. Any comments?
Comment from your mom
Time: February 1, 2008, 7:53 am
dude, octenylsuccinate is not going to soak into your head and kill you. do you know how much effort it takes to get absorbed into the blood-brain barrier anyway? jeeez.
if you check out this journal: 1: Int J Toxicol. 2002;21 Suppl 1:1-7.
it shows that this octenylsuccinate has been tested (on innocent furry rabbits) and the tests conclude that it is safe to use in cosmetic products (they tested systemic effects, eyes, etc).
You might try testing your drinking water too.
But, dont worry about it. use B&B. it rocks. i like to go without showering for days at a time and i can only do this because of b and b hair powder!
Comment from Anonymous
Time: January 13, 2009, 4:34 pm
Baby powder works perfectly well, you just have to BRUSH it in.
DUH
Comment from Anonymous
Time: January 14, 2009, 11:37 am
I was using powder, then moved to cornstarch. Both gave my brown hair a dull appearance and if I wasn’t careful, sometimes a white haze. I was going to try the Bumble & Bumble but are they kidding me with that price? My neighbor uses brown eyeshadow to cover grays between colorings, so I was thinking…what if I mixed up a little brown eyeshadow with the cornstarch? I’ll put it in a shaker bottle. Maybe I’ll even market it for $80 too.
Jules - I also struggle with “part in the back of the head”. Let us know if you find a solution.
Comment from Janelle
Time: January 24, 2009, 5:52 pm
I am tempted to buy the bottle for occasional non-shower days (like today) when I have to work weekends and i had just spent an hour straigtening my hair. Those are rare days since I’m low-maintenance. My hair is dark brown and I can hardly ever pull off the no washing day, it is super oily and I can’t stand it. I’d recommend the 4.4 oz bottle. Found one online for 30.00. Not to bad considering the time spent to fix it daily. Time is money, baby.
Comment from Emily
Time: November 12, 2009, 2:35 pm
hmn. sounds appealing. regarding toxicity, I’m with you Elicia, I was using Dust-it for awhile, and got a bit freaked out at how much of it I realized I inhale everytime I style my hair. Baby powder it is for me.
Comment from Mary
Time: November 21, 2009, 11:02 am
Thanks for the info on B&B hair powder. I tried it on my bangs yesterday at Bloomie’s. It felt Ok, but I’m concerned about inhaling the propellant–same with Psst. The salesclerk could not tell me what Bumble uses. I have been using actual dark face powder from an African-American cosmetic line on my onilt hair, but it has too much red in it. I may look for another shade and also look at salon grafix.
Comment from Naomi Anderson
Time: January 3, 2010, 8:25 am
Hi try this link for dry shampoo! I’m from Scotland and this stuff only costs £2.07 for a can! It smells good and makes your hair soft! Its the Batiste in blush that i use but there are many others to choose from!!
Batiste however is my personal fave! Think im gonna try that bumble one though!!
Comment from NANCY
Time: February 1, 2010, 9:05 am
My hair is thinning very much especially on top. You can see a lot of my scalp. Not good for a woman. My neighbor works at a high end salon. She told me about bumble and bumble hair powder and bought me a small can. Its amazing. The volume. It also hides my thinning areas. However, when I went for a haircut I took the can so my hair stylist could apply it when she styled my hair. She was concerned that with my hair problem and wanting my hair to get strong again that the powder would clog my pores. She said to use it sparingly. I’m addicted. Gives me confidence.It better than wearing a wig. But it can be too dry. Your suppose to use it with styling wax but don’t know if it would make my hair greasy. So far getting it at a discount price from my neighbor.
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