When retro brands re-entered the modern market a decade ago, dry shampoo became an instant hair care game-changer.
Challenging the idea that the only way to style was to start from scratch with a time-consuming wet shampoo, hair powders quickly gained a legion of time-pressed fans, who'd found a solution to quick and ready hair in minutes.
However, users quickly demanded improvements on their 30-year-old formula. This has resulted in a change in the global dry shampoo market, with manufacturers and brands striving for better solutions to the demands of modern styling.
Grease Begone!
Interestingly, dry shampoos are no modern miracle; some evidence has clay shampoo being used in Asia as far back as Ming, while in the UK the Victorians regularly used arrowroot to absorb excess hair grease.
And it makes sense; they are a good idea, hundreds of years old, but largely forgotten until a timely dry shampoo reinvention sparked an explosion in the market. Today's market is well worth a look.
As well as saving precious time, the right dry shampoo or powder will add texture and hold a style; it will boost volume, absorb oil and smell great.
Coveted 'beachy waves' are a style option whether you're 'fly-away' or laden with locks thanks to the product's natural 'day-at-the-seaside' texture, and everyone from fashion-conscious kids to celebrity stylists are on-board with the merits of this wonder product.
Using tapioca starch, rice starch or a combination of the two to soak up excess oils,mattifying hair powders tend to be fine and lightweight, leaving your hair dry with a matte finish
Historic issues
But the reputation of dry shampoos and hair powders hasn't always been so rosy, and rightly so. Older brands pitched at older markets and were woefully under researched and developed for years.
Consequently they gained little market recognition and had limited success, with powders and sprays leaving a visible white residue on the hair that was off-putting.
They were hard to administer, tough to work in and had limited styling potential. They appealed to a small market, with the benefits masked by the brand's own limits and just weren't, well, cool. But everything has changed and, as Swallowfield will declare, the future is bright.
Swallowfield is investing in mattifying hair powders, including shaker style bottles and powder sprays
The future of dry shampoo
Having filled the first commercial aerosols in 1950, Swallowfield knows a thing or two about the value of these must-have products.
Investment and research are key in an ever-advancing market, and Swallowfield's Group Sales and Marketing Director, Jane Fletcher, is clearly excited about her company's position, emphasising the need for continuous investment in new product development:
"The market for hair powders is expanding at an exciting rate, with new products offering potentially great revenue streams to our clients. It's our job to monitor emerging trends and implement complementary work to ensure the seamless delivery of world-class products."
Today, most global hair care brands have recognised the growing demand for dry shampoo and hair mattifying powders, and have one in their portfolio. And, according to a new report from Market Intelligence, the global dry shampoo market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 6.2% between 2017 and 2022.
Indeed, advances in product development have been key to the market, with hair powder products falling into two main categories.
While aerosol dry shampoo powder is used to lengthen the time between washes, using tapioca starch, rice starch or a combination of the two to soak up excess oils, mattifying hair powders (MHPs) tend to be fine and lightweight, leaving your hair dry with a matte finish. With silica silylate as its main ingredient, this often loose powder (administered from a shaker) helps to bind hair, creating volume.
But invention never rests on its laurels and Swallowfield is constantly working on new products to broaden its offering and take advantage of a market that is attracting every generation: from teens to high-profile hairdressers, and gym bunnies to hardworking mothers.
Powder-to-wax
With this in mind, Swallowfield has recently formulated a pioneering 'powder-to-wax' product for its hair care customers, believed to be one of the first.
This powder-to-wax formulation is an exciting new concept, taking hair care powders to the next level with a lightweight powder that transforms into a creamy wax to give root lift and matte texture.
Lighter than normal wax and drier in texture, the product is suitable for both men and women and offers the dual advantages of freshening and styling in one go.
Seeing recent record levels of sales, Swallowfield has made large investments into MHPs with custom built automated lines and streamlined production processes.
Multiple component options are available for these clever powders including shaker style bottles and more technical powder spray components.
In an age where discussions abound over washing your hair, how often and with what, it is refreshing to see that a new-school version of an old-school product is being celebrated for the undeniable benefits it brings to the modern hair care table.
