Women are spraying dry shampoo directly onto their faces in a bid to get a “closer shave” — but a skin doctor has warned the viral TikTok trend could do more harm than good.
Hundreds of young women have been coating their faces in white spray to make tiny facial hairs easier to see before shaving, with videos of the unusual beauty hack racking up millions of views online.
But Dr Tanya Unni, a GP with a special interest in skin health, told Yahoo Lifestyle the consequences of using a product never designed for facial skin could “go beyond a bad shave”.
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What is the trend?
Elle Moonz, who has more than 750,000 TikTok followers, is one of the many women to undertake this venture.
She’s not the only one; social media is filled with women experimenting with the trend.
“I’m slightly concerned for myself,” she said after spraying her face, saying many of her followers had begged her to try the hack.
She had to spray her face several times in order to get it thick enough to see the hairs on her face.
However, after completing it, she said she felt as though her skin was “so freaking smooth”.
“It amazes me every time,” she said.
Skin doctor weighs in on TikTok hack
Dr Tanya said as a GP who works closely with skin every day, dry shampoo was never formulated with facial skin in mind.
“The skin on your face is not the same as your scalp. Facial skin is significantly thinner, more vascular, and far more reactive,” the founder of Dr Tanya said.
“The alcohol content in most dry shampoos will immediately compromise your skin barrier, stripping the natural lipid layer that keeps moisture in and irritants out.
“For anyone with rosacea, eczema, acne-prone, or sensitive skin, this is a genuine trigger, not just an inconvenience.”
She also added that powder residue is a “real problem”.
“Starches and silica — the main absorbent agents in dry shampoo — sitting on skin while a blade passes over them creates micro-abrasion,” she said.
“You’re essentially dragging particulate matter across your face.
“That’s a recipe for post-shave inflammation, folliculitis, and in some cases, contact dermatitis.”
Dr. Tanya added that the shave itself “won’t even be good”.
She said that clinically proper hydration of the hair shaft, which can be achieved with warm water and an emollient base, is what allows a blade to cut the hair cleanly.
She said that dry shampoo does the opposite.
“You’ll drag, you’ll nick, and you’ll be dealing with irritated, inflamed skin for days,” she said.
“My advice? Warm water, a gentle shaving cream with no fragrance, and a clean, sharp blade. Simple. Evidence-based. Kind to your skin barrier.
“Your face is worth more than a TikTok hack.”
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