I Replaced My Shampoo With This $10 Cleansing Foam For 4 Days

I have struggled with oily hair my. entire. life. No-poo method? Tried that for a month. Dry shampoo? Used them all. Cleansing foam? Well, now that's different. Enter the Waterless Cleansing Foam [1] ($10) from Batiste. The new product is designed to tackle dull hair in between washes, acting as an alternative to dry shampoo. It features a lightweight, foam-based formula that goes on wet and dries in one minute, leaving you with "fabulous, fresh, clean-feeling hair without stepping in the shower," according to the product description.

The Waterless Cleansing Foam comes in four different scents, each targeting a different hair concern: coconut milk to add shine, cactus water to hydrate, almond oil to strengthen, and hibiscus root to smooth. Batiste claims that the product is "uniquely formulated to make second or third (or fourth!) day hair look revived, feel soft, and smell amazing." To see if it lives up to the hype, I put the Waterless Cleansing Foam to the test and didn't wash my hair for four days.

Before starting the experiment, I gave myself a few guidelines: no shampoo, conditioner, or any other styling product outside of Batiste's range of cleansing foams. As someone with extremely oily hair who washes every other day, I was hesitant. And I'll be the first to admit that I love a long shower — music playing, hot water running, is there anything better? — but I was willing to give it up for four days, with hopes of finding a product that could finally manage my oily hair problem. Here's what happened.

Day 1

To prepare for the days ahead, I washed my hair with a clarifying shampoo and lightweight conditioner, then blow-dried it. Normally I would run a smoothing cream through my wet hair before drying it to calm any baby hairs, but for the sake of the experiment, I decide to skip that step. My hair looked a bit messy, flyaways here and there, but I didn't mind because I was meeting friends at a neighbourhood bar. After stuffing my face with fries, quesadillas, mozz sticks, and other oily foods that I anticipated would somehow translate to my hair, I came home and passed out.

Day 2

I woke up with oily roots even though I'd washed my hair yesterday; bummer. To avoid loading up my hair with product toward the beginning of the experiment, I applied a small handful-size dollop of the Cleanse and Strengthen Foam at the roots. I usually reach for either Batiste's OG dry shampoo or the brand's Hint of Colour, but the former often leaves a white film at my roots, while the latter tends to stain my hands and clothing. The cleansing foam does neither, and the formula is much more lightweight than Batiste's dry shampoo products. Bonus: the refreshing scent wipes away any greasy smell from the night before.

The cleansing foam held up throughout the workday. By the time I got home, my hair didn't feel as fresh — I caught myself itching my scalp and touching the ends of my hair throughout the day — but since I didn't have any postwork plans, I chose not to add more product to my hair and went to bed.

Day 3

My third-day hair looked better than I would have predicted, but it was starting to dwindle. The oil on my roots had built up a bit, and my scalp was getting itchier. I grabbed the hibiscus cleansing foam, massaged a handful of the product into my hair, let it dry, then repeated. It didn't absorb all the oil on my scalp, but it definitely made my hair a bit more manageable. I quickly straightened the ends of my hair before leaving my apartment.

After work, I got ready for a date. My hair felt greasy (I was touching it all day when sitting at my desk), so I reached for some of the cactus cleansing foam. I worked a large handful of product into my hair to help combat some of the oil. The product didn't seem to absorb as quickly as it had the day before, so even though my roommate said my hair looked great, it didn't feel that great. Running 10 minutes behind, I threw my hair into a low bun to get it out of my face and look somewhat presentable for my possible bae-to-be.

The date was disastrous, and to top off my night, I got caught in the rain on my walk home. I took off my makeup, brushed my hair and teeth, then hopped into bed to watch Marriage Story.

Final Thoughts

By the morning of day four, my hair looked wet at the roots from the oil and product buildup — and the rain definitely didn't help. As a last resort, I applied a large dollop of the Coconut Water Cleansing Foam, hoping it would add some shine so I could style my hair into a sleek, low bun. Finally I caved and washed my hair.

What I learned with this experiment is that four days is simply too long for someone like me, who has fine hair and typically washes every other day, to go without stepping in the shower. The good thing is that the products' different scent offerings definitely made my hair smell more refreshed, especially after the night spent at the bar eating greasy foods, and it restored some shine to the ends of my hair. Keep scrolling to check out all the scent offerings.