how to

when to use perk up dry shampoo vs. perk up plus extended clean dry shampoo

perk up dry shampoo and perk up plus extended clean dry shampoo
blonde model posing
Mary Nunes
Community Manager

Have you been keeping up with perk up? Our dry shampoo collection consists of two dry shampoos—the bestselling, #1 dry shampoo in the U.S.*, perk up dry shampoo; and the newer perk up plus extended clean dry shampoo. While both offer plenty of perks, they also yield different results. What exactly is the difference between these two dry shampoos? How do you know when to use each? We asked a few of our amika employees why and how they incorporate both into their hair routine.

the difference between perk up and perk up plus extended clean

First things first: what is the main difference between these dry shampoos?

perk up plus extended clean dry shampoo is ideal for all hair types who don’t want any extra volume, but are instead after an invisible + natural finish, free of grit. Infused with scalp nourishing ingredients (like AHA mandelic acid!), this invisible dry shampoo absorbs and removes* oil, protects against odor, and leaves hair feeling clean.

perk up dry shampoo  is ideal for normal and dry hair types who want cleaner roots with lots of volume and restored “oomph.” Infused with rice starch and sea buckthorn, this #1 dry shampoo* nourishes and refreshes strands while bringing flat hair back to life. 

how our director of digital marketing perks it up

Courtney Curtis - Director of Digital Marketing

Introduce yourself! Tell us your name and what you do for amika.
Hi! I’m Courtney Curtis, Director of Digital Marketing at amika. That’s a mouthful to say I manage advertising for the brand.

Walk us through your weekly dry shampoo routine.
perk up dry shampoo is part of my daily routine! On wash days, I spritz the roots before/after a blow dry to get extra volume and prolong the style. My hair is pretty fine, so it tends to get flat easily. On the in-between wash days, I will re-apply in sections at the roots to go an extra day without washing. Especially now that I joined a gym to wedding prep, perk up is always in my gym bag.

When do you find yourself reaching for perk up OG?
I find the OG perk up is better for freshly washed or 1-day old hair to give it that oomph. perk up plus is a better formula for when I just get lazy and don’t want to wash my hair for 3-5 days. Suddenly someone will ask me to go on camera during a meeting and I’m like…hold please! *spritz* then back online.

What results do you get when you use perk up OG?
I LOVE the volume the original formula gives me, and honestly, the smell. Sometimes if I don’t need a ton, I’ll use a light spritz as a hair perfume before I go out, and people always ask, “is that amika?” “Duh!”

What results do you get when you use perk up plus?
I should use perk up plus more than I do, but a little goes a long way. It’s very good at absorbing oil from my scalp when I go days without washing. Like that scene in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” when Jason Segel wears the same Costco sweatpants for 7 days straight and is like “you shall not pass!”. Yeah, that’s me, but instead of a staff, I have perk up plus.

how our territory brand manager perks it up

Aga Tompkins - Territory Brand Manager

Introduce yourself! Tell us your name and what you do for amika.

My name is Aga Tompkins, I am a Territory Brand Manager as well as a part of the DEI & Giving Back Committee here at amika. I’m also a Cosmetologist, Educator, and motivational speaker in the Beauty Industry.

Walk us through your weekly dry shampoo routine.

I have had quite the journey when it comes to how often I shampoo my hair. My hair is thin, my individual hair stands are fine, and I have no volume whatsoever. Before perk up entered my life, I felt as though I had to shampoo my hair every single day. I slowly was able to train my hair to shampooing once a week, which saves me so much time—and we all know time is priceless!

When do you find yourself reaching for perk up OG? When do you find yourself reaching for perk up plus?

Originally when perk up was the only option, I truly believed I had the best hair routine I could ever ask for. My hair was happy, smelled nice, and I had volume that I would have never had without it. Then perk up plus came out and I had to try it; I honestly felt like I couldn’t pick one or the other. How could they both be amazing!? Well needless to say, I needed to find a way to use both. I start my routine with the original perk up for days 1-4, then I switch over to perk up plus for days 5-6, and day 7 is my shampoo and mask day. I rotate masks depending on my hair needs. I love that neither of them leaves that white dull residue that some other dry shampoos tend to leave behind.

What results do you get when you use perk up OG?

The reason I can’t live without the perk up is the volume I get. I spray it in even before bed the first night to absorb oils before I go to sleep along with my dream routine mask to hydrate my ends. It fights odor and keeps my hair from getting greasy.

What results do you get when you use perk up plus?

On day 5, it’s time for perk up plus because that’s usually when I start feeling like I need to shampoo my hair soon. perk up plus honestly feels like I just dry washed my hair and scalp. It is nourishing, soothing, and it gets me through those last two days. perk up plus is the cherry on top of an already amazing hair routine.

how our UK account manager perks it up

Kelly Lania - UK Account Manager

Introduce yourself! Tell us your name and what you do for amika.

Hi, I’m Kelly Lania and I’m the UK Account Manager at amika.

Walk us through your weekly dry shampoo routine.

I’ve learned over time that my hair does not need to be washed every single day and now I wash my hair once or twice a week while incorporating both perk up dry shampoo and perk up plus extended clean dry shampoo.

When do you find yourself reaching for perk up OG? When do you find yourself reaching for perk up plus?

To keep my hair looking fresh, I always reach for the perk up OG (the #1 bestselling dry shampoo in the US*) in between washes, especially when my hair is starting to appear flat. A few spritzes and it brings my hair back to life. If I happen to work out during the week (and I’m on day 3-5 hair) and my scalp gets oily, then that’s when I reach for perk up plus. I swear by this product. It’s infused with a gentle AHA and scalp-nourishing ingredients and absorbs any sign of oil while refreshing my scalp. You would never know that I did an intense workout class after using perk up plus.

What results do you get when you use perk up OG?

When my hair starts to go flat and needs a pick me up, I always grab my perk up OG. It brings my hair back to life by giving me the volume that I need. I just spray it at my roots and then I’m good to go.

What results do you get when you use perk up plus?

perk up plus revitalizes my scalp. I love that it’s infused with AHA and scalp nourishing ingredients. This product removes any sign of oil and leaves my scalp/hair looking refreshed.

how our South Central territory brand manager perks it up

Barbara Buszka - Territory Brand Manager for South Central

Introduce yourself! Tell us your name and what you do for amika.

Hi! My name is Barbara Buszka and I am the Territory Brand Manager for South Central at Amika.

Walk us through your weekly dry shampoo routine.

I travel quite often for work, so I wash my hair usually 2 times a week. So, I pretty much LIVE on dry shampoo. My hair is also quite fine, so I was always on the hunt for the perfect dry shampoo that would make my hair look clean and give me amazing volume. *perk up enters the chat* I’ve tried dozens of other brands and nothing compares to perk up. My life saver!

When do you find yourself reaching for perk up OG? When do you find yourself reaching for perk up plus?

The day after I wash my hair, I reach for perk up OG. And it depends if I am very active that week or if I am really pushing the limits with my hair wash day, then I reach for perk up plus. But I usually go with day 2-3 perk up and day 4-5 perk up plus.

What results do you get when you use perk up OG?

Volume and oil free roots with no white cast. And the smell is AMAZING.

What results do you get when you use perk up plus?

A clean hair feeling, without it feeling dry, while still smelling great!

*Source: The NPD Group/U.S. Prestige Beauty Total Measured Market, Hair Product Sales, 12 months ending December 2022.

posted: 04/03/2023last modified: 04/03/2023