In general, dry shampoo and oil-control powder are makeup bag heroes —especially after late nights and early mornings, when your skin and hair are feeling slick — so finding a product that can do both is straight up life changing. Enter "Zero Sebum," a single-step matte drying powder that can be used on your hair and your face. Are you freaking out? Because I'm freaking out.
The product, from Korean beauty brand Etude House, works by helping to absorb the "sebum" in your skin and hair (which makes sense, given that it's called "Zero Sebum"). Sebum is a natural skin oil that comes from your Sebaceous glands and is known for causing acne. It's found almost everywhere on your body (except your palms and the soles of your feet) and is especially on prevalent on your forehead, chin, and scalp. If your skin is producing too much sebum — which can happen as a result of hormones, or just general not washing — it can result in grease or acne.
In general, mattifying powders work by absorbing excess sebum to make your skin look (and feel) less greasy. Dry shampoo does pretty much the same thing, using alcohol or starch to soak up oil and grease in your hair to make it appear clean. Because the products have basically the same basic function and properties, it makes sense that one powder would be able to operate double-duty.
Etude House Zero Sebum Drying Powder, $8, Amazon
So is "Zero Sebum" really as amazing as it sounds? I tried it, and the verdict is, "Yes, yes, 100 times yes." It somehow mattified my skin without drying it out, which is basically sorcery considering I thought that was impossible. I've tried it in the morning as a base before putting on my makeup and as an oil blotter throughout the day, and was thrilled with its magic in both situations. It delivered equally amazing results when I tried it on my scalp, and smells lemony fresh — like a farm, not like a cleaning fluid — which I kind of loved. The only issue is that it does have a white finish, á la baby powder, so is best used before bed as a dry shampoo rather than in the morning.
The best news of all? You've officially freed up space in your makeup bag, which means you can totally justify a trip to Sephora.
