Question about minoxidil application?

[JSmyth]

I have been using minoxidil for about one months time and have medium length hair. The applicator that I recieved from my doctors pharmacy is a shake bottle with a mesh top that is not removable. I have been having concerns about the best way to apply this so that it is getting to the scalp and not in the hair. Should I massage it into the scalp? Is it normal that my hair is getting damp aswell and sometimes having a greyish residue drying in it?

Thanks for the help!