ICYMI, the latest trend in hair care is micellar water
French women swear by it to cleanse their complexion, but now it’s working magic for your mane too
In beauty circles, editors have sworn by micellar water to cleanse their face for years now. A favourite among France's pared-down beauties (the water there tends to be hard and can be harsh on the skin), micellar water is a gentler, kinder way of cleansing, especially for women with dry and sensitive skin. Made up of microscopic oil molecules (called micelles) that are suspended in soft water, these molecules attach to dirt and makeup, swishing away all the grim without drying out or striping skin.
And now hair care brands have jumped on the micellar water bandwagon, putting it into their latest shampoo and conditioner lines, as a way to gently cleanse strands without being too harsh or damaging. Which makes soooo much sense, right? Here are a few options, some salon and some drugstore-stocked, that you can try now.
Feeling blue
Working in tandem with micellar water's gentle cleansing power, the Herbal Essences collection includes antioxidants to leave you with clean, hydrated strands. Free of silicones, parabens and gluten, they are also perfect for colour-treated hair.
Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Micellar Water & Blue Ginger Shampoo and Conditioner, $7.99 each, available at food, drug and mass market retailers
Manic Monday
For those who want to wash their hair more often (sometimes day two and three hair is just too greasy, non?), a silicone- and sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that utilizes the gentle washing power of micellar water can be the answer. Redken's version also uses their patented NeoFresh Technology, an odour-neutralizing ingredient that helps to keep hair smelling delicious between washes.
Redken Clean Maniac Micellar Shampoo, $21, and Conditioner, $22, available in salons. Visit Redken.ca to find a location.
Curl up to me
Known for their line of hair care products made specifically for those with curly strands, Deva Curl just launched a micellar water cleansing serum that helps to add bounce and shine to curls, while it cleanses hair of product build up. It also contains Abyssinian seed and jojoba oils for added hydration.
Devacurl Buildup Buster Micellar Water Cleansing Serum, $37, sephora.com
Drugstore dreams
The perfect entry point into a micellar hair shampoo is a cheap and cheerful version to test out how your strands react. This Pantene version packs the Pro-V vitamin punch, and is gentle enough for permed or dyed hair.
Pantene Pro-V Micellar Revitalize Shampoo, $7.96, walmart.ca
Natural wonder
Consisting of 98 per cent natural ingredients (think Brazil nut oil and Thai rice bran oil), the Kérastase micellar shampoo provides 48 hours of nourishment to leave hair manageable and soft without the use of parabens, sulfates and silicones. Hello, two days of clean, healthy hair!
Kérastase Aura Botanica Bain Micellaire Riche Shampoo, $45, available March 2018 in Kérastase salons and online at kerastase.ca