The hack
Micellar water, a type of facial cleanser that you don’t rinse off, has become a cult item for easy, effective makeup removal. But according to some TikTok users, you can you also use it to deep-clean your hair.
The test
Micelles are colloidal particles that act like tiny magnets to attract oil and dirt without over-drying the skin, which is why they make excellent cleansers. I was curious about trying this because I can see the logic in using it on my hair’s oily roots.
I wet my hair, doused it with micellar water (I used Garnier’s, about £6), worked it into the roots, and then washed my hair as usual (for me, that means shampooing it twice, then applying conditioner).
The verdict
After I had dried my hair, it didn’t feel any different – and neither did my dryish scalp. My hair also didn’t seem to be any cleaner. Worse still, I feel quite aggrieved about having wasted half a bottle of pricy micellar water for no discernible improvement.
So this is a failed hack, and quite an expensive one to boot. If you’re determined to make this work, and want to ease scalp dryness, it’s worth trying a micellar shampoo – I quite like Kerastase Aura Botanica. Though whether micellar shampoos in general actually work, or are just a product of clever marketing, remains to be seen.