'Can micellar water really replace dry shampoo? I tried it.'

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellbeing. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Mamamia's Beauty Editor trials the micellar water dry shampoo hack.

The 'micellar water dry shampoo' hack is everywhere right now and so many people (one person) (hi mum!) have asked me to try it.

The hack seems to have originated from makeup artist and YouTuber Tati Westbrook, who shared it in her recent 'Life Changing Beauty Hacks' video. However it's also circulating on TikTok from the owner of phenomenal hair, @anggwells.

I first came across it on the social feed of New York hairdresser Matthew Newman — aka Matt Loves Hair. If you don't already follow him, you probably should. Not only does he really love hair, but he has the BEST hair. Long! Glossy! Beautiful! So, he knows what he's talking about.

Watch: Speaking of hair hacks, there are five easy ways to lift your hair game. Post continues below.

Because I love to try a good hack and everyone in the Mamamia office was talking about it/shouting 'BUT DOES IT WORK?', I gave it a whirl.

What is the micellar water hair hack?

You’ll need two things — an empty spray bottle and some micellar water. And maybe a brush and a blow dryer. Okay four things. Four, four, four!

After squirting some micellar water into a spray bottle, you're supposed to separate your hair into sections (as you would with dry shampoo) and spritz the micellar water directly onto the roots of your hair and hairline. There's another version of this hack that involves using a cotton pad to apply the micellar water into your scalp.

The reason this is a thing is because micelles (tiny little cleansing balls) act like magnets, and essentially work by absorbing the dirt and oil in your hair (just as they on your cute face). By removing oil from your hair (particularly in finer hair types), the micellar water can also help add volume (because you don't have all that oil weighing your hair down!).

According to creators like Westbrook and Newman, it's supposed to make your hair look fresh and bouncy and is especially good for post-workout girlies. 

After spraying micellar water, you're supposed to blast your roots with a hairdryer for a couple of minutes and comb it through.

Here's @mattloveshair's version:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt Newman (@mattloveshair)

And there you have it!

How did you go with it?

This morning, approximately 30 minutes before I had to be out the door and at an event, I decided to try this hack. Which, in hindsight, was a rather ridiculous thing to do. 

Now, just for some background — I have lots of hair and it's quick thick and curly. And while I didn't try the hack post-workout, I also haven't washed it in two (three?) days, so I had a pretty good oily canvas to start with. As someone who regularly has dirty hair and is always in desperate need of a quick fix, I was keen to give this a whirl.

I used Bioderma Sensibio H2O Soothing Micellar Water Cleanser, $32.99, and a spray bottle (there're heaps of different ones you can get from Amazon). With the micellar water, be sure to choose an oil-free one — because you don't want to be adding more oil!

I copied Matt's method and separated my hair into sections, starting at the back and spritzing it through my roots:

I'm doing it! Image: Supplied.

I then used a hairdryer and blasted the roots (which look pretty wet post-micellar water).

The verdict.

Okay, but I'm also not sure if it sped up the whole dirty hair thing? Using a hairdryer just made me feel like I should've just washed my hair?

In any case, my hair definitely looked a bit fresher and less oily at the roots. I love how it felt pretty clean too — I've always hated how dry shampoo makes my hair feel (I usually use a 'brunette' one and it always ends up on my fingers during the day because I can't stop touching my hair).

The results were good, and it worked pretty well — but I wouldn't say they were better than using dry shampoo. 

Left is my hair before, and right is my hair after. Is this... better?. Image: Supplied.

Here's another one of my hair:

Before and after trying the hack. Image: Supplied.

There were also sections of my hair that still looked a little oily, and I felt like I needed to add more micellar water, so had to repeat the process, which was a little annoying.

Exhibit A:

Please go away. Image: Supplied.

Trichologist Abbey Yung said when she tried it the first time, the results weren't amazing too. So, she gave it a whirl with Garnier's Mattifying Micellar Water instead and this apparently worked better.

See below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt Newman (@mattloveshair)

This particular micellar water isn't yet available in Australia but you can get it on iHerb. And look, you got to admit — the results do look great!

All in all, I think it's 100 per cent worth trying. While it obviously doesn't replace washing your hair, if you're looking for a quick freshen up and don't have dry shampoo on hand, or hate the gritty feeling of using dry shampoo, this could be a good option for you.

For now, though I'll probably stick to my dry shampoo.

Want more hacks? Check them out below:

• 'I ditched my dry shampoo for this viral hack for flat hair. Here's what happened.'
• 'I tried the viral hack that's meant to give you an "instant facelift". The results were surprising.'
• We tried the viral foundation hack that involves a cup of water. Here's exactly what happened.

Would you try the micellar water hair hack? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: TikTok/@anggwells; Supplied; Instagram/@mattloveshair.