I Swapped My Dry Shampoo for Micellar Water: A Hair Hack or a Fail?

I’m a fan of dry shampoo. As a bleached blonde for 15 years, I’ve always aimed to wash my hair as rarely as possible in order to avoid styling it, which, let's be honest, often involves using a blow-dryer and heat tools. So, dry shampoo's naturally been a lifesaver for me.

However, the feeling after applying it on my scalp is an absolute sensory nightmare, so when I found out that micellar water can be used instead, I was more than willing to give it a try. In this article, I'll tell you all about my experience trying to swap my good old dry shampoo for micellar water in hopes of finding a more appealing alternative.

Micellar water as dry shampoo: TikTok trend explained

I’m a secret follower of all things beauty, so it's no surprise that I indulge in beauty Tok. Recently, I was introduced to using micellar water on dirty hair, which, according to influencers, is supposed to work as well as dry shampoo.

@aamnaadel is micellar water BETTER than dry shampoo for greasy hair? how to use it the right way according to a derm 🌸🎀💕 #dermatologist #dradel #hairtok #greasyhair #greasyhairtips #hair #hairtips #hairtipsandtricks #micellarwater #scalp #scalpcare #hairhacks #cleanhair #hairstyle #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound - Dr Adel | Dermatologist

What’s wrong with dry shampoo?

Having gone through the fanciest brands of dry shampoo, I never managed to find anything better than a bottle of drugstore Batiste in terms of how it feels after applying it. They all simply feel equally 'starchy' to me, leaving me feeling even greasier despite making me look fresh out of the shower.

Another thing that pushed me into trying this trend is that dry shampoos make my hair look grey: especially now, when I’m currently trying to grow out my natural hair color, which is way darker than the platinum blonde I used to have.

Also, though there’s not much research on the health effects of dry shampoo, I always felt it might not be the best thing for my scalp. Adding something on top of the dirt and sweat just doesn’t feel right.

How is micellar water supposed to work on hair?

The idea that micellar water could deliver similar results to dry shampoo makes sense. Micellar water contains molecules that may attract both water and oil, so it should potentially grab onto the dirty buildup on the roots as well as it would on the skin. However, there was no other way to know it than to test it myself — there’s no scientific evidence on using micellar water for hair.

The method

To understand how it’s supposed to be done, I watched a TikTok by Dr. Shereene Idriss, a board-certified dermatologist I’ve been a fan of for a long time now. And if something’s good enough for Dr. Idriss, it should be good enough for me, right?

@shereeneidriss Micellar water is for removing makeup and not for washing your hair. 🧬 Micellar water works through micelles, which are tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules. Micelles have a hydrophilic (water-attracting) head and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) tail. When you apply micellar water to a cotton pad and swipe it across your skin, the micelles physically capture oil, dirt, and makeup in turn cleansing your skin. This is a HACK for you to do if you have oily, greasy hair instead of using dry shampoo. 🧖‍♀️ How? Apply the Micellar water onto your scalp, then go in with a towel or cotton pad to physically lift the oils from your scalp before blow drying it. 🚨This is not a replacement for washing your hair, but it is a refresher when you’re on the go and in a pinch. Have you tried this hack? Lmk below! #micellarwater #oilyhair #greasyhair #hairhacks #hairtips #hair #micellarwaterhacks #dryshampoo #oilyscalp #dermatologist #shereeneidriss @ShereeneIdriss ♬ original sound - ShereeneIdriss

So, how do you use micellar water for hair? First, Dr. Idriss applied Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O micellar water directly on her scalp, which was followed by physically rubbing it into the roots with a towel and blow-drying them, leading to fresh-looking hair. I also saw videos of other creators using a cotton pad to apply and rub in the micellar water, but the results were pretty much the same (in my opinion — satisfying).

My experience using micellar water as dry shampoo

I think I’ve been using dry shampoo since I started university — when I realized everyone around me was so sleep-deprived, no one really cared about how I smelled anymore. And if micellar water was to give my day 2 hair the same fresh look as dry shampoo just without the gritty residue, I was more than ready to hop on the trend. Here's how it went.

Micellar water: does the brand matter?

I felt somewhat calmer about this experiment since I was sure it was the same micellar water I’d been successfully using on my face for years. And it turned out to be the same brand used by Dr. Idriss — the H2O Sensibio Micellar Water by Bioderma.

I didn't have one at hand as I’m away from home, so I bought a travel-sized version. I’m not sure if other brands work as well as I did not use any other, but I think what matters the most is that the micellar water is oil-free.

The process

I decided to go easy on micellar water: though I could've waited another day for my hair to get oilier, I decided to try it on my post-pilates day 2 hair. Here’s how it looked initially:

First, I applied the micellar water directly to my roots all over my head, just like Dr. Idriss did. It immediately started running down my forehead (I had applied my skincare just 5 minutes ago) and neck, creating a much worse sensory experience than having dry shampoo particles in my hair.

I rushed to massage the micellar water into my roots with my fingertips, followed by a good rub with a towel. Still, the wet roots felt uncomfortable. I started getting chilly, so luckily, the method involves blow-drying, which helped me warm up again (I would NOT do this in the winter!).

The results

Here’s what my hair looked like after blow-drying and brushing it:

I didn't feel as greasy as I did before, and micellar water definitely did not make me feel more dirty. It didn't leave any residue or change the color of my roots.

However, I couldn't see much of a difference in how fresh my hair looked. Also, I didn't like how my roots stayed flat (which is one of the benefits of the gritty texture in conventional dry shampoo). They were still slightly shiny, whereas dry shampoo made them fully matte.

Here’s how my hair looked in a few hours:

I know this can be hard to tell from a picture as I’m outgrowing my natural dark hair, but personally, I think it did get slightly better over time: the hair looked a bit less greasy than earlier in the morning. Still, as hours passed, I couldn't wait to wash my hair at the end of the day. Though it couldn't be noticed, something about micellar water being on my roots did not feel natural to me, just like with a normal dry shampoo.

The verdict: is this trend worth the hype?

For me, this greasy hair hack turned out to be a fail. After giving it a thought, I decided to keep the micellar water for my face only.

But it's not because I wasn't happy with the results. It was more about me absolutely hating the process: the wet roots and micellar water running down my neck and face on a crispy fall morning just wasn’t worth not jumping back into the shower or washing my hair in the sink. Maybe using cotton pads would've been a better way than applying micellar water straight to the scalp.

Plus, I still had to blow-dry it (which is a huge con for me as I try to avoid heat as much as possible), and it has also made the dry ends of my hair frizzy. In the end, I might as well have just washed my hair, guaranteed fresh results, and spent the rest of the day enjoying that clean feeling.

Although I had really high hopes for using micellar water as dry shampoo, unfortunately, it seems like I won’t be saying goodbye to the good old bottle of dry shampoo just yet.

Should you give micellar water as dry shampoo a go?

I cannot say I do not recommend this to anyone. If you dislike dry shampoo adding volume to your hair, don’t mind wetting your scalp and having to blow-dry your hair, and are looking for a dry shampoo alternative that doesn’t leave any white residue, micellar water might be worth giving a shot for those mornings when you only have time to brush your teeth.

Also, though I'm not a fan of having to blow-dry my roots, my hair is short. If you have long hair, this still might help you save some time compared to having to wash and blow-dry all of it.

Tried swapping dry shampoo for micellar water, or have any tips on how this trick could work better? Share your experience and feel free to ask anything about my experiment in the comment section below.