The most French-girl way to wash your hair leaves your strands shiny AF

I’m basically half-Parisian at this point. I swipe on micellar water twice a day, every day, for my French-girl fresh skin, I rarely wash my hair (it’s tres chic!), and wear stripey shirts like it’s my job. And now I’m taking my Paris-approved regimen one step further by drowning my hair in micellar shampoo.

I know, you’re probably gasping—I was shook upon learning that micellar water, AKA the magical cleansing ingredient that removes gunk from your skin, can work that same gunk-removing magic on your strands and your scalp, too. Color me intrigued.

Basically, what micellar molecules do to your hair exactly what they do to your face: They get rid of all the dirt without leaving your hair overly dry and damaged. “Micellar water shampoo formulas are ideal for an everyday shampoo because it cleans away the oil and gunk your hair has picked up during your day,” says Herbal Essences beauty scientist Rachel Zipperian. “The tiny but powerful cleaning micelles work so well because one side of the micelle is attracted to oil, the other end is attracted to water. During use, the micelle is activated so it can trap the oil and suspend it in water that is then rinsed away.” Basically, it’s molecular magic.

Many of these formulas use this technology so that they can tap traditional cleansing agents (things like sulfates and coca-betaine) at lower levels. Personally, I’ve used Kerastase’s take on a micellar shampoo and had really incredible hair days from it because these formulas are gentle enough to use everyday, while still obliterating oil if you’re a two-wash-a-week kinda person. So, micellar shampoos are très bon, indeed.

Micellar shampoos

Herbal Essences Micellar Water & Blue Ginger Shampoo $6

Kristin Ess Scalp Purifying Micellar Shampoo $12

Pantene Pro-V Blends Micellar Gentle Cleansing Water Shampoo $10

Kerastase Aura Botanica Bain Micellaire Shampoo $33

Hask Micellar Lotus Water Shampoo $6

DevaCurl Buildup Buster Micellar Water Cleansing Serum $28

For your best hair health, here’s why you should look into scalp serums (because your scalp’s important too). And this is the adaptogenic blend that helps with hair growth, if you’re experiencing extra shedding.