When it’s cold outside, a long, hot bath with time to let a leave-in conditioner work its magic on frizzy ends is inviting.
But who has time for that in summer, when a refreshing drench under a cold shower is in order?
Enter a new crop of lightweight but intensely conditioning treatments called ‘hair waters’.
In a season when sun, seawater and chlorine can wreak havoc, they promise to offer all the hydration and repair of a traditional mask but in just eight seconds.
The proper term is ‘lamellar waters’, trichologist Mark Blake (markblake.co.uk) explains. ‘Lamellar waters contain tiny fat and oil particles plus charged particles — known as lamelles — that actually penetrate damaged parts of the hair cuticle.
Enter a new crop of lightweight but intensely conditioning treatments called ‘hair waters’. Stock image used
‘This smoothes the cuticle, resulting in shinier, less tangled hair.’
The theory is that those with fine hair can get the benefits of conditioner without leaving it lank.
However, if you have curly hair, or a sensitive scalp, you might want to swerve this trend.
‘Some people have reported their curls don’t seem to be as springy after using lamellar water,’ says Mark. ‘And some ingredients may irritate the scalp if it’s sensitive.’
They all come in nozzled bottles, but to apply evenly onto hair, I recommend decanting yours into a spray bottle, spritzing on to hair then combing through.
The big drawback is the cost. You may only get three uses from most bottles.
But I did see almost instant results from all the waters I tried. As you rinse them through, hair feels immediately sleek. And when I blow-dried my hair straight, it had that shine and curtain feel I usually only get from a professional blow-dry.
Here is my pick of the best…
THE STARTER WATER
Umberto Giannini Repair Juice, £6.63, boots.com
The green tea fragrance of this repair-focused lamellar water is sophisticated — and there’s also a berry-scented Smooth Juice and a fruity Shine Juice. This is more budget-friendly than most and worth a dabble.
The theory is that those with fine hair can get the benefits of conditioner without leaving it lank
THE ORIGINAL
L’Oreal Paris Elvive Hyaluronic Acid Wonder Water, £11.99, superdrug.com
L’Oreal Paris brought lamellar water to the masses as Wonder Water. They now have three: Dream Lengths, Colour Protect and Hyaluronic Acid. I’m not convinced this one leaves hair any shinier or glossier than the other two.
But the hyaluronic acid version contains fewer fragrance ingredients than many waters so may be one to try if you have sensitivities.
THE PRO WATER
Matrix High Amplify Shine Rinse, £12.04, lookfantastic.com
Matrix is one of L’Oreal’s professional haircare brands and this Shine Rinse is part of a range designed to give volume.
With 10ml markers down the side of the 250ml bottle, it’s easy to work out how much to use. Those prone to sensitivity may prefer to avoid this one, as it contains 26 fragrances with allergen potential.
THE BARGAIN WATER
Garnier Glowing Lengths Pineapple Hair Drink, £4.99, superdrug.com
Garnier offers three versions of its Hair Drink. The pineapple one is for long, dull hair, papaya for damaged hair, and banana for dry hair. While they do contain the fruit extracts claimed, most of the differences relate to the sweet, fruity fragrances. Still, paying less won’t stop you finding these effective.
THE SPLURGE
Davines OI Liquid Luster, £36, uk.davines.com
This pleasantly fragranced 300ml water comes in a smaller 100ml version, too, but is considerably more expensive than other options. Helpfully, the back of the label shows 10ml markers.
And this one contains more moisturising and skin-loving ingredients than others. But I’m not convinced it gives a result that much better than its less expensive counterparts.
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