Chatting with Pantene’s ambassador Remington Schultz (of Edwards and Co fame) about the Pantene Micellar Water Range, I noted that I have “annoying hair”. By his smile, I can see he’s heard this before. Most women complain that they have oily roots and dry ends.
Christmas-Tree hair is what I call it. That’s fine hair weighed down at the top – and given I work out every day and, between work and an active social life, don’t have many down days where I can afford greasy hair.
Problem is washing daily means my ends get fried – so what’s the solution? Pantene have come up with a game changer. Micellar products have been popular in skincare for decades – with their origin in the French pharmacies they have become a beauty mainstay.
Now Pantene has brought Micellar technology to haircare. Their new Micellar Water range works with water-activated micelles that act as magnates for dirt, oil and metal impurities. What this translates to is a deep cleanse that doesn’t strip or damage the hair. Along with micelle technology the products are also free from parabens, silicones and dyes.
They balance and protect the hair with a host of antioxidants and Pro-V’s nutrient blend.
Pia Miller, actress and face of the Micelle Brand, says she finds the product uniquely suited to the Australian lifestyle. “Many people around the globe are right to envy the Australian climate and the outdoor lifestyle it enables us to lead, but the reality is, it can take a tole on your hair,” she says. “As an actress my hair is exposed to the elements even more when filming takes place outdoors, and it also goes through its fair share of heat styling. That’s why I love the new Pantene Pro-V Micellar series, it acts like a detox for my hair, transforming any damage or brittleness to nourished strong strands.”
I sat down with stylist Remington Schultz to trial the range and get his hot tips for hair.
What are some exciting trends you’ve noticed in hair recently?
Internationally we’re seeing very strong, almost monotonal colour – white-blonde or bright red all over, even some primary colours. As for at home balayage is still our most requested service in salon – but it’s a softer balayage with a a more gentle blend. It’s hair with dimension but not stark contrasts which I am happy about!
Pantene uses micellar technology, previously common to skincare formulations, to thoroughly cleanse the scalp without stripping. It seems like haircare is becoming increasingly focused on scalp-care – we are seeing exfoliants and masks for the scalp popping up everywhere! Do you feel the scalp is something that has been overlooked when it comes to hair care?
Absolutely, the scalp is the beginning of great hair. It needs to be thoroughly cleansed – what a thorough cleanse means will differ on how oily your scalp is. Some of clients can get away with once a week, but there’s nothing wrong with washing every day if you’re using the right products. And when it comes to the more out there treatments like scrubs and mud masks, we do this for our skin so why wouldn’t we treat our scalp the same way?
Pantenes Micellar Water Range, $12.99-17.99, currently available at Woolworths and Coles
Which celebrities do you think always have great hair?
Gwen Stefanie is my favourite – she always does something creative, and somehow has managed decades of platinum blonde!
As a hair professional what do you notice using the new Pantene formulations?
What you see with the Micellar range is the cleansing capabilities of a clarifying shampoo – that leave the hair as soft as if you’d used a gentler formulation. It also leave the hair feeling really weightless which I love. I favour the charcoal range – it offers the deepest cleanse and is fantastic for blondes – blonde hair tends to require deeper detoxifying but also needs the most nourishing, so the charcoal range strikes a perfect balance. There is also the Aloe range that I will use for clients with dryer or brittle hair. I alo like that they have listened to consumers – clients are sick of nasty chemicals in their beauty products, whether they’re shopping at the drug store or the salon. By removing many of the traditional silicones and parabens Pantene have created a product gentle and weightless enough for everyday use.
Trialling the Charcoal Micellar Water variation for my flawless blow-dry with Remington Schultz
The verdict:
For my fine limp hair Remington selected the charcoal range. For a deep cleansing shampoo it has an incredibly rich and luxurious lather on the scalp as well as a heavenly, slightly woody scent. My scalp felt totally clean and my roots were weightless, while my hair felt silky and smooth to the touch. While my fine hair rarely keeps its shape I was incredibly impressed that twenty four hours ( + one yoga, one reformer pilates class and one unexpected torrential downpour) later it’s still holding its curl, with zero mousse, texture or hairspray. That might be partly Remington’s amazing blowdrying skills – but a great blow dry doesn’t leave your hair feeling nourished yet weightless, root to tip. The new Pantene Micellar range is a must have for those looking for a salon quality product they can pick up at the local shops!
Ruby Feneley is The Carousel Beauty contributor. Her obsession with makeup and skincare started when she modelled in her teens. While she studied English Literature at Sydney University she pivoted from front to behind the camera – receiving her Diploma of Artistry and working as a makeup artist, assisting industry leaders across multiple top brands. In 2017, she moved to New York where she worked as a copywriter for celebrity children’s wear label Appaman Inc. Ruby is now combining her love of makeup and skincare with her passion for writing. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of makeup and skincare – she can spot a Nars lip from 30 feet and recommend skin creams and treatments from chemists to La Mer at a glance. She is always looking for the next big thing in beauty whether it’s an “unsung hero” product, a highlighter hack or a technological innovation to accelerate your anti-ageing regimen.
