Living Proof Made a Micellar Water for Your Third-Day Hair

Just over 20 years ago, a very smart biotech scientist and hair stylist came together for a brainstorming session. The setting was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (ever heard of it?) and the mission was to solve real-world hair problems with a lineup of new products.

It worked out well for them, and for us! Living Proof has provided plenty of science-backed solutions over the years, especially in the dry shampoo department. And the story gets even better, because they’ve done it once again.

On Friday, August 14, the brand is launching a brand new dry shampoo: Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo Mist. Keep reading to discover everything there is to know about the exciting new launch.

The Inspiration

It’s very possible you’re wondering why on earth Living Proof would come out with a new dry shampoo when they have such great offerings on the market already. Perfect hair Day, which you may know as PhD, is beloved—but this one is special for different reasons.

“Our original Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo is our most loved, iconic, and top-selling product. So, the bar was high for introducing another dry shampoo into the lineup,” shares the brand’s chief marketing officer, Lauren Fenton.

There were three big reasons Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo Mist needed to join the family. The first, as Fenton explains, is that dry shampoos are becoming “more and more tailored to individual needs.” This specific offering is for those looking for a gentler, lighter experience.

Then, there’s the fact that many have put together wardrobes of dry shampoos, using different products over the course of a week based on what their hair is asking for.

“For example, maybe on day two hair they want to add a little bit of body, so they reach for our original formula. Then, on day three, maybe they want a bit more softness, so they reach for the Advanced Clean formula. Then, maybe on day four they want a lighter refresh, so they’ll reach for the new Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo Mist,” Fenton adds.

Which brings us to number three. As market leaders in dry shampoo innovation, Living Proof saw an opportunity to bring new users into the world of the product.

“We identified a fundamental consumer tension: seven out of 10 women have four or more non-wash days a week, yet only two in 10 women use dry shampoo. That signaled both a huge need and opportunity,” she adds. “By eliminating the biggest barriers to dry shampoo adoption, we can bring new users to the category. We saw this in a consumer use study, where 88% of dry shampoo non-users and rejectors said they would use Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo Mist, and 82% said they would recommend it to a friend.”

The Formula

Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo uses a patent-pending bi-phase micellar cleansing system. The brand’s scientists came up with it by looking to the skincare world, where micellar technology has been widely adopted. First things first, micelles break down oil on contact to loosen them from the scalp and hair. Next, an array of ultra-light micro-spheres absorb and lock that grime in.

“A key tenant of our MIT-born innovation philosophy is we seek inspiration from industries and categories outside of hair. Here, we looked to skincare to inspire our patent-pending Micellar Cleansing System, which breaks down and loosens oil, while delivering a 100% invisible finish,” says Fenton. “In a consumer-use test, 100% of participants agreed the product delivered an invisible finish—even on dark hair!”

The formula also features a micro-suspending network to “maintain an even suspension of cleaning and care ingredients for a weightless feel” and bio-adaptive superfruit to “maintain scalp moisture, balance, and comfort.”

There’s also no white residue whatsoever.

“When we dug into social listening, by far the biggest barrier to dry shampoo usage was the dreaded white chalky residue left behind. Additionally, we saw a massive surge in consumer interest in gentler alternatives to traditional aerosol formats, with search for non-aerosols up over 400% in the last 12 months,” adds Fenton. “So, we set out to create a non-aerosol dry shampoo to deliver the performance consumers expect from Living Proof, without the visible residue—because we believe consumers shouldn’t have to compromise.”

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How to Use It

If you want the formula to really do its thing, you’re going to want to “shake, shake, shake!”

“It’s important to shake the bottle well to ensure the bi-phase formula mixes to activate. No, but like seriously shake it!” says Fenton. “I love using Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo mist every morning. Because it’s invisible and weightless, and gentle on the scalp, it’s ideal for daily use—without any heavy buildup.”

The Reviews

Bella Cacciatore, senior news editor

“Dry shampoo is a necessary evil in my routine. My hair gets greasy fast, but I hate how chalky and gritty traditional dry shampoos make my hair feel, so I’m always excited to try a new format. I love how lightweight this dry shampoo feels, and it did a great job of not only refreshing my day two hair, but preventing things from getting even greasier—this photo is at the end of a sticky, humid day, and my hair looks as fresh as it did in the morning. Like any dry shampoo, I do find that a little goes a long way, and it works best if you really brush it through. While nothing beats the feeling of clean hair, this gets pretty close—without the crunch.”

Derek Deng, associate content editor

“Ever since bleaching my hair this summer, I’ve had a hard time finding a dry shampoo that doesn’t leave it feeling even drier. But this new launch from Living Proof has been a game-changer. The liquid formula dries down almost instantly, refreshing my hair in seconds without the powdery mess of traditional dry shampoos. It also doesn’t irritate my scalp—a problem I run into pretty frequently—and leaves my hair feeling surprisingly soft and comfortable after application.”