Originally a solution to France’s harsh tap water, micellar water has since found it’s way into skincare products around the world. Why? Because micellar technology is incredibly multi-tasking – it cleanses, hydrates and tones, while also removing dirt and makeup. While I use it everyday morning to freshen up before applying my makeup, it never occurred to me that its benefits might go beyond the face, or ever our skin, until DevaCurl’s new Buildup Buster landed on my doorstep (thanks Influenster!).
DevaCurl Buildup Buster Micellar Water Cleansing Serum
Many of us have attempted to remove buildup at some point, including homemade remedies like baking soda and apple cider vinegar rinses, and stronger, clarifying shampoos. But a lot of times when we try to clarify our hair, it ends up really dry and stripped of its natural oils. That’s where DevaCurl Buildup Buster comes in, to finally offer us balance.
DevaCurl Buildup Buster a brand new cleanser + treatment in one. It’s also the first ever hair care product to use micellar water to gently clarify the hair and scalp. How it works is the tiny micellars (i.e. small clusters of fatty acid esters) attach themselves to dirt and oil while also dissolving impurities, removing buildup from product, environmental stressors, and hard water. And what’s unique about them is that they won’t strip or dry out hair like the harsh chemicals found in regular clarifying shampoos.
This cleansing serum also works as a treatment for your hair and scalp thanks to moisturizing ingredients like abyssinian seed oil and jojoba esters. So it’s not only giving your hair and scalp a deep clean, it’s also helping to improve hair’s texture to bring back softness, shine, volume and bounce.
DevaCurl Buildup Buster is 100% sulfate, paraben, and silicone free; vegan and cruelty-free! Here’s the full ingredients list:
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Lactamide MEA, Glycerin, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Limonium Gerberi Extract, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Panthenol, Melissa Officinalis Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxyproplytrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Cetrimonium Chloride, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-11, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum).
How Do You Use It?
DevaCurl Buildup Buster was created to be used in place of your regular hair shampoo/cleanser. It’s recommended usage is once per week to remove unwanted build-up, alternating with your regular cleanser (preferably low or no-poo). Here’s how to apply:
- Wet your hair.
- Use the bottle’s pointed tip to target the scalp, or any other areas where you may have buildup.
- Massage the serum over your scalp and then work it through the rest of your hair, all the way down to the ends.
- Rinse out.
- Follow with a conditioner, if needed.
DevaCurl Buildup Buster can be used on any curl type – wavy, curly, or super curly. It even works on straight hair!
DevaCurl Buildup Buster Review
The DevaCurl Buildup Buster feels very much like a serum you’d apply on your face – it’s very moisturizing with a slightly oily consistency. I found the formula to be incredibly easy to distribute on my scalp and throughout my medium-length, wavy hair. Instead of using the pointed tip, I’ll squeeze the serum into my hand, and then work it into my scalp from there – it’s just easier and also a lot quicker to apply that way if you want all-over cleansing.
After a quick rinse, the serum leaves my hair super smooth and hydrated (similar to the feeling I get after applying a conditioner) – not at all straw-like or stripped like other clarifying shampoo I’ve tried prior. The first time I tested out the DevaCurl Buildup Buster, I ended up skipping the conditioner/after treatments all together to see how far its hydrating abilities could go, and was pleasantly surprised. After regular shampooing, I have to use a conditioner or oil afterwards, or else I can barely get a comb through my hair. But after using the DevaCurl Buildup Buster on its own, my locks were completely tangle-free – no serum, oil, detangler, or leave-in treatment required. I’ve never before tried a shampoo, let alone a clarifying one – that left my hair feeling so moisturized!
Another amazing thing is that the formula doesn’t dry out my scalp or cause flaking after my shower (which has always been an issue for me). What it does do is makes my hair dry faster, leaves it feeling more lightweight and bouncier than usual, and also adds a healthy amount of shine and smoothness.
The only downside is that the Buildup Buster causes my hair and scalp to turn oily pretty quickly (after about two days, rather than my usual three), which tells me that despite the serum’s initial hydrating abilities, it doesn’t completely balance out the more drying effects of the clarification process. (A simple solution I’ve found to help alleviate this is to apply a little conditioner on the scalp following the serum.)
Overall, I’m very much looking forward to using this all summer long to help remove the chlorine and salt build up, as well as all year long to help remove the copious amounts of dry shampoo residue that I subject my scalp to!
The DevaCurl Buildup Buster is currently available on Sephora.com for $28.
Have you tried the DevaCurl Buildup Buster? If so, what are your thoughts on the formula/your results?
