Maria Nila
Purifying Cleanse Exfoliating Serum
Glycolic Scalp Detox
A chemical exfoliant for your scalp.
A pre-shampoo scalp treatment with 5% glycolic acid that exfoliates away buildup and excess oil at the root.
- Scalp care
- Treat
5% Glycolic Acid · Dermatologically Tested · 100% Vegan · Cruelty-Free · Pre-Shampoo Treatment
This is probably for you if…
- The client whose roots are greasy the day after washing
- Heavy dry shampoo users stretching washes to four days
- A scalp that feels coated whatever shampoo is used
- Anyone who exfoliates their face but never their scalp
In stock + ready to ship
Unopened + unused items may be eligible for exchange or store credit within 14 days. Returns policy
- Free shipping $100+Canada + U.S. · duties included
- Packed by ModaBowmanville, Ontario
- Earn Inner CirclePoints on eligible orders
What it does
- 5% glycolic acid exfoliates buildup away at the follicle
- Reduces greasiness at the root between washes
- Dermatologically tested, with aloe vera buffering the acids
- Ten-minute pre-shampoo treatment with a cooling peppermint finish
Perfect for
- All hair types with an oily or congested scalp - not for dry
- Itchy or sensitive scalps
How to use
- Section dry or damp hair - dry gives the strongest result - and expose the scalp along each parting.
- Apply directly onto the scalp with the pipette and massage through for about thirty seconds.
- Leave for ten minutes without rubbing.
- Rinse thoroughly, then shampoo and condition as normal. Use as needed, not every wash.
Routine step
Why we like it
The Moda Team Review
Clients who would never skip a facial exfoliant have usually never thought about the skin under their hair, even though it is the same organ producing the same sebum and shedding the same dead cells. Shampoo cannot fix congestion at the follicle because it is on the scalp for a minute at most; this sits for ten on a dry scalp with nothing in the way. Glycolic acid at 5% with malic, lactic and oil-soluble salicylic acid does the work, and aloe sits high in the formula so a ten-minute acid exposure stays comfortable.
Read full stylist notes
Maria Nila is the newest brand on our shelves and a deliberate addition - the up-and-coming line making the biggest impact in professional haircare right now, brought in with our younger clients in mind because the range is playful, 100% vegan and cruelty-free, and made in Sweden. Purifying Cleanse earned its place because scalp exfoliation is a genuine gap in most routines. Clients who would never skip a facial exfoliant have never once considered the skin under their hair. A dermatologically tested, properly dosed 5% glycolic acid serum built for that job was not something we could point anyone to before.
Moda
What’s inside — and why it’s there
The ingredients worth knowing.
- Glycolic Acid at 5%the primary active. Glycolic has the lowest molecular weight of the alpha hydroxy acids, which gives it the most efficient penetration in...
- Malic and Lactic Acidsadditional AHAs broadening the exfoliating action across the scalp surface and maintaining the low pH at which the acid system remains ac...
- Salicylic Acida beta hydroxy acid and lipid-soluble, unlike the AHAs alongside it. That solubility is what allows it to partition into sebum and work o...
View full ingredient list
Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Oleth-20, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-23, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Sodium PCA, Malic Acid, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Quaternium-95, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Propanediol, Sodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum/Fragrance
How to use
Use it the way we would.
- Section dry or damp hair - dry gives the strongest result - and expose the scalp along each parting.
- Apply directly onto the scalp with the pipette and massage through for about thirty seconds.
- Leave for ten minutes without rubbing.
- Rinse thoroughly, then shampoo and condition as normal. Use as needed, not every wash.
Moda stylist tipDry scalp, sectioned, pipette on the skin - then leave it alone for ten minutes. Damp hair dilutes a 5% acid into something much weaker, and applying over the top of the hair means it never reaches the scalp. Six to eight partings, massage thirty seconds to distribute, then stop. The urge to keep rubbing an exfoliant is how chemical exfoliation becomes mechanical irritation.
Reviews
Questions? We get them.
Good to know.
The questions we hear most about this product. If yours isn’t here, a real stylist will answer.
Ask ModaI already bought the Purifying Cleanse Shampoo. Is the serum doing anything the shampoo does not?
Yes. The shampoo is on the scalp for about a minute and cleanses hair and scalp together. This is 5% glycolic acid held on the scalp alone for ten minutes with nothing diluting it. If your concern is congestion at the root rather than coated lengths, the serum is the one doing that work.
My scalp flakes. Is this the right product, or is flaking always buildup?
No, flaking is not always buildup, and getting this wrong makes things worse. If the flakes come with oiliness and a coated feeling, this helps. If your scalp is also tight, dry or itchy, that is a barrier problem - use Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Shampoo and Soothing Serum instead.
I use retinol and acids on my face already. Is a 5% glycolic scalp serum going to be too much?
No, not usually - scalp skin is thicker than facial skin and tolerates acids better, and this rinses off after ten minutes. Keep it off the hairline and forehead where your facial actives are already working, and do not use it the same evening as a strong facial peel.
Will this strip my colour if I use it on the scalp at the root?
Yes, to a degree, so time it carefully. Acids will lift deposited colour and toner, and Maria Nila do not state the Colour Guard Complex for this line as they do for Head & Hair Heal. Use it before a colour appointment rather than in the days after one.
It looks identical to the Head & Hair Heal Soothing Serum. How do I tell them apart in the shower?
Yes, the pipette packaging is confusingly similar and they do opposite jobs. This one rinses out after ten minutes and exfoliates an oily scalp. The Head & Hair Heal serum stays in and hydrates a dry one. Keep this in the shower and the other one on your dressing table.
Returns
Unopened + unused products may be eligible for exchange or Moda store credit within 14 days.
Returns policy
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