There’s practically a new trend in skin care every other week. First it was transforming cleansers, then it was essences, and now it’s micellar water. Turns out micellar water has been around for over a hundred years, first gaining momentum in France, where it was designed to help Parisians deal with the region’s infamously harsh water supply.
WHAT IS MICELLAR WATER?
Micellar waters are a dream product for lazy girls. Somewhere between toner and cleanser, micellar water is a magical potion that completely removes makeup (waterproof formulas, too!), dirt, and oil from the skin without stripping your complexion. It looks like water, it has the viscosity of water but when you put it on your finger and feel, it has a different texture than water!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Micellar water takes its name from micelles, tiny round balls of cleansing molecules that float in the water. When you apply the product to your skin, the cleansing agents come into contact with oil and dirt on your face, allowing them to be swept away quickly and efficiently. Micellar cleansing water uses very gentle but effective cleansing agents. There is no tingling or tightening effect, and it’s powerful enough to remove eye makeup, so there is no need for a separate makeup remover. It can effectively melt away waterproof makeup, even the mascara and liner and remove it completely- which of course your cleanser and water can’t do!
Cotton is much like water -it’s hydrophilic, and hydrophilic things like other hydrophilic things. So when you splash some miceller water on the pad, all the heads of the surfactant molecules stick to the cotton which leaves all the oil-loving film on top of the cotton pad. Then when you wipe it over your skin, the hydrophilic surface grab hold of the makeup and oils. Since they can only grab onto so much oil, it’s quite likely that you’ll need to go over your face a few times, especially if you’re wearing heavy makeup.
HOW TO USE?
Soak a cotton wool ball with the solution and sweep it across your whole face, paying special attention to the eye and lip area if you are removing makeup. There is no need to rinse afterwards. Just enjoy the clean, fresh sensation. It feels similar to using a face wipe twice a day (normally it is recommended to use miceller water atleast twice a day), but your skin will always looks squeaky clean after micellar water. There won’t be even a trace of mascara or eyeliner.
SOME POPULAR BRANDS OF MICELLER WATER (easily available in India):
- Avene
- La roche posay
- Bioderma
- Garnier
- YSL
- Lancome
- Yves saint Laurent
- Loreal