Micellar waters: a thought to be beauty must-have around the globe, because of its quick and easy way to remove makeup without using a (gasp) wipe, and a staple of our daily beauty routines. The fad began and we all use it, most love them, we don’t think we can cleanse without them, but it turns out they may actually be doing our skin more harm than good. (insert a sigh).
Firstly, what is a Micellar Water anyway? “Micellar water is essentially a cleansing solution that’s swiped over the surface of the skin, much like traditional toners,” Michelle from Skin Nerd says
“While it has a liquid base, it contains grime traps known as micelles which remove impurities from the skin.”
So far so good. But the problem isn’t so much the micellar water itself, but more the way that it stays on the skin, as they’re generally designed to be leave-on formulas.
“Micelles are essentially surfactants or oil-in-water molecules,” explains Michelle. “Whilst a lot of people may tolerate a small amount of surfactant being left behind on skin after the swipe (assuming they’re the gentle kind), some people with sensitive skin won’t, and over time it will destroy a healthy skin barrier”
Surfactants are generally regarded as fairly harmless in beauty, but they’re best avoided if you have dry or sensitive skin - on the flip side if you have oily or congested skin the film left from the Micelles will encourage pores to block causing further congestion.
Here we are thinking we are doing the correct thing but removing makeup before cleansing, what we need to do is consider each and everything that goes on our skin. The PRO/CONS as such.
As our skin is our first line of defence, the barrier is integral to a healthy happy skin, hence the need for correct removal of makeup, debris and cleanser.
Enter "The Cleansing Cloth" with the correct cleanser being used the addition of a cleansing cloth will ensure all makeup can be removed whilst avoiding a "PRE CLEANSE" makeup remover style step. This saves money and most importantly our skin barrier.
A simple massage of your recommended cleanser and a thorough removal using The Cleansing Cloth - your skin will be clean but well protected - ready for all the good things coming its way.
