MICELLAR WATER & ITS USES

I know! I know! I know! I’m late to this micellar water party, but I have a very good reason . . . I didn’t know what it was 🙂 I mean, I knew it was like a cleanser of sorts but I didn’t know what it was exactly. Then I did my research and I had to run and catch up with the world because micellar water is bae! For real. First of all, if you’re like I was and still aren’t sure what it really is, let me break it down (pun intended and you’ll soon see why – ugh, explaining puns is counter productive). Micellar water is just soft water with tiny micelles (small oil molecules that attract and break down dirt/makeup) suspendnded in it. It’s actually been around fro over a hundred years when women in France would use it to clean their faces because their water was pretty darn harsh on their skin. It’s an excellent cleanser, makeup remover and even leaves skin moisturised without stripping away the skin’s natural oils. Perfection, right?

Do many brands have micellar water from high street cosmetics lines to proper high end designer labels so the price range is favourable for most. My first and beloved micellar water is the yellow label one by Garnier (very hard to find in Kenya, apparently Garnier doesn’t supply here anymore?) and it is specially formulated for dry and sensitive skin like mine. I fell in love with it from the first use and it has become a daily staple for me. There are different formulations of micellar water that cater to different skin types from normal to combination to dry, so again, something fro everyone.

While micellar water is most commonly used to cleanse skin, it has many other uses as well so I’m just gonna share a few right here . . .

1. Cleansing and double cleansing: while conventional soaps and cleansers may be harsh on skin if used every day, micellar water is gentle and effective. It really does the damn thing in ridding the skin of all the filth we accumulate in a day. I use it either by itself at night or as part of my double cleansing in the morning after I’ve washed my face with my regular face wash (Neutrogena’s One Step Gentle cleanser) so that it can pick out whatever the face wash didn’t get.
2. Makeup Remover: micellar water is good at getting makeup off the face especially when you’re too lazy to wash your face before bed. This one I use with the argan oil is actually really spectacular at getting rid of even heavy packed makeup and I love it. I have seen micellar wipes as well but haven’t found any in the market.
3. Light moisturizer: after using it on my face at night, I rarely feel the need to apply moisturizer because the micelles are moisturizing and leave my skin feeling hydrated.
4. Makeup brush cleaner: a shortcut 🙂 sometimes I’m too lazy to actually clean my makeup brushes with shampoo so I just use some of the micellar water as a quick fix. I put a little in a small bowl and swivel my brushes in it. It loosens up the makeup and dirt and voila! Clean brushes.
5. Correcting makeup mistakes: we all know how the winged liner can play us! So when I make a booboo I just soak an earbud (q tip) in micellar water and clean up the liner so i can try again. Also works for me in getting rid of eyeshadow fallout on my face 🙂

I really feel like micellar water is a must have in any skincare stash and I know I’ll be using it for as long as I can find it. You can find them at Super Cosmetics, Goodlife Pharmacy (Junction), the pharmacy at Westgate (forgot the name), some online vendors like Beauty Bar Kenya on Instagram and the Maybelline stand at Yaya Center (KShs. 550 yo!). I’d love to hear of any more uses so please let me know your micellar water tips. Cheers.

 

xo