Jess Hardiman
A dermatologist has revealed how we should really be using micellar water, warning that there’s one thing that many of us may be doing wrong.
It's one of the staple products that we like to have in our bathroom, but how exactly does it work?
Micellar water is essentially just water with tiny balls of cleansing molecules – or micelles – that can remove makeup and clean the skin.
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Speaking to Tyla back in 2022, Dr Anny Choudry, Aesthetic Physician at Aventus Clinic, explained that the skincare superhero is good for ‘attracting dirt and grime and hence works well as a cleanser’.
“Micellar water contains molecules of oil and water called Micelles; this has been designed to work as a superficial cleanser and skin toner,” she added.
But while many of us use it daily to remove makeup and dirt from our face, it turns out there might be a crucial stage we’re missing out.
Many products have a ‘no rinsing required’ tagline, but does this really mean we can simply wipe the micellar water all over our skin and leave it?
According to Rachel Nazarian, a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC, it might be better idea to err on the side of caution.
She told The Klog: “Although most people can tolerate residual surfactants on skin (especially if they are the gentle kind), some surfactants are irritating, and some people may even have an allergy to them.
“If you have an allergy to surfactants you may find your skin becomes red, itchy, or puffy with repeated use.
“My recommendation is to always rinse micellar water off just to be safe.”
Surfactants, which are found in a number of beauty products, lower the surface tension between two materials, pulling grimy substances from your skin.
According to Nazarian, micellar water isn’t dangerous as such, it’s more a case of understanding how your skin reacts to surfactants, especially if you have sensitive skin.
But even if you’re at risk of having any sort of reaction, you can simply rinse the micellar water away – something she recommends doing anyway if in doubt.
“Micellar waters aren’t necessarily dangerous (so no risk to your overall health) [and] they don’t require rinsing, but if you have the time and energy, rinse anyway,” she said.