Micellar water is a gentle skin cleanser that contains micelles, tiny clusters of molecules that bind to oil, removing makeup and debris while also hydrating the skin. The essential ingredients in any micellar water are water and one or more surfactants. Surfactants are the key ingredients in micellar water, as well as in detergent, soap, shower gel, face wash, shampoo, and so on. When enough surfactant is added to water, the surfactant molecules assemble themselves into clusters called micelles. These micelles are spherical arrangements of surfactant molecules, with the tails pointing in and the heads facing out, which means the hydrophobic tails are protected from the water by the hydrophilic heads. Some brands of micellar water contain oily substances, like grape seed oil, which will sit in the middle of the micelle, like in the emulsion droplet.
Benefits of micellar water include its gentle nature, effectiveness at removing dirt, makeup, and oil, and its hydrating properties. Micellar water often contains hydrating compounds, such as humectants like glycerin, which attract and bind moisture to the skin. It is typically used as a facial cleanser to help remove makeup, dirt, and oil from the skin. Micellar water can be suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, but some people may be more sensitive to the surfactants in micellar water than others.
Here are the ingredients of two different micellar waters, as listed on INCIDecoder:
Garnier Micellar Water Sensitive Skin
- Aqua (water)
- Hexylene Glycol (solvent, emulsifying, perfuming, surfactant/cleansing)
- Glycerin (skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant)
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate (surfactant/cleansing)
- Disodium Edta (chelating)
- Poloxamer 184 (surfactant/cleansing, emulsifying)
- Polyaminopropyl Biguanide (preservative)
Studio Selection Micellar Cleansing Water
- Water
- Hexylene Glycol (solvent, emulsifying, perfuming, surfactant/cleansing)
- Glycerin (skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant)
- Poloxamer 184 (surfactant/cleansing, emulsifying)
- Phenoxyethanol (preservative)
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate (surfactant/cleansing)
- Methylisothiazolinone (preservative)
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone (preservative)
Its important to note that different brands of micellar water may contain different ingredients.
