The Guide to Micellar Water
Micellar waters have made it's way into the personal care industry -- it's first stop -- skincare.
My first encounter with the micellar marketing story did not captivate me. Mostly because I've been familiar with the term since beginning my career in formulating.
What is a micelle?
A micelle is a cluster, group or aggregate of molecules with hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties within a surfactant.
Think of a micelle as a group of tadpoles. These tadpoles are in a circle with their heads outward and their tails connecting inward. Their heads LOVE water! Their tails, on the other hand, HATE water and try their best to avoid it.
The properties of the individual micelle aids in cleansing.
Dirt and debris are engulfed in the center of the micelle (oil loving portion) and rinsed away by the water.
This is why pure water alone does not clean.
What is micellar water?
Now that we understand what a micelle is, we can look further into what encompasses a micellar water.
In theory, 'micellar' is the description of what the product is actually doing. As with any cleansing product, there are micelles. For many of these formulations, simply put, the product is a water based cleanser.
Let's look at some ingredient listings for a few popular micellar waters on the market.
Garnier Skin Active Micellar Cleansing Water
$8.99, 13.5 fl oz
Aqua / Water, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium EDTA, Poloxamer 184, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide
“...because some nights, we’re just too damn tired to wash our face...”
From Molly With Love Micellar Water
$17.99, 5 fl oz
Water (Aqua), Witch Hazel, Vegetable Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Polysorbate 20, Alcohol
La Mer The Cleansing Micellar Water
$55, 3.4 fl oz
Declustered Water (-)\Aqua\Eau De-Structuree (-), Declustered Water (+)\Aqua\Eau De-Structuree (+), Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Bis-Peg-12 Dimethicone, Trehalose, Algae (Seaweed) Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Meal, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Powder, Sea Salt\Maris Sal\Sel Marin, Castanea Sativa (Chestnut) Seed Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Sucrose, Caffeine, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium Edta-Copper, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Citronellol, Linalool, Limonene, Blue 1 (Ci 42090)
All of the micellar waters listed above contain polysorbate 20 and some other type of surfactant. Polysorbate 20 and surfactants aid in the removal of dirt and debris. The ingredient listings all range from simple to complex, which is ultimately reflected in the unit price.
Have you fallen into the micellar water craze? If so, what is/are your favorite products?