Micellar Cleansing Water

September 29, 2022 Juliette van der Meer

Micellar water is an age old skincare product that has recently become popular again.

Why is it Called Micellar Water?

It is called 'micellar' after micelles, which are round clusters of surfactant molecules that attach to oil and dirt on the skin and lift them away.

What is Micellar Water?

Micellar Water is a gentle facial cleanser with the key ingredient being the gentle surfactant used. Surfactants (or SURface ACTing agents) are a large group of ingredients that include emulsifiers, solubiliers as well as what we know best as surfactants - the cleaners and foamers.

Other ingredients in micellar water can include hydrosols, essential oils and actives such as panthenol or inulin to gently condition the skin.

What Does Micellar Water Do?

Micellar water is used to cleanse the face, add hydration and remove light makeup (it won't remove waterproof makeup). You can use it morning and evening.

Micellar waters are cold processed, meaning no heat is required. Try this simple but lovely micellar water formula:

Simple Micellar Water Formula

Ingredients:

96.3% water/ hydrosol
0.5% essential oil (I happened to use orange but you can use any oil of choice)
2% solubiliser*
preservative system: 0.4% sodium benzoate, 0.2% potassium sorbate, 0.1% citric acid**
0.5% active such as panthenol, inulin or other active (optional; if you don’t want to add an active just add this amount back into the water amount)

*this will depend on the type of essential oil and the kind of solubiliser you use. You may need to increase the solubiliser amount - if you do, take it from the water amount to keep the formula balanced to 100%.

** you can absolutely use another preservative of choice, I just used this system because I like experimenting with different preservative systems (and it works well).

Beakers
Spatula for mixing

Method:

In a separate beaker, mix your preservative system together. They're all powder so all you need to do is combine them.

Weight the solibiliser and essential oil into a beaker and mix them thoroughly together. Slowly add in the water/hydrosol and mix gently until everything is combined. You area ultimately looking to achieve a clear solution, but it may be a little milky and only clear up the next day. Keep in mind that the amount of solubiliser required will differ for different essential oils.

Next add in your premixed preservative and stir until combined. Always test and adjust your pH if required to skin friendly levels of 4.5-5.5.

To use, pour a little micellar water on a cotton pad and gently wipe over your face to cleanse. This product can be left on.

NB: if you are allergic or sensitive to sodium benzoate, please choose a different preservative and follow the usage instructions.