Curious about natural micellar water? + D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water review

Have you used a natural micellar water before? If not, are you curious? Until a few weeks ago, I’d never tried micellar water, never mind one I considered “natural”. I was so happy with my oil, balm, and gel cleansers, for years I completely overlooked micellar water.

Advert: this post contains references to PR gifted products. My views are honest and my own. May contain affiliate links.

Micellar water contains compounds that are highly effective at removing dirt and oil to keep skin clear.

Healthline

Then one night I felt like cleansing without water. I couldn’t be bothered to turn the tap on and fill the sink to remove my makeup. How lazy is that? But we’ve all been there! I needed a waterless cleansing solution. I finally saw a use for micellar cleansing water!

According to many of the brands offering micellar water, it brings the duel benefit of makeup removal and cleansing – without any water at all.

But we all know that oil-based cleansers are the best way to remove stubborn makeup. Only a double cleanse will do!

Surely the claims of micellar water are too good to be true?

Can micellar water really remove a full face of makeup?

A little reading around the subject helps to clarify.

The current view of skincare experts, such as Caroline Hirons and Julia Hunter, is that micellar water does not replace a proper cleanser or makeup remover.

Personally, my opinion is that although micellar water does clean the skin, it’ll never be your deepest clean. You’d really struggle to remove an entire face of makeup. And what about the environmental impact of what is used to apply the micellar water, for instance cotton rounds?

I learned that micellar water is not the lazy girl solution to makeup removal and deep cleansing and I hoped it would be. But micellar water is useful in many ways, and makes a fantastic multi-purpose addition to your skincare collection.

When should I cleanse with micellar water?

Use micellar water when you:

• Need a refresher in the morning
• Need to cleanse but have no access to water, e.g. during travel, or at the gym
• Want a “day off” proper cleansing and can’t be bothered to fill the sink
• Need to remove small amounts of eye or lip makeup e.g. when applying makeup

How micellar water actually works has always intrigued me. Let’s take a look at that now.

What is natural micellar cleansing water?

Micellar is a term from biology, not from marketing (source).

Micellar water is based on a micellar structure: tiny particles made up of hydrophilic and lipid layers. When making contact with skin, lipids combine with sebum and make-up residues, while hydrophilic molecules combine with dirt and other impurities, effectively cleansing the skin.”

D’Alchemy

From a chemical perspective, micellar water is like washing up solution inside the sink. It’s water, moisturisers like glycerin, and mild surfactants, which are used to cleanse. Micellar water is much milder than your washing up solution, of course.

But you’ll also find other lovely ingredients to bring unique benefits to your skin, such as floral waters and botanical extracts.

What makes a micellar water natural?

It could be that it contains gentler surfactants or preservatives. Maybe it favours natural fragrances over synthetic versions.

The botanical elements of the micellar water could be produced organically and be certified. Natural micellar water may have been produced in an ethical and eco friendly manner, or packaged with glass not plastic.

A natural micellar water should try to minimise the amount of alcohol used in the formulation.

How do I use it?

Micellar water comes in a bottle with a spray/dropper mechanism. Spray or dispense the water onto a cotton/reusable round or cotton tip, for example.

Now let’s take a look at my first choice for natural micellar water.

D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water

I picked this natural micellar cleansing water since D’Alchemy is one of my favourite brands. I have never gone wrong with this brand and I love their focus on mature skin and delighting the senses with silky feeling, fabulous smelling cosmetics.

This micellar water is described as a gentle make-up remover for mature skin types. It promises to remove makeup residue leaving perfectly clean skin. I have high hopes for this micellar water as the perfect morning refresher, or simple evening cleanser.

The micellar water comes in a dark glass bottle with spray attachment. It smells refreshingly like soap and rose. It has the texture of lightly soapy water and has no colour.

Key botanicals

D’Alchemy always carefully select botanicals for their youth boosting ability. Based on the beautiful rose hydrosol, D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water is rich in natural plant extracts with soothing, antiseptic, and anti-ageing properties.

• Damask rose hydrosol delivers antioxidants, targeting wrinkles and firmness.
• Botanical extracts including peach and barley create an even skin tone and protect from free radicals.
• Soap berry extract promotes skin regeneration.
• Grapefruit extract adds radiance.
• Papaya extract smooths and mattifies the skin.

How did I get on with D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water?

I really love this fragrant and refreshing natural micellar water at the start of the day. It’s also great at the end of a makeup free day when I just want to roll into bed. It’s so easy to fit into my routine, and offers a refreshing and calming cleanse.

D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water is actually quite effective at removing everyday makeup, although I wouldn’t rely on it to deeply cleanse every single day. I love keeping it on hand to fix makeup mistakes and running eye makeup. When we’re travelling again, I know I’ll be taking it with me for a quick refresh.

The highlight for me is that D’ Alchemy has brought us a useful cleanser that contains some really lovely key botanicals. It’s another gorgeous product from D’Alchemy that comes highly recommended!

D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water

Buy Now – £27.99 at Be Kind Beauty

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Final thoughts on natural micellar cleansing water

Wow – I’ve learned so much about natural micellar water! Now I know exactly what it’s for and how to use it. And I’ve looked in detail at the fabulous D’Alchemy Micellar Cleansing Water.

If you were at all curious about natural micellar water, I hope you’ve found this post helpful.

Have you used micellar water before? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe to stay in touch.

Until next time!