L'Oréal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution...

I guess by now y'all know how much I like (loooove) micellar water! I use one every day, at night to remove makeup and in the morning to refresh and remove the bit of oil that accumulates at the surface on my skin during the night. I use a lot of it and so it can get expensive. I'm glad to say, I've found another great wallet friendly option...

L'Oréal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution...

Recently the French brand has launched several new products including this one. I must admit I was hesitant in trying it since L'Oréal usually puts a lot of fragrance in their skincare and although I'm not sensitive to it I'm not much of a fan of synthetic flowery smells. Why did it surprise me? Well...

It has no fragrance!!! We were off to a good start!

How does it perform? Beautifully!

Works like a charm! It truly is "Soft" like the name says and if you drench you cotton pad enough, it cleanses extremely well without drying my skin. I've used it as my sole cleanser and as a follow up to a gel and it really is effective.

Would I recommend L'Oréal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution? Yes!*

So, I did say it had no fragrance but it does have a very faint somewhat chemical scent to it. Again it's very faint and for some reason I don't always smell it. Still, if you're sensitive to fragrance I doubt this would be much of an issue because again, it's barely there.

Effective, although I must admit I haven't used in on my eyes because these days I've been using waterproof mascara but given the way it removes my Dior BB I have no doubt it would do a good job on regular eye makeup.

The price!!! I purchased mine on special at $7.99, regularly priced at $12.99 (I think!) which means it's the same price as my recent HG from Klorane reviewed, here. This is really another great cheap thrill!

I still prefer Klorane over L'Oréal due to the light herbal scent but I can definitely see myself alternating between the two since they are readily available everywhere and there's always one or the other on special.

Ingredients (from Beauté-test):
Aqua/water, hexylène glycol, glycerin, poloxamer 184, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, disodium edta, polyaminopropyl biguanide (F.I.L B54894/1)

*As with any skin care, if you have sensitive/allergic, acne/clog prone skin, make sure to patch test first.

You can read about the other micellar waters I've tried so far, here.


Have you tried different micellar waters or do you tend to stick to the same, that's if you use one to begin with of course? 

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover...

*Stands up and cheers for another great budget friendly option*

My love for micellar waters is probably a little cray cray but here's a confession, most times, this is the only cleanser I use in the evening...

*hides*

I'm soooo lazy!

My nigh time routine... Eye makeup remover, micellar water, Avène Ysthéal on cheeks and neck, Avène Eluage concentrate on forehead and eyes... Done!

These four items along with cotton pads, are kept on my nightstand. This is the only way I can stay diligent with a "before-bed-cleansing-taking-care-of-my-skin" routine, I swear!

I know some cleanse their faces when they get home from but for me it's not an option. I have Catherine waiting for me... I mean she greats me talking and talking while I must hurry to get food ready. She stays with me to tell me about her day and I wouldn't have it any other way. True sometimes I'm tired and would rather have a little silence but our exchanges are way too important!

Remember I don't want her to end up on a psychoanalyst couch one day! Oh well, maybe she will but it won't be because I wasn't listening, right?

Ok so then we eat, then we watch a little tv, then I blog a little in fact, very little these days. :( Then I'm too lazy/tired to even think about cleansing my face. This is the reason why I need a good effective cleansing water, one that removes everything.

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover...

For about a year now I kept stumbling on these bottles at the drugstore but never really gave them a second look. Like me you probably all know about their Blueberry eye makeup remover (I tried that one years ago and it didn't do much for me but I know it's very popular) and of course their hair care offerings. A little while back I was almost out of my latest cheapo micellar water and saw Klorane on special for about $16.00 if I remember correctly. Now that's $9.00 less than Sephora the one I was using, for the same size a whopping 400 ml.

How does it perform? Wow, just wow!

First I use my "wallet approved" Rimmel eye makeup remover (which continues to amaze me so I always have a backup) then I pump enough micellar water to drench two large cotton pads with I keep stuck together so they get wet at the same time. Remember I'm tired/lazy by the time I do this so this makes it faster. I swipe all over my face and neck and by the time I'm using the last of the cotton pads there's no more makeup nor dirt on my face! Yup, really!

I know what some of you are thinking... Wha? No rinsing... no double cleanse... no exfoliating... Nope!

What are the products I use on my skin in the morning you ask? Micellar water (again!) to remove the peach tint of Avène's moisturizers, Dior Hydra Life BB Crème, bronzer, a little blush and finishing powder. During the day I use my Chanel compact two or three times. Of course if I were to use sunscreen Klorane Floral Water wouldn't be enough, no micellar water would be in fact.

High points for the fact that it doesn't dry or strip my skin and it's quite refreshing. Excellent to remove makeup but I do still prefer to use the Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover which is more effective on the mascara formulas I use at the moment. Klorane did good on Givenchy 4 in 1 and Diorshow but not so much on Diorshow Iconic or Make-Up For Ever Smokey Extravagant.

For me it works, period!

Klorane Floral Water has a light "flowery/greenish" fragrance to it but unlike Sephora's it's not a synthetic odor and I think by now I'm a little addicted to it, you know a good smell before bed kinda thing. In fact there is no added perfume in this one, what you smell comes from the ingredients mainly cornflower.

One empty, one half full, I need a backup!

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Poloaxmer 184, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Cetromonium Bromide.

Klorane is sold in drugstores and is regularly priced at about $20.00 for 400 ml but it's often reduced at $16.99 so when the price comes down I buy 2! Don't you love it when you can find budget friendly options?

As with any skin care item, if you have sensitive and/or clog/acne prone skin, make sure to patch test first.


What was you last wallet friendly find?

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water / Review...

Impressed is what I am!

Just last week I brought you a review of Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water which was just plain bad. Sorry but that product was simply not good and so this meant that I was again in need of a micellar water, again.

I've never tried any of Sephora's offerings before and that goes for both makeup or skincare but the other day as I was roaming the store, looking at all the goodies that I clearly don't need but would love to own... I stumbled upon the Sephora skincare display. I can't remember where I read this but recently someone wrote a rave review of their Triple Action Cleansing Water and so at $14,00 for 150 ml I decided to give it a try.

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water / Review...

Following the trend of micellar water Boots recently added one to their No7 line of cleansers. This is a brand I'm not that familiar with having used only one of it's serum a few years back and so when I stumbled upon it the other day I decided to give it a try. Oh and I was a little excited about the fact that it has a pump! I know it doesn't take me much but I kind of like the novelty. :)

The idea behind micellar cleansers is to use one as a first cleanse. Using cotton pads dampened with the water you swipe over your face, neck and even the eye area to remove dirt and makeup and then follow up with a regular cleanser. This is what is usually recommended but I rarely use them this way. I like to use them like a toner, after my first cleanser to make sure my face is clean.

Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water / Review...

How did I use it? How did it perform?

The first time I tried it, that day I was wearing, among other items of makeup, Estée Lauder's DayWear BB cream, L'Oréal Infaillible gel liner and Diorshow Iconic Mascara (non waterproof). I sprayed my face with a little thermal water first and then proceeded with No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water on a large cotton pad. It didn't do so well. Although my pad was relatively drenched of product, it ended up being a little irritating due to the fact I had to go over and over again all over my face. For the eye area, well, it smeared the eye makeup instead of removing it.

The second time, I was wearing only powder, bronzer, the same eye liner but this time L'Oréal's latest incarnation of Voluminous mascara. It did a little better on my face but the same smearing occurred on the eye area.

Ok so forget about makeup removal!

As a second cleanser... It turned out not being that great either. It almost felt as if this micellar water glided at the surface of my skin without doing much and so I'm truly surprised about the rave reviews it's received so far. As some of you know, this is not my first cleansing water and truly, compared to all the others I've tried, I think so far this one is the worst. The only good things about it are the price, a little under $14,00 and the pump.

It can do somewhat ok as a quick morning cleanser but that's about it. While it's formulated for normal to oily skin, I was expecting it to be quick about removing at least the oil accumulated on the surface of skin during the night but it fell a little short for this as well. It's highly fragranced which took me by surprise. This is not an issue for me but can be for others even if it doesn't linger.

So if you're looking for an affordable cleansing water my recommendation is go with Marcelle Soothing Water which is readily available everywhere in Canada. No fragrance, glides easily on the skin and does a great job with eye makeup removal and it's in the same price range at about $14.95. If you keep your eyes on specials it's often reduced at around $10,00.

You can see the list of micellar waters I've tried so far, here.

I'm sorry but this one is a no go for me and so to the fail bin it goes. :(


Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Butylene glycol, PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium citrate, Parfum (Fragrance), Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) distillate, Citric acid, Sodium methylparaben, Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA, Tocopheryl acetate, Ascorbyl glucoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, Magnesium PCA, Dipropylene glycol, Potassium hydroxide, Manganese PCA, Potassium sorbate - See more at: http://us.boots.com/product/37211#sthash.TbypfqeZ.dpuf


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 4.8 / 5 lippies for 9 reviews.
Beauté-test: there are no reviews of this product.


As with any other skin care item, if you decide to try this product and have sensitive skin or are clog/acne prone, make sure to patch test for at least a few days before using it all over your face.

Marcelle Soothing Cleansing Water / Review...

An amazing cleansing water for under $15.00!!! This is a little gem worth every penny!

Read about what micellar waters are and my reviews of the ones I've tried so far, here.

From Marcelle's website:

A soothing refreshing water that gently cleanses and tones skin while removing eye make-up, just what you wished for. Introducing Essentials Soothing Cleansing Water make-up cleanser, a rinse-free formula that micro-emulsifies impurities and waterproof make-up without irritating skin, gentle for even the driest and most sensitive complexions. Skin feels clean, refreshed, and revitalized.

Are the claims real? Yes!

Would I recommend Marcelle Essentials Purity Soothing Cleansing Water? Yes!

Truly non irritating, it removes regular eye makeup beautifully. I haven't tried it on waterproof mascara but I guess if I still have to use oil to remove it, this micellar water would surely take care of the residue.

Super gentle, I can easily imagine someone with sensitive skin falling in love with this one. Quite similar to RoC's, has no fragrance but less expensive and I might even say a little more effective.

The gold standard of cleansing waters for many is Bioderma but I didn't like either Créaline nor Sébium much. To me they where ok but not exceptional. Marcelle, for it's performance and price is one to try next time you have to replace either.

I will be trying other micellar waters for review purposes but so far I can honestly say that both Biotherm and Marcelle are sitting comfortably at the top of my list. Since I don't have sensitivity issues, I do enjoy a little fragrance and so this is the only reason why I would alternate between these two.

The regular price is $14.50 but I at the time of purchase it was on special at $9.99!!!

If you are clog/acne prone, like with any other new skin care item, do patch test first.


Ingredients (Marcelle website)
ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE,AQUA/WATER/EAU,CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE,CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT,DISODIUM EDTA,GLYCERIN,PEG-6 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES,SODIUM CITRATE


Do you use a micellar water? Which is your favorite?

Some Empties...

Here are some of the products I've used in the past year, the ones I will not repurchase.

Nuxe Micellar Foam Cleanser, Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water, Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals, Avène Ysthéal Crème, Caudalie Cleansing Water and RoC Enydrial Hand Creme.

In the case of the first two Nuxe products, they where favorites of mine but where unfortunately discontinued. I was able to repurchase while they where in clearance but now they are definitely gone. 

The Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals, was good but a bit of a disappointment. I found it slightly irritating, especially compared to the previous option. I really don't understand the reformulation.

Avène Ysthéal which haven't reviewed yet, is an excellent anti-aging moisturizer but for some reason I prefer Eluage to it, also from Avène. I will try to post about them soon. They are worth looking into since they contain a high  % of retinaldehyde and are available over the counter. They are more effective than creams containing retinol (again, non prescription options) and are less irritating. Great for those with sensitive skin.

Caudalie Cleansing Water, another good product from the brand but the price is a downer. Although I was planning to repurchase, $28.00 a little excessive.

RoC Enydrial Hand Creme is really nothing special. I've mentioned it previously in one of my first posts for this blog. It's an ok basic moisturizer that tends to leave a greasy feel. The only plus, for those who appreciate it, is that it's unscented. I didn't use this one during the day since it's took a while to fully penetrate. Best keep it for before bed time.

Biotherm Biosource Micellar Water / Review

Micellar water is probably one of the best cosmetic innovation of recent years. I just love these fast and effective cleansers and since I don't wear a lot of makeup, they are just perfect for little old lazy me. If you want to learn more about what they are and see others I've previously reviewed like Bioderma, Nuxe, Caudalie, click here.

Of the different brands I've tried so far, Biotherm's Biosource Micellar Water is a front runner!

Biotherm is a brand I've stopped using a while back. The reason? They used to be quite affordable but for some reason, at one point their prices skyrocketed and so I lost interest. The only product that I've repurchased over the years has been their Anti-drying Body Milk, a long time favorite of mine.

When I saw this new Micellar Water I was expecting it to be in the high $20.00 but to my surprise it's only $19.00.

How did it perform?

Mild, effective, non irritating and fast. It has a mild fragrance that doesn't linger and it does a great job in the eye area. I would even say it's more effective than Caudalie which I thought was becoming a favorite.

Would I recommend Biotherm Biosource Micellar Water? Yes!

Fairly priced and good for all skin types, it's definitely worth a try. If you have issues with fragrance, try to get a sample first or make sure you can return it in case of irritation.


Reviews:

Beauté-test: 3.5 / 5 stars for 7 reviews
Makeup Alley:  There are no reviews of this product yet.

Ingredients (from UniversPara):
Aqua/water, PEG-7 caprylic/capric glycerides, poloxamer 124, poloxamer 184, PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides, polysorbate 80, magnesium PCA, potassium PCA, zinc PCA, sodium PCA, copper PCA, manganese gluconate, vitreoscilla ferment, sodium hydroxide, disodium EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, sodium benzoate, polyaminopropyl biguanide, parfum/fragrance, benzyl salicylate, linalool, butylphenyl methylpropional, alpha-isomethyl ionone, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, citronellol, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, (F.I.L. B12910/1).

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals / Review

I still don't understand why the entire Gentle Pureness line was discontinued. Effective and gentle, each of it's products were excellent drugstore options. As I've mentioned previously, I do know that cosmetic companies have to stay on top of things in order to remain competitive but when you have products that work and are used and appreciated by so many, why run the risk of losing faithful customers?

In a previous entry, I've said goodbye to one of my favorite products, Nuxe's Gentle Pureness Micellar Cleansing Water with 3 Roses and Green Tea. Replaced by Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals.

So, out goes the old but what about the new?

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals

I've been using it for about 2 weeks now and I must say it took some getting used to. It is different! The first few times I found it, dare I say, irritating. Yikes! Not a good thing. Then I figured it out. A spray of water first, drench a large cotton pad with the micellar water and boom! Works like a charm with no irritation.

Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals

$20.99, 300 ml / 6.7 fl oz

For this I used Avène's Thermal Spring Water because I happened to have some but, any spring water in a spray bottle would do for this. I even tried it with rose water and it was quite nice. Rose water is very soothing and doesn't irritate my eye area in any way. Very affordable, the latest bottle I purchased was under $2.00 for a 300 ml. You can find little spray bottles in any dollar store and in some pharmacies.

How does it compare with Gentle Pureness Micellar Cleansing Water With 3 Roses And Green Tea?

Well, it did take a few uses to get used to it which made is a little disappointing and I could understand this product getting negative reviews down the road. With my water spraying trick, I truly loved it! Without, not so sure I would have continued to use it. Spraying water first, helps dislodge makeup & dirt, especially in the eye area. If you wear mascara, using this micellar water alone may be irritating. This happened to me the first few nights. I had to rinse my eyes with water.

Preventing irritation is number one on my list, not because my skin is sensitive but my eye area is. I believe that if a product is mild enough for sensitive skin and the eye area, well, it's good enough for me. The great advantage of this micellar water just like all the other options out there is that it's a 2-in-1, no need for eye makeup remover. Also, You should not have to swipe over and over again in order to cleanse your skin.

Avène Spring Thermal Water

$16.00, 300 ml

Two large cotton pads should be enough for complete makeup removal. Drench the first one with micellar water and after your water spray, apply to your eye like a compress, press very gently, wait 20 seconds or so and then wipe the makeup off gently. If you wear water proof formulas I'm not sure this would work but for regular makeup, it's gentle and fast, proceed for the other eye. Drench another cotton pad and gently swipe face, neck and don't forget your décolleté area.

For me a 200 ml bottle lasts about 1 1/2 month. Do not be frugal with this otherwise you will not have good results and, again, you may end up irritating your skin.

If you wear a lot of makeup on top of a tenacious sunscreen, then you may want to use another type or cleanser. A carrier oil or a milk cleanser would be more appropriate as a first step in your cleansing routine. It could then be followed by your micellar cleanser to remove any traces of makeup and sunscreen.. I personally like to use it in the morning. It's very fast and convenient when you have to be out the door fast. My morning routine, not including makeup, takes me in average, 3 minutes, tops.

Reviews

Now since this is a fairly new product there are not that many reviews but I was able to find some on Beauté-test. It received a 4 1/2 stars from 33 members. Almost a perfect score which is quite impressive.

Although I do like the new flip cap which is very convenient, I do not like the opaque bottle. Unlike before, it's not possible to see how much product is left in the bottle.

So if like me you enjoy the fragrance of roses, Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals is a very good option. It's a good quality product at a fair price.

What a nice way to "stop and smell the roses".

Reviews of other micellar waters I've tried so far can be seen here.

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water / Saying goodbye to a favorite

My favorite cleanser has been discontinued! ARGH!!! Why? Oh why?

This of course is not the first time and it will certainly not be the last. Cosmetic companies do have to renew themselves constantly to be able to face the competition, to expand. In many cases, they will simply modify a formula. How often have you seen "new and improved" on a tube or jar? Countless! Sometimes, products are altered without warnings and that can wreak havoc on one's skin. You're then left wondering, why was this so great for my skin before? This, unfortunately, can happen when a smaller company is purchased by a bigger one. Some of the reasons for this may be that certain ingredients are too expensive or harder to find. They are then being replaced by what they figure will be more economical in the long run.

How annoying!!!

Caudalie Cleansing Water / Review

When I first tried this cleansing water I wasn't sure at all if I would like it. Why? The fragrance! Fortunately it's not strong but it's a bit surprising at first. To me it's like candied grapes. Very sweet, almost like a lollipop. After a few days, not only did I get used to it but I must admit that it grew on me. I now find it, delicious! For those who are sensitive to fragrance you may decide to pass and go for RoC or Bioderma Créaline but remember, it doesn't linger and is quite mild. You could still give it a chance.

How does it perform? Very nicely. In fact it comes close second to my favorite from Nuxe which I will review in a future post.

It's very effective and mild. For me, I find that it has the perfect balance of water and oil particles, and so, it doesn't leave my face feeling dry or sticky. I use it on a large cotton pad and it removes everything, even my eye makeup without any oily residue. Actually it leaves my skin feeling fresh and soft. What more could I ask for?

Caudalie Cleansing Water

From Caudalie's official website:
INGREDIENTS : AQUA (WATER), POLOXAMER 184,GLYCERIN*, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL*,MYRISTAMIDOPROPYL PG-DIMONIUM CHLORIDEPHOSPHATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINAMIDE MEACHLORIDE*, BISABOLOL*, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE),POLYAMINOPROPYL BIGUANIDE, SODIUM CHLORIDE,VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT EXTRACT*.* Origine végétale


Reviews: 

Makeup Alley: 4.1 out of 75 reviews
Beauté-test: 4/5 stars for 150 reviews

Oh by the way, after a week or so, I kind of forgot about the grape lollipop. I now find the fragrance to be fresh, delicate and in a way, invigorating.

I must now confess that after writing this review, I would totally go for one of those!

Hammond's Grape Lollipop

Other cleansing waters reviews can be found here

Avène Micellar Lotion Cleanser and Makeup Remover / Review

My first miss with Avène. 

According to Avène it's a no-rinse cleansing water that will effectively remove all traces of makeup on face, eyes and lips. Will hydrate and calm the skin, leaving it moisturized and soft. Pleasant fragranced (tolerated by sensitive skin) it has no preservatives and is oil free, soap free and alcohol free. Hypoallergenic and non comedogenic.

First off, although I do like Avène's fragrance, in this it's chemical like. Not pleasant even if thankfully, it doesn't linger. 

Not a one step cleanser for it removes makeup poorly. 

Bioderma Micelle Solutions Reviews

Bioderma first appeared about 20 years ago in Lyon France. Working in close collaboration with dermatologists to develop dermo-cosmetics intended for medical prescriptions and medicinal consultancy. According to Beauté-test they are the precursor for micellar solutions.

Bioderma Créaline H2O fragrance free

This is the first one I tried. I recieved a large sample of it and had enough for about a week. I used it mainely at night and a few times in the morning.

Well, it was almost like using plain water on my skin. I don't wear heavy makeup. Bronzing powder, blush, concealer, eye shadow, a light cake eye liner and non waterproof mascara. Did it remove everything? No. I had to use a lot of it and it didn't do well on my mascara which at the moment is Estée Lauder's Sumptuous.

Not only did it not do well for me but I found it drying. The one good thing is that it didn't irritate my décolleté area. What I don't get is how come my friend Caroline from Secret Girly Side had such great results with it when she tried it. It's obvious our skin's chemistry is different. She has a great picture showing the makeup products Créaline H2O was able to remove.

Bioderma Sébium H2O

So, I figured, probably Créaline H2O didn't do a good job because I have combination skin. Since it's summer, my skin is a bit more oily then it would be in winter. Sébium H2O is recommended for combination/oily skin. This formula has fragrance but it's very mild and doesn't linger.

It did a better job but ended up irritating my eyes as well as my décolleté area. This took me quite by surprise actually, especially since my skin is not that reactive or picky. In a way, it felt like there was alcohol in it. Then again, I have no issues with the alcohol in the witch hazel I use as a toner.

I asked my friend "L" about what could be irritating in it and this was her answer based on the ingredient list I sent her.

"Nothing really, but Fragrance, Ginkgo, Propylene glycol can be irritating, it's one of those products that it could be anything even though it looks pretty harmless. Fructooligosaccharides is a "form" of sugar, which could also irritate certain people!"

These little bottles are available at the moment. 

Very convenient with a flip cap, nice for travel.

Bioderma Micelle Solutions are probably the most popular cleansing waters on the market at the moment and honestly after trying these mentioned above and being disapointed, I could be wondering, why? Maybe if I had tried them first my opinion would have been different.


Now of course, this is based on my skin's chemistry in combination with the makeup I use. They would not be top sellers if this was the case for everyone. If you can grab one of the small bottles to try out, go ahead and make up your own mind. Like many others, you could be very pleased with either one of them depending on your skin type.


Here are the ingredient lists, both taken from Beauté-test.com

Créaline H2O fragrance free ingredients: Water (aqua), peg-6 caprylic/capric glycerides, propylene glycol, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, mannitol, xylitol, rhamnose, fructooligosaccharides, disodium edta, cetrimonium bromide.

Sébium H2O ingredients: Water (Aqua), PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Citrate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Sulfate, Ginkgo BilobaExtract, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Fructooligosaccharides, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA,Cetrimonium Bromide, Fragrance (Parfum).

RoC Micellaire Confort Extrême, Cleansing Water

This is the first micellar cleanser I tried and when I purchased it I must admit that, I didn't even know what it was. Weird I know.

 That evening, I was at the pool with my daughter. She's part of a competitive swimming club and trains several times a week. I decided to go to the drugstore nearby to get a new cleanser since I was all out. 

RoC products where on special that day so I figured, why not? I'm not particularly picky and neither is my skin usually as far as cleansers are concerned. I had used some of RoC's moisturizers in the past and they where fine. I bought the Energizing Cleanser and the Micellar Cleansing Water Extreme Comfort  for about $15 each. When I got home, I asked myself, why the heck did I get two cleansers? It didn't take long for me to figure it out. I started to use the micellar water in the same way I used that lovely Gatineau toner, ages ago. 

Very gentle with no fragrance, it does a good job to remove basic makeup. It was great for eye makeup but I can't vouch for waterproof mascara. I can't comment on tenacious eye liners either. It would seem that no eye liner wants to last all day on me. When I find my HG (Holy Grail) I'll be sure to post about it.

Back to RoC. Like with all micellar waters, my favorite use for it was as a morning cleanser. It gently removed oil and impurities accumulated at the surface of my skin during the night. Not as drying as Bioderma's offerings but slightly more oily than Nuxe and Caudalie.

Why did I not repurchase it? Quite simply because I found it boring! I enjoy a little fragrance and this has barely any. Still, for someone with delicate, sensitive skin, prone to allergies, RoC Micellar Cleansing Water Extreme Comfort might be a very good option.


Here's a little wink at my daughter.

Taken during a competition, I just love this picture.

Sorry! I just couldn't resist. :D

Micellar Waters, Cleansing Waters. What are they?

One of the most important steps in taking care of our skin is cleansing it. Sunscreen, makeup and dirt have to come off at night. How we like to do it is totally personal and the choice of products is made according to one's skin type. I have 4 different cleansers in my cabinet. Unscented baby oil, a creamy cleanser, a foaming cleanser and a cleansing water.

What are they?

These cleansers also known as Eau Micellaire or Micellar Water, have gained quite a following in the past few years. It seems that every cosmetic company out there is coming out with one and for good reason since they are very convenient. They are a mixture of water and extremely fine oil particles without emulsifier so they give the skin the freshness of water, paired with the efficacy of oil with no need to rinse off. 

Read on for reviews of the ones I've tried so far...........