Is Micellar Water Good For Removing Eye Makeup?

It can be tempting at the end of a long day or a night out to skip removing your makeup and head straight to bed. But you really need to take the time to take your makeup off because there can be some negative consequences if you don't. Never mind having to get makeup stains out of your pillowcases, sleeping with a full face on can cause skin problems, particularly when it comes to your eye makeup. The skin around your eyes is delicate, and that's nothing compared to your eyes themselves. Going to sleep without removing your mascara, eyeliner, and/or eyeshadow, can lead to potential infections or inflammation, like a stye, per The Healthy. And if you forego removing your mascara for too long, you can end up losing eyelashes. Yikes!

If you're wearing long-lasting or waterproof eye makeup, it will probably take more than just soap and water to get it all off. While there is a foolproof way to remove your eye makeup without pulling on your skin, which product should you use? As it turns out, the ever-versatile micellar water may be just what your eyes need.

Micellar water is a gentle and multipurpose product that can leave your face clean and moisturized. As dermatologist Alok Vij explained to Cleveland Clinic, "The name comes from a micelle, which is a collection of molecules. And it's called micellar water because there's such a mild concentration of soap or detergent molecules in the water that [it's] basically like little microscopic bubbles floating in water, so it doesn't even feel like a soapy solution — it just feels like water."

Micellar water doesn't contain any alcohol, which makes it particularly handy for anyone with sensitive skin. It's gentle enough to use around your eyes and it can be used to remove eye makeup without scrubbing. While scrubbing your eyes to get your makeup off may not seem like such a huge deal in the moment, over time, it can cause fine lines and premature aging. To avoid this, soak a cotton pad in micellar water and then place it over your eye for a few seconds to help the makeup loosen and wipe off more easily.

It's important to remember that not all eye makeup is the same. If you're using waterproof formulas, you're potentially going to need more than micellar water to effectively remove all of it. You'll want to use something that's specifically designed to be able to tackle the waxes and silicones that are in your waterproof mascara and eyeliner as compared to the water-based products of their non-waterproof counterparts.

Some micellar water formulas are able to tackle waterproof eye makeup, like Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Waterproof Makeup Remover. Look for a micellar water that says oil-infused or bi-phase on it. Bi-phase means the product has enough oil in it to be able to loosen and remove the eye makeup that's designed to stay put when exposed to water. If your micellar water doesn't have those descriptors, you will need a separate, oil-based makeup remover to really get your face clean.