micellar water: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

No, most brands market it as a no-rinse product. The micelles are designed to lift impurities onto the cotton pad. However, some people with very sensitive skin or those using certain formulations prefer to rinse.

While excellent at removing makeup, it is also marketed as a standalone facial cleanser, especially for sensitive skin or for use in the morning. It can cleanse dirt, oil, and pollution particles.

For many people with normal to dry skin, yes. For those with oily skin, wearing heavy makeup, or using water-resistant sunscreen, it may be used as a first cleansing step, followed by a traditional (second) cleanser for a deeper clean.

It comes from 'micelle', a term in chemistry for an aggregate of surfactant molecules dispersed in a liquid. In micellar water, these microscopic micelles have oil-loving (lipophilic) interiors that attract dirt and oil, and water-loving (hydrophilic) exteriors suspended in the water.

A facial cleanser consisting of water with added micelles—tiny clusters of oil molecules—that lift away dirt, oil, and makeup without rinsing.

Micellar water is usually consumer, cosmetic, everyday (within beauty/skincare contexts) in register.

Micellar water: in British English it is pronounced /maɪˌsɛlə ˈwɔːtə/, and in American English it is pronounced /maɪˌsɛlər ˈwɔːtər/ or /maɪˌsɛlər ˈwɑːtər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.