Oil-free micellar cleansing water

How make oil-free micellar cleansing water?

Finally, an oil-free make-up remover! Not that we don’t love vegetable oil – far from it: it can be a great make-up remover since it dissolves make-up, which is itself oil-based, and leaves our skin soft and moisturized. But with summer just around the corner, we’re looking for lighter, fresher products. Micellar cleansing water can be used to gently and efficiently remove all your makeup – without using a drop of oil! And it’s fast and easy to make!

An extra plus: no rinsing! The trick? The recipe includes a tiny amount of a gentle surfactant – decyl glucoside – which mixes easily with the hydrosol base. Just add some preservatives to make it safe for your eyes, and you’re done!

Ingredients

Use either the small or the large bottle depending on your daily needs. If you use (and remove) makeup every day, choose the larger size.

Tools

• 1 scale accurate to 0.1 g
• Bottle cosmo 60ml or blue bottle 120ml
• 70% alcohol in a spray bottle
• 1 ramekin
• Paper towels

Good to know!

• Since this product will be used close your eyes, we don’t recommend adding essential oils.
• Micellar cleansing water can generally be used without rinsing, but whether or not you choose to rinse will depend on your skin type and how your skin feels after applying the product.
• If you are used to using the scale and the recipe ingredients, you can make it in the bottle!
• Surfactants are molecules with affinities for both water AND oil: in other words, they’re both water-loving (hydrophilic) and oil-loving (lipophilic).

Steps to follow

Since the ingredient amounts are very small, you can add them directly to the final container. This way, none of the ingredients are lost during the measuring process – and you’ll have fewer dishes to do. Otherwise, you can use the traditional method with the 120 ml bottle. Both methods are described below.

“Straight to the container” method

1. Prepare and sterilize your equipment and workspace.
2. Place the container on the scale and “tare” it by setting the scale to zero.
3. Pour in the required amount of hydrosol.
4. “Tare” the scale again, and gently add the required amounts of each ingredient, except for the decyl glucoside.
5. Screw on the cap and gently shake the container, turning it upside-down several times.
6. Replace the container on the scale, and tare it again.
7. Screw on the cap and gently shake the container, turning it upside-down several times.
8. Label and use!

Traditional method

1. Prepare and sterilize your equipment and workspace.
2. Place the container on the scale and “tare” it by setting the scale to zero.
3. Pour in the required amount of hydrosol.
4. Weigh the grapefruit seed extract in a ramekin and add it to the container. Reuse the same ramekin to weight the glycerin, and add it as well.
5. Screw on the cap and gently shake the container, turning it upside-down several times.
6. Weigh and add the decyl glucoside to the container.
7. Screw on the cap and gently shake the container, turning it upside-down several times.
8. Label and use!

Use and storage

To use the product, pour a small amount on a cotton pad or reusable cleansing wipe and gently wipe your face, lips, and around your eyes. Repeat with a clean pad until no traces of make-up remain. Rinse if desired and moisturize.

The product’s shelf life depends on the conditions under which it is made and varies from 1 to 3 months. Keeping it in the fridge will extend its shelf life and add a soothing sensation of freshness when used.