Okay. after much prodding, I finally tried micellar cleansing water.

It has been hyped as the best thing since mangoes came into the hands of man!
 I wasn't buying into it though....I kind of think the beauty industry is like a hyperactive child....it gets bored easily and looks for any and everything to occupy its time.
One day, cleansers are the holy grail....the next day is don't cleanse at all.....and then it's oil cleansing....later it's water alone cleansing....
It's really difficult (and expensive) to keep track of the dos and don'ts of the beauty industry.

Like anything that has to do with my skin, I decided to mute all the  "overhyping voices'' and ask myself if 'micellar water' will be of any benefit to my skin.
Of course I did like anybody with a smart phone and consulted "gugu'.....




I really love this blog "TheBeautyBrains" and here's what they have to say about micellar water

Micellar water typically contain the following:

• Water
• A Glycol (eg Hexylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol) – acting both as a humectant and hydotrope (improves solubulity of the the makeup in the surfactant)
• Solubiliser (eg Polysorbate 20) – the surfactant that does the cleansing
• Preservative
• Fairy Dust (this one made me chuckle)

They use non-ionic surfactants which are very low foaming. So they’re kind of like cleansers that don’t feel like traditional cleansers. Non-ionic materials also tend to be milder than their anionic cousins which include SLS, SLES, etc. So perhaps the “hook” for these products is that they look and act more like water than a traditional high-foaming cleanser.
 Bottom line according to them was:

If you’re looking for a mild, low-foam face wash, micellar water may be just the thing for you.

.....and indeed I was given my sensitive oily skin. I finally parted ways with my money to buy Orico London Orange Micellar Cleansing Water and Makeup Remover.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE

Apply with a cotton pad to face, morning and night to remove makeup and cleanse skin. No need to rinse off. Inhale the aromatherapy for a zesty boost.


MY REVIEW
The first thing that drew me to this product was the ingredients list. I'm currently interested in using more natural, gentle products for my skin.


 The first thing I liked about this about this product was the mild citrus scent. It wasn't overpowering at all! I was a bit scared of the citrus essential oils given their tendency to be phototoxic but I've used it consistently for 3 months now without any sensitivities to the sun.

I used this product mostly at night to get rid of my makeup.
The product claims to be kind of a one step cleanser which means you don't have to wash your face before or after using the product and it is effective enough to get rid of the grime completely. I put this to the test by cleaning off my makeup with just this cleanser and going to bed for a week.
It cleans with a slight foam and is very effective in getting rid of my waterproof mascara and is as good as Clinique Rinse Off Eye makeup solvent which is what I was using for my face.... for half the price!

I also liked the feeling that I was not only just removing my makeup at night but treating and moisturising my skin at the same time. For the one week I used only the cleanser, I didn't have a single breakout. In fact, the one painful spot I had prior to using this product calmed down by morning. It was still raised but not throbbing. By the second day, it had completely disappeared without any spot.
Subsequently, I've been using this micellar cleanser after I have washed my face because of the calming and moisturising effect it had on my skin. IT.IS.REAL.

So,

• it is a good makeup cleanser
• it is gentle and suitable for sensitive skin from my experience
• it is moisturising
• it calms inflammation from my experience with that painful spot
• it can be used as your only cleanser...though I think you'd enjoy it best on a reasonably clean face or if you don't use a lot of makeup.

Any downside?

With traditional wash off cleansers, I'll be using a lot of water.
With micellar cleansers, I'll be using a lot of cotton pads.

We can't have it all, can we?

Will I repurchase? 

I'm really happy I bought this product and I'm already making plans to repurchase before it runs out. I have less than 1 oz left.

So, how much and where can I get this in Nigeria?