Cerave Hydrating Micellar Water Review and Thoughts

CeraVe Hydrating Micellar Water Ultra Gentle Cleanser ($12.99) is a new cleansing water that is being added to the brand’s permanent collection this Spring and I quickly snatched it up because it contains ceramides and ceramides are excellent for my dry skin.

I’m not a huge micellar water user in all honesty and I typically rely on them for use after cleansing my face just to swipe off anything my regular double cleanse might have left behind. I actually loved doing this with It Cosmetics Miracle Water 3-in-1 Glow Tonic as it not only got the last residue of makeup off my face but also, it made my skin softer and brighter. However, I recently read you shouldn’t leave cleanse on your face even mild cleansing agents like micellar water. I thought that was incredibly interesting because micellar water is marketed as the quick, easy way to get off your makeup without stripping your skin.

None the less this isn’t a major problem for me because I don’t use them often enough to care. And I already ran through my It Cosmetics Miracle Water and haven’t bothered picking up a second bottle after reading that article. Shrug. Oh well.

But I digress, let’s get down to the CeraVe Hydrating Micellar Water review.

CeraVe Hydrating Micellar Water arrives in a generous 12 oz bottle that will set you back $10 to $12 bucks which means Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water still wings the beauty budget award at 13.5 oz for $6 to $8. It’s bigger, it’s cheaper, and it’s much nicer on your eyes than Cerave’s formula.

I don’t think CeraVe’s formula offers anything unique or special compared to other micellar waters I’ve tried. Ceramides are very, very low on the list so, I wouldn’t even say this brings major hydration to your beauty world. It does contain Sodium Hyaluronate but again this isn’t exactly one of the first ingredients on the list so, I’m not sure I’d say it’s benefiting me in anyway when I used this formula. I didn’t feel like my skin felt softer or smoother or even well hydrated. On that note I will say that it does contain Propanediol which means any beneficial ingredients that are in this formula will absorb a lot more easier so maybe, given time, my skin might experience more moisture retention. I’ve used it a near month now and I can’t really say that I’m noticing any major changes.

On that note, I will say that I don’t really expect major game changing visible changes to my skin after using micellar water. It’s meant to remove makeup plain and simple however, this disappoints in that aspect.

Why?

I wouldn’t say this is the best micellar water I ever used as I did have some residue of makeup it left behind after I cleansed with it (I tested this theory by allowing my face to dry after using it and swiping again with my Garnier Micellar Water and noticing my cotton pad had some foundation and blush smudges on it). It didn’t leave me sticky nor tacky which was great but the biggest offense would be the fact it is hell on eyes. If you don’t use it near your eyes you should be ok. There are no warnings about using it near your eyes but this stings horribly. It’s very, very painful and I felt compelled to rinse my eyes out with water after using it because I couldn’t open my eyes without feeling a horrible sting and burn. I’m not sure what exactly it is that causes the issue. Perhaps the niacinamide?? Whatever the case may be I highly recommend avoiding the eye area when using this.

CeraVe is a great brand with many solid products however, this new Hydrating Micellar Water is a big miss for me. I didn’t feel the formula worked that well at removing makeup not to mention the irritation and stinging it causes when used on my eyes.

Thanks but no thanks. There are far cheaper and more effective micellar waters available at the drugstore.

CeraVe Hydrating Micellar Water is available now at ulta.com and drugstores.

Anyone try it?

Do share!