After a long tiring day, gathering the energy to remove your makeup can sound like a herculean task. Especially when your cozy bed is calling your name, but taking the time to remove your makeup correctly can do wonders for your skin. Makeup gathers dirt, sweat, and debris throughout the day, and lasts for hours. With that said, simply washing your face with water or a cleanser not meant to remove makeup isn’t going to cleanse your skin adequately. Makeup removal needs to be its own step in your skincare routine, to give your other skincare products a clean slate to perform their magic overnight. Check out some of our favorite products below for removing makeup.

Micellar water

Micellar water is a do-it-all skincare product that removes makeup while hydrating, toning, and cleansing the skin. Plus, it works well for all skin types, including acne and acne-prone skin! It’s formulated using a combination of purified water, a hydrating ingredient like glycerin, and a blend of mild surfactants. These ingredients combine to form micelles, small, spherical molecules that act as emulsifiers to dissolve molecules like dirt and oil. Micellar water isn’t as great at removing heavy foundations or waterproof mascara, though. With heavier makeup or very oily skin, it’s best to follow the use of micellar water with a traditional cleanser. 

Double cleansing

Like the name says, double-cleansing is the practice of removing makeup and cleansing your face using two different cleansers, one right after the other. The first step to double cleansing is using an oil-based cleanser. We know it can sound terrifying to rub oil all over your face when you have oily, acne-prone skin, but since oils dissolve oils, these cleansers are ideal for oily skin! They’re also super gentle to prevent irritation and remove even the toughest waterproof makeup and foundation.

The second cleanser used is a more traditional foam or gel-based cleanser like the CLEANSE with Benefits AM/PM Cleanser that will dissolve the oil in water to lift off the makeup and debris. For a more detailed blog on double-cleansing, check out our old blog post here. 

Makeup removing wipes

Pre-moistened makeup wipes are an excellent option for when you’re traveling or on the go. They’re formulated to dissolve and remove even waterproof makeup. Still, they can be irritating for acne and acne-prone skin due to the rubbing and friction needed to remove makeup thoroughly. Also, as with using micellar water to remove makeup, it’s important to remember that makeup wipes will remove makeup. However, a cleanser is still needed afterward to cleanse the skin thoroughly.