The popularity of micellar cleansing water continues to gain momentum among beauty enthusiasts.

First developed in France, micellar cleansing water was touted as a multifunctional product to quickly and effectively remove makeup, cleanse skin, and provide skin-loving vitamins.

Unlike your traditional facial cleansers, micellar cleansing waters don’t need to be rinsed off, and they don’t require water to activate the product. For these reasons, it’s no wonder that micellar cleansing waters are what busy people who are on-the-go reach for when traveling or when they want something easy that works.

I was really excited to try the new Simple Cleansing Micellar Water because it’s my first experience with any cleansing micellar water! I was very curious to see how well it would perform, especially because I wear foundation, eye makeup, and long-wearing lipstick on a typical day.

For two weeks, I’ve been testing out the Simple Cleansing Micellar Water, so I’ve had plenty of time to collect my thoughts to share with you.

When it comes to skincare, I’m not thrown off by packaging or bells and whistles. Like with people, it’s what’s inside that counts.

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Pictures

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Ingredients

Claims: TRUSTED

• Gentle & safe for sensitive skin (Yes)
• Cleanses skin (Yes)
• Removes makeup (Yes)
• Leaves skin feeling clean & hydrated (Yes)
• Non-comedogenic (Yes)
• Hypoallergenic (Yes)
• Safe for sensitive eyes (Yes)
• Doesn’t leave behind any residue (Yes)
• Won’t dry out skin (Yes)
• Doesn’t need to be rinsed off (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Simple Cleansing Micellar Water
• Amount: 198 mL (6.70 oz)
• Retail Price: Around $9 to $10 CAD (I paid nothing, as this was provided by PR.)
• Where to Buy: Drugstores (like Shoppers Drug Mart), select grocery stores & Well.ca

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Review

How It Smells

The way a skincare product smells can be a deal breaker for me, as I have sensitive skin and also a sensitive nose! (A lot of fragrances give me a headache, plus when something smells too strongly, it can also irritate my skin.)

Like all the Simple skincare products that I’ve tried, the micellar cleansing water is no different because it has a mild scent that’s not offensive. It also doesn’t contain any artificial perfume or dyes.

The scent is tricky to describe because it’s so mild, but I can best describe it as being similar to the scent of a clover flower.

When I used the Simple micellar cleansing water for the first time, something about the smell was very nostalgic for me. I was instantly taken back to when I was a kid in elementary school. There were clover flowers in the yard, and at recess, sometimes my friends and I would pick them. They had the exact same mildly sweet scent as this cleansing water!

I checked the ingredients, which you can see in a photo above, and there’s flower extract, although it comes from the Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) flower, which is sometimes referred to as wild chamomile.

How to Use It

According to the back of the bottle, to achieve the best results from the micellar cleansing water from Simple, you should follow these three steps:

1. Apply a generous amount to a cotton pad.
2. Wipe the cotton pad all around the face. (No need to rub the skin.)
3. Gently wipe around closed eyes. Avoid getting into your eyes. (No need to rinse after.)

Cleansing Efficacy

Following their instructions precisely, I found that I was able to quickly remove my makeup. However, soaking one cotton pad (I use the cottons squares by Shiseido or Quo) wasn’t enough to remove all my makeup. On average, I needed to soak at least three to get every stitch of makeup off.

This isn’t a big deal to me considering how when I use a cleansing wipe, I have to use the front and back of it to get everything off. (Factor in how the square cotton pad I used is way smaller, and it makes sense.)

I was most curious to test it on my long-wearing foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear) because wimpy facial cleansers don’t stand a chance, and I don’t like scrubbing my face hard because my skin is sensitive.

To my delight, the Simple micellar cleansing water took off my foundation easily and without excessive rubbing!

The next challenge for the cleansing micellar water was my waterproof mascara. (When I was in university, I wore mascara daily. Then, for many years after, I stopped. It was only in late 2014 that I started wearing mascara again, and these days, my go-to one that doesn’t irritate my eyes is the L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara.)

I placed the cotton pad soaked with the cleansing water over my closed eye and let it sit for a few seconds before moving the pad. I needed to swipe my lashes several times, but I was able to get all of my waterproof mascara off. Also, my eyeliner came off easily.

The final big challenge for the cleanser was seeing if it could take off the MAC RiRi Woo Lipstick, which has a Retro Matte finish that really lasts all day despite eating and drinking. (As much as I loved my MAC Heroine Lipstick, RiRi Woo has now taken its spot in my heart for my all-time favourite lipstick!)

Once again, the cleansing water by Simple removed the lipstick like it “ain’t no thang”.

Needless to say, I’m very impressed with the Simple Cleansing Micellar Water!

How Does It Make Your Skin Feel?

It made my skin feel refreshed, clean, and slightly hydrated immediately after cleansing. There was no nasty, uncomfortable residue left behind.

Normally after I cleanse my face, I follow-up with a moisturizer, but I wanted to see how my skin felt an hour or more after using the cleanser. (Typically by this point, with any other cleanser, my face would feel a bit tight. I have combination skin that tends to get oilier in the summer and dryer in the winter. But even when it’s oilier, it can get that tight feeling after cleansing.)

I was surprised that even after an hour or so of just using the cleansing water and nothing afterwards, my face felt comfortable and supple! (It’s not to say that you should skip your moisturizer in your regular routine. It’s very important! I just did this during the testing period for the sake of this review.)

Since it has a refreshing feeling, I prefer to use the cleansing water at night before I’m getting ready to go to bed.

I can also see how this Simple skincare cleansing water will be fantastic to use as a pick-me-up in the summer on those hot, humid days when you don’t wear makeup and want to feel fresh.

(When my mom came over on the weekend, I let her try it, and I didn’t tell her any background information or my thoughts on it. The first thing she said was that it would be really good in the summer, especially. Haha, so it looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m indeed like my mom!)

Gentleness

My skin has a mind of its own, and the smallest thing can irritate it. (If my skin were a person, it would be short-tempered, that’s for sure.) So I’m very careful about what I use (and don’t use). I’m happy to report that the Simple Cleansing Micellar Water has found its way into my regular skincare routine. It feels very gentle and hasn’t agitated my skin, yet it removes makeup like stronger removers on the market that I’ve tried.

This micellar cleansing water is non-comedogenic (i.e. won’t clog pores), and it’s hypoallergenic (although anyone can be allergic to anything, so it’s not a general sweeping statement). It’s also ophthalmologist-tested, so it’s safe for sensitive eyes and if you wear contacts. (Just make sure you don’t purposely put it IN your eyes.)

No, I haven’t ditched using my regular Shiseido cleanser because I love it too much. I first use the Simple micellar cleansing water to remove my makeup, and then I follow-up with my Shiseido cleanser. Afterwards, I apply my night serum and moisturizer.

Price

Considering that I tend to use Shiseido skincare that is way more pricey, I’m very happy to incorporate this Simple Cleansing Micellar Water into my routine because it’s only $9 to $10 CAD. (Keep in mind, though, that because you’ll need to soak several pads to clean your entire face if you wear makeup, you will go through a bottle fast. To me, it’s still worth it.)

Animal-Friendliness

The cleansing water doesn’t contain any ingredients that are derived from animals, so it’s a good choice if you’re making conscious shopping decisions.

Pros Gentle Safe for sensitive eyes & sensitive skin Ophthalmologist-tested Non-comedogenic Hypoallergenic No rinsing required Feels refreshing & hydrating No residue left behind Great for travel (Doesn’t need water to activate the product) Affordable Easily available at drugstores, select grocery stores & online Removes makeup well (even my Estee Lauder Double Wear & waterproof L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara) No artificial perfume or dyes No animal-derived ingredients

Cons You need to soak several cotton pads to thoroughly clean your face & to get off every trace of makeup (This means you’ll go through the bottle fast.)

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

For my first venture into the micellar cleansing water world, I’m convinced! It lived up to all the hefty claims, and after this bottle is finished, I’m going to buy a replacement.

Have you tried any micellar cleansing waters? (If so, do you have a favourite?) Which Simple skincare products do you currently use? What is one skincare item that you consider to be a must-have?