The Fastest Way to Remove Your Makeup

Still, we understand fully that spending prolonged periods of time wiping away every last trace of bronzer and blush is a doozy. Here at Skincare.com, we’re big advocates of streamlining our skin care routines. Which is why we’re here to tell you that cleansing your skin and removing your makeup doesn’t have to take longer than it does to perfect your contour in the first place. There are ways to be thorough without spending a big chunk of time in front of the mirror with a washcloth. (Less time removing makeup = more time to snooze. We did the math.) Curious to know the easiest (and best, in our humble opinion) way to remove your makeup in a jiffy? Keep reading!

MEET: MICELLAR WATER

By now, you’ve likely heard of micellar water. Perhaps you already use it to remove your makeup (high five!) or have heard your friends sing its high praises. Micellar water has been a longtime go-to French beauty product and has in recent times earned its due fanfare Stateside. We can’t rave enough about the gentle, yet effective, cleansing technology. Here’s how it works: Micellar waters utilize micelle technology— small, round cleaning molecules suspended in water that work together to attract and gently remove dirt, excess oil, makeup, and other impurities from the surface of the skin. So gentle, in fact, all skin types—even sensitive!—can use most formulas. Plus, micellar water is safe to use on all the nooks and crannies of your complexion, from your eye contour to the ridges on your lips! No harsh rubbing and tugging necessary.

So, what does this all mean for your precious time? Well, unlike traditional cleansers, micellar waters work autonomously, requiring no additional water to cleanse the skin of grime. That means—for all intents and purposes—you can cleanse your skin with micellar water anywhere, even atop your bed, so long as you have a cotton pad handy. It’s also a great cleanser to carry around when you’re on the go and don’t have immediate access to a sink. What’s more, micellar water is a known multi-tasker, able to cleanse skin AND remove makeup in one fell swoop. Instead of spending time wiping away your makeup and then following up with a traditional cleanser to clear dirt and grime, you can tackle these steps all in one. Some micellar water formulas even go so far as toning your skin, which cuts out another step in your evening routine.

To use micellar water, simply soak a cotton ball or pad with the liquid and sweep it across all facial zones using gentle, circular motions. If you’re wearing heavy makeup that day, you might want to repeat the process once or twice more. For eye makeup, follow the same steps but hold the soaked cotton ball or pad over the eye area for a few moments before sweeping. That’s literally all you have to do. Soak, sweep, toss. The ritual should take you way less than five minutes from start to finish, so you can get on to other things on your to-do list…you know, like sleeping in till noon.