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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Review: Yes to Cotton Comforting Micellar Cleansing Water


So you know I have a thing for micellar waters. To date I have reviewed for you the Simple Micellar Water, Yves Rocher Micellar Water, and the Garnier Micellar Water (which is my current favorite). For the last month, I have been testing out this new Yes to Cotton Micellar Water and today I'd love to share my thoughts with you!

Yes to Cotton Comforting Micellar Cleansing Water
(retail: around $8.99, 8 oz.)

I purchased this about a month ago when I first spotted it on the Ulta website, but I'm pretty sure you can find it in-store at all of the usual retailers now. The first thing I noticed about this product was the pump:



As you can see, there's a flip top lid, which then reveals the same pump style dispenser that you see on various nail polish removers these days. It's the kind of dispenser that allows you to hold your cotton pad directly onto the flat surface of the pump, and then you push down and the product is dispensed directly onto your cotton pad.

When I first saw this pump, I thought, "How genius!" But sadly, it was a little lackluster for me when I actually used it. I find that unless you press very slowly, the micellar water tends to spurt all over the place and it drips down the bottle, onto your hands, and everywhere else around the bottle. In fact, you can see where the water stained the label on top of the lid in my pic above. Every time I use this product, I have to remind myself to pump slowly, and for some reason I always forget, and I have a minor mess on my hands. Not a big deal, but I think it's worth noting. If you don't like the dispenser, you can always just unscrew the lid and pour it directly onto your cotton pad.

So on to the actual product:

Assembled in USA of U.S. and foreign components

It was difficult for me to photograph the directions and ingredients, so here they are from the Ulta site:

Say Yes to waterless cleansing, toning and moisturizing in one easy step with Yes To Cotton Comforting Micellar Cleansing Water! No rinsing required. The Cotton Micellar Cleansing Water draws out impurities without over drying skin. Specially formulated for ultra-sensitive and allergy-prone skin with cotton extract and cottonseed oil to help soften dehydrated and irritated skin. The unique, easy-to-use pump dispenses the perfect amount each time, mess free.

Benefits:
  • 99% natural ingredients
  • Formulated without Parabens, SLS and Silicones
  • Leaping Bunny Certified
  • Key Ingredient:
  • Cotton Extract nourishes, conditions and protects ultra-sensitive skin. Cottonseed Oil is a protective and skin softening oil. Keep calm, cotton on!

HOW TO USE: Twist to unlock pump. Take a cotton ball or pad and push down on the pump (twice should do it!) for just the right amount of micellar water. Gently swipe across face and repeat as necessary, no need to rinse. Yes to a pure and simple cleansing routine.

INGREDIENTS: Water (Aqua), Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate, Polyglyceryl-4 Capylate/Caprate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Hexylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Niacinamide, Disodium EDTA, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum).


It should be noted here that this is not a fragrance-free formula, although "Fragrance" is the last item in the list of ingredients. In my opinion, the fragrance of this product is VERY light. The scent actually reminds me of Bath & Body Works Cotton Blossom but again, it's very, very light. I hardly notice it during application.

So how has this product been working for me? Well, I have mixed feelings. I have tried this product in a number of ways. I have used it to remove a full face of makeup (including sunscreen, longwear foundation, and waterproof eyeliner), and I wasn't too impressed. With a full face of makeup, I found that I needed a lot of product and I went through about four full-size paper towels during removal. (Side note: I like to use soft paper towels, like Viva, with my micellar waters since I find that they're very absorbent and they "hold" a lot of product. They also allow me to conserve my cotton pads for just the eye area. I use paper towels for my face makeup and then use cotton pads for my delicate eye area). In the end, I was able to remove all of my face makeup with this micellar water, but I used more product than when I use the Garnier micellar water for the same task.

In particular, I find that I need multiple applications to remove my mascara. With micellar water, I like to gently hold a cotton pad to my closed eye and let the product do the work. After a minute or so, I find that the micellar water loosens up my mascara so it's easier to gently glide the cotton pad across my eye area. With the Yes To product, I get a lot of mascara on my cotton pad during that first swipe, but then there's a lot of mascara remaining. So I usually have to use five cotton pads per eye to remove all of my eye makeup. I find that the Yes To does a good job loosening up my mascara, but it doesn't seem to want to lift my mascara off my lashes. And I don't wear waterproof mascara--only washable formulas. So I can't comment on how this may work with waterproof formulas.

I have also tried using this micellar water in other ways. For example, I have used it to help remove the last traces of lingering makeup that I feel may still be on my face after using a traditional cleanser at the sink. In that capacity, I have no complaints. It's pretty much on par with the Simple and Garnier micellar waters.

I have also used the Yes To micellar water to help correct makeup mistakes and again, it works fine in that capacity. No complaints at all. In fact, I think I might like this product more than the Garnier in this capacity, because the Yes To doesn't leave the temporary oily film on my skin that I  get with the Garnier. So using the Yes To to correct mascara mistakes is great. I can dip my Q-tip into the bottle and go right to my upper or lower lid and swipe away my mascara blunders, and within a second or two I'm ready to go back to makeup application. No oily residue.

Speaking of no oily residue, I want to be sure you know that the Yes To micellar water does not leave any lingering film on my face. I know that's an issue for some of you when it comes to the Garnier micellar water (which is a bi-phase product that needs to be shaken first. And yes, it does leave an oily residue on my face after application, but as I stated in my original review of the Garnier, that residue fades away within minutes for me). With the Yes To, I find that my face feels quite clean immediately after use, with no residue at all. My skin doesn't feel dry, tight, oily or sticky after use. That's a definitely plus for the Yes To and probably my favorite thing about it.

But on the negative side, I do find that this product stings my eyes a bit when I get it too close to my eye area. It's not a severe sting--it's mildly unpleasant. I'm guessing this has to do with the witch hazel and fragrance in this product, but I'm not sure. At any rate, that's a disappointment for me since I love using micellar waters all over my eye area, and I don't have this issue when I get the Simple or Garnier micellar waters in, or too close to, my eyes.

FINAL VERDICT: After about a month of testing this product, I find that the best ways for me to use it are to correct makeup mistakes, and to remove any lingering traces of makeup on my face after traditional cleansing at the sink. For me, it just didn't cut it for removing a full face of makeup or for removing eye makeup. I found that I needed to use more product than I do when I use other micellar waters, and the mild stinging in my eye area was something new to me, since I don't get any stinging with the Simple or Garnier micellar waters. But if you're looking for a micellar water to use for correcting mistakes or as a final step after traditional cleansing to remove traces of makeup around the hairline, jaw, and neck, I think this may be worth considering. Especially if you prefer a micellar water that doesn't leave any residue behind. I'm very happy with how my skin feels after I use this product--it feels quite clean and fresh with no residue at all.

Have you tried the new Yes To Cotton Micellar Water? If so, I would absolutely love to hear how it's working for you. Do you agree with my assessment? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.
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32 comments

  1. Thank you for the review! I cannot stop buying micellar water 😂 I picked both this and the Formula 10.0.6 one up at Ulta awhile ago and then put them back. I still have several bottles of Simple and 2 bottles of Femme Couture left that I've stocked up on with sales and coupons so I'm glad I skipped this one.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hey Jen! So nice to hear from you again! And you're so welcome. :)

      Lol, it sounds like you are set when it comes to micellar waters for a while! 😉

      Delete
  2. Yay!!! A product review from you! I've missed them!

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm trying to get back into the swing of things after the crazy holiday season, and I have a ton of other reviews that I'm working on! :)

      Delete
  3. My pump stopped working. They always malfunction around me. The Wet n Wild Micellar water was the same problem.

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    Replies
    1. Aaah,that's a bummer! How do you like the WnW?

      Delete
  4. G have you tried the new garnier micellar water for oily skin? It has a green top and is supposed to be mattifying.

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    1. I had it in my hand a few weeks ago at CVS but I put it back because I still had this one to finish testing, and a full bottle of the blue Garnier at home. But I WILL try it (and review) eventually. :)

      Delete
  5. I think L'Oreal has a new one too but I haven't tried it yet, still using up that huge blue bottle of Garnier I bought many months ago! It works well for my combo/dry skin and waterproof mascara so I won't be trying this one if it takes that much to remove non-wp mascara. Thanks for the thorough review, as always! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so welcome!

      Yep, L'Oreal has a few new ones! I'm looking forward to trying since I hear they're on the level as Garnier (not surprising since Garnier is owned by L'Oreal).:)

      Delete
  6. Another great way to use Micellar Water is to use it in the morning in place of washing your face. Washing your face too much can strip the skin. This sounds like it would be great for that!

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    1. Yes! I think it would be perfect for that!

      Thank you for bringing that up. I always forget about that use since I'm a morning shower person and I have a specific cleanser I like to use in the shower. But if you're a night shower person, or don't wash your face in your morning shower, micellar waters are great! :)

      Delete
    2. I was just about to comment this also. That is actually the only way I like to use Micellar Water.

      Delete
    3. Ooh thanks for the tip. I'll have to try it and see how it goes.

      Delete
  7. To me Micellar waters seem to take too much effort. I like to just wash my face and go. So I will stick to my cleansing oils. I do love reading your reviews G! Thanks for your effort!!! Xo

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, R.!

      And I totally get that--I'm a one and done kinda gal myself! So I reserve mine for when I'm lazy/super tired at night, or to help remove lingering residue after cleansing at the sink (usually on heavy makeup days) or to fix mascara mistakes. ;)

      Delete
  8. Hi G! I really like the Garnier water proof one but recently have been using their newest one for sensitive oily skin for about a week now and I really like! Haven't tried that for water proof mascara yet though so cant say how well it takes it off but after using my face is definitely less oily i definitely notice a difference. and feels just as soft as when using the waterproof blue top kind as well but no oily left over feeling as you mentioned from using the water proof kind. But I have to admit I am a sucker for pretty packaging and I love the blue colors of this YES To one haha but not quite sure if I'll try it seeing as I really have been loving the newest kind by Garnier :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Lol I'm a sucker for pretty packaging too. ;)

      So the one you're talking about, that's the Garnier with the green cap? If so, I almost bought it a few weeks ago, and now I'm even more excited to try it!

      Delete
  9. I use the regular Garnier (pink label) and don't have to shake it, or notice an oily residue. Are you using the waterproof Garnier (blue) one?

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    1. Aaah, yes. Sorry for the confusion! I linked to my review at the top of the post but forgot to call it out specifically down below. It's the one with the blue cap. :)

      Delete
  10. Thanks for the review, I probably will pass on this one, as I mostly use micellar water for eye makeup removal and as you stated this seems to be lackluster in that dept. I'm totally LOVING the loreal micellar water in the pink bottle at the moment. It really does a great job of removing eye makeup. Have you tried that one yet. I recommend getting it at walmart, that's the cheapest I've seen it.

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    Replies
    1. You're so welcome! And yeah, if you mainly use micellar water for eye makeup removal, I'm not sure this one will be a great fit. I really had to keep going over and over that area more times than with my Garnier before all of my mascara was gone. :(

      Thanks for the tip about the L'Oreal! I can't wait to try it. I've heard it's similar to the Garnier (Garnier is owned by L'Oreal). Have you tried the Garnier?

      Delete
  11. Thanks so much for your review! I was intrigued by this product but I've also had a really bad reaction to quite a few Yes To products (especially the "sensitive skin" line, go figure) so I was hesitant. I think I'm going to pass on this one since it sounds like there are others that do a little better getting the job done. Your review was so helpful. I've got the Garnier on my list for as soon as I use up the odds and ends that I have from other brands!

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  12. :) yup the green cap. I have the blue one also which is great too but I've been reaching more so for the green one it just makes my skin feel really clean and less shiny. I use it in the morning before I do my face and also before bedtime it's great. Hopefully you will get to give it a try :) love your reviews and updates. You are my go to for everything beauty related :) you're the best G!

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  13. Thanks for the review! I bought this from Ulta but haven't tried it yet. Since I like this for eye makeup removal when my cleansing oil stings my eyes, I think I'll return it. The Garnier sounds nice!

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  14. Love the review - I too am addicted to Micellar Water! Not sure if you have tried the Sephora Collection line yet - they are fairly new, but have a few cleansing milk Micellar Waters.. They are around $7.50 I believe and I have tried a couple and LOVE them. The rose is amazing and hydrating and the charcoal has tightened my pores like nothing I have ever used. Hopefully they make a larger bottle in the future. :)

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  15. I'm glad to see a review again. I've missed those. I've still only tried the Garnier ones (the first two they released, not the mattifying one) and this isn't compelling me to stray.

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  16. Thank you for the thorough review! So many drugstore micellar water products lately. I'm still trying to finish one. I'm more used to washing my face with a cleanser though.

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  17. The Garnier is my favorite micellar water also.I like the waterproof best.I just recently tried a new one the L'Oréal for oily skin and I use it on a cotton pad in the morning.

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  18. Aww, I love that pump style, so I had high hopes for this product, but that's too bad that it doesn't deliver the removal goods. :( Thank you for the review!

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  19. I bought the wipes version of the product. I had high hope because it's supposed to be for sensitive skin like mine. Unfortunately my skin started to burn right away. I had to rinse with cold water a few times to get rid of the sting. Bummed. Probably won't try anything new for a while. The scent was pleasant and the cloths were soft but it's just not for me.

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  20. Would love for you to try bioderma answer give a review. I live in a very rural location, and must shop online for most things. I hate payng first shipping and finding out they aren't any good.

    ReplyDelete

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