Does Micellar Water Expire?

How do you remove your makeup? Most people simply wash their face with a cleanser and water. Others may choose to use micellar water .

Micellar water is great, you don’t even need to rinse it off. Many people love it so much that they purchased it in bulk, especially when it’s on sale.

What if you don’t use it often? What if you forgot about it because of the multiple products you have in your vanity? 

Does micellar water expire? Unfortunately, it does in about 6 month’s time. However, some brands and formulations may last longer, while others a lot less. 

That’s why you need to know how to tell if your micellar water is already expired. We’ll also help you with that below.

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What Is Micellar Water?

Before we talk about the expiration of micellar water, let us first get to know what it is and what it is made of. In that way, we’ll better understand why it expires.

Additionally, that can also help us differentiate a fresh Micellar water from an expired one. 

Micellar water is a skincare product that helps remove dirt, oil, and makeup on the skin. It does that by attracting those particles and impurities. The most popular brand is likely Bioderma's Micellar Water .

Best of all, it does that without drying up your skin. 

It effectively cleanses your skin due to the micelles. These are tiny cleansing oil molecules. They are suspended in soft water, which makes up most of the formula.

That’s why micellar water looks just like water. However, upon touching it between your fingers, you’d be able to feel a different texture. That’s due to the cleansing agents, moisturizers and mild surfactants included. 

Do take note that some micellar water may not be enough to remove heavy makeup or waterproof mascara on its own. However, there are some variants  that are specifically formulated for waterproof makeup. 

Additionally, there are even more variants available for different skin conditions like those for dry skin, oily skin , sensitive skin , or dull skin .

Their ingredients may differ for the additional benefits, but they are still mostly made of water.

Also, most of the micellar water available in the market is fragrance-free. However, there may be some with a mild scent added, which of course will involve other ingredients 

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When Does Micellar Water Expire?

Micellar water does expire, just like any other cleansing product. Once you’ve opened your bottle of micellar water, you have about 6 months to use it all up. 

Some may get away with using a bottle for up to a year, but that’s the most you should push it.

And that could be risky already!

Although micellar water contains ingredients that are meant to keep it fresh and still viable for use, those ingredients could eventually deteriorate. 

Additionally, other ingredients may also deteriorate with time. That could lead to an ineffective product. In the worst-case scenario, those deteriorated ingredients may lead to irritation of your skin and clogged pores.

If you want to risk using micellar water that’s over 6 months old, do a patch test first. Use the micellar water on a small area on your face so you can check if you’ll get a bad reaction and to make sure it is still effective.

If the product is sealed, it is usually still good to use for 2 years from the date of manufacturing. Sometimes, it could be confusing to figure out that date… different brands may have different ways of marking it, or they may not mark it at all.

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Is My Micellar Water Expired?

The best thing to do whenever you open any cosmetic or skincare product is to label it with the date you’ve opened it. By doing that, you can figure out if you need to throw it out, or if you can still use it. 

However, not all of us do that. In fact, most of us do not! We’re guilty, too, and often forget to note the date of opening. 

Sometimes, you simply forget when you’ve opened it. Other times, your estimate is just way off. So how do you make sure that your micellar water is still good to use?

Well, first of all, if you are already in doubt about your micellar water, then it is best to throw it out instead of risking your skin. You might need to use the alternatives until you get yourself a fresh bottle. 

If you think that the micellar water you have is still within the 6-month period, you should still check it. Use your senses to help you determine if it is already expired.

Take a closer look at your micellar water. Is it still clear like water or just like the first time you opened it? Cloudiness, change in color, or precipitation may be signs that it is expired. 

Next is to try to smell it. Usually, it doesn’t have any scent, but there may be some with a mild fragrance.

Nevertheless, check if there is a change in the scent. 

Then, you should also try to feel the product. Feel the texture in between your hands. If it feels different, then don’t use it anymore. 

Don’t try to taste micellar water. Although small amounts won’t poison you, there are substances in it that will be irritating to the soft tissues. 

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Conclusion

Micellar water is a great product that can help you cleanse your face without the need to rinse it off. Many consider it as a holy grail product, and many horde it when it’s on sale in bulk.

That isn’t a great idea, because micellar water expires 6 months after you’ve opened the bottle. If it is still sealed, you have 2 years from the manufacturing date to use it up. 

Aside from that time frame, you should also consider the condition of the product. Take note of how the product looks, smells, and feels when you first opened it vs to when you’re just about to use it. 

If in doubt, it is best to just throw it out than risk having irritated skin due to expired products. 

See also:

• Does Micellar Water Act as a Toner?
• Micellar Water Vs Toner. What’s the Difference?