When it comes to skincare for those of us who love makeup, one of the most important things to learn is the double cleanse. Starting a nightly routine with an oil-based face wash or micellar water helps remove makeup, sunscreen (which you should wear every day), dirt, and oil from the skin, and following up with a traditional cleanser gets deeper into the pores to not only remove sweat, dirt, oil, and impurities, but help the next steps of a skincare routine penetrate farther and work better.
There are a lot of micellar waters on the market today, but not all live up to the hype. When I wanted to try a new formula, I wanted something multipurpose that I don’t already have as a part of my routine. I am very pleased, then, that I tried out Drunk Elephant’s E-Rase Milki Micellar Water.
The Brand
Drunk Elephant is a pioneer of the clean beauty movement. Its creator, Tiffany Masterson, started the brand to correct her own seemingly never-ending skin concerns.
One of the biggest philosophies for Drunk Elephant’s formulations is the avoidance of the “Suspicious 6.” These six ingredients (essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrance/dyes, and sodium lauryl sulfate ([SLS]) are what Masterson believes are at the root of causing most people’s perpetual skin concerns, like irritation, acne, and dryness. When removed entirely from a routine, the skin can reset and return to its healthiest, most balanced state.
Drunk Elephant combines natural and synthetic ingredients with a focus on biocompatible skincare. This means the only additives included are ones that the skin can recognize, process, absorb, and benefit from.
The Product
Drunk Elephant’s E-Rase Milki Micellar Water uses a blend of skin-benefitting ingredients to nourish and hydrate while lifting away makeup and impurities. It has a pH of 5.0, is gentle enough to be used on delicate areas like the eyes and lips, and doesn’t even need to be rinsed off.
The micellar blend removes the emollients and dirt as the ceramides hydrate and soothe the skin while helping strengthen the skin’s barrier and prevent water loss. This vegan and cruelty-free formula also uses vitamin E, which absorbs quickly into the skin, and wild melon seed oil, which is rich in omega fatty acids, to soothe, hydrate, and protect the skin.
Every Drunk Elephant product uses virgin Marula oil, which absorbs quickly as well and helps give the face a healthy glow. This micellar water includes Baobab seed oil and passionfruit oil as well, which are more soothing and hydrating ingredients.
The Pros
There is a lot to love about this face wash.
First of all, it is a very gentle cleanser, which I always appreciate. I love the peace of mind I get knowing this formula will clean my skin without stripping away the acid mantle, irritating my eyes, or causing breakouts.
Unlike typical micellar waters, this formula isn’t “watery,” but actually has a thicker, creamier consistency. I prefer this because I always feel like I fly through micellar water too fast as it splashes out of the bottle.
As far as efficiency goes, it removes all my makeup, including lip stains and waterproof mascaras. You can’t do much better than that! You don’t even have to scrub; for anything more stubborn, just hold a cotton pad on it for a few extra seconds.
After I finish using this cleanser, it always leaves my skin feeling soft, clean, and refreshed.
Apart from using this micellar water as just a wash, the reason I got this one is because it’s multifunctional. If I make a mistake while applying makeup, using a cotton swab with a little E-Rase cleans it right up.
One of my favorite uses for this cleanser, however, comes from how it doesn’t need to be rinsed off. I’m often on the go, and using this after a long day before I have time to go home—or when I’m too lazy to do a full skincare routine—is wonderful, but I especially like using it before a workout.
After I work out, I always thoroughly wash up. I don’t want to do that both before and after a workout, so I like using E-Rase to remove my makeup and any dirt or pore buildup before I sweat. It helps me feel clean and refreshed while keeping my skin balanced and healthy.
I recommended E-Rase to my friend, and she loved it as well. She said oils and balms don’t usually work with her sensitive and acne-prone (her words) skin, but she likes how this one keeps her hydrated and even says her moisturizer works better after using this as the base. However, she says her skin is so sensitive she only uses it when she wears makeup, or every other day otherwise.
The Cons
I don’t have a lot to complain about when it comes to Drunk Elephant’s E-Rase Milki Micellar Water. After some trial and error, however, I do have some tips to make it work even better.
Drunk Elephant recommends putting E-Rase on a cotton pad and using that to wipe over your face. I don’t like using it that way.
When it comes to heavier makeup like waterproof mascara, yes, I absolutely still soak a cotton pad, hold it over the makeup for a few seconds, and use that to wipe it away. However, I find that cotton pads absorb too much of the micellar water, and I end up having to use either a lot of E-Rase or a lot of cotton pads. Instead, I like carefully using my hands to swipe a small amount over my whole face—or using a gentle silicone face scrubber to work it into my skin—before wiping it away with a cotton pad.
When I don’t double cleanse and wash my face after using a bit too much E-Rase, there sometimes can be a little residue left, but if I follow it up with a mild toner I don’t have any issues.
Last, I have heard some complaints about the way this cleanser smells. Personally, I don’t have any issues with the way cleansers smell (as opposed to a moisturizer or face mask) because it doesn’t stay on your skin long. However, this does have a slight Play-Doh-like smell.
The Conclusion
Overall, I love Drunk Elephant’s E-Rase Milki Micellar Water. It is more than just a makeup remover, and it’s something I like both at home, and in my gym bag for a pre and post-workout clean refresh.
For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com
