Our one-of-a-kind cleanser is your sustainable answer to single-use makeup wipes! And despite looking like just water, Refresh Cleanser is one of the hardest products I’ve had to formulate. Why?
Refresh Cleanser is a micellar cleanser, meaning that there are teeny tiny droplets of oil (in our case, hemisqualane) surrounded by water. These are called ‘micelles’ and while they’re easy to stabilize using synthetic solubilizers (like Polysorbate 20), there are very few renewable solubilizers that can do the same thing. I worked on this formula for quite a while - testing different oils, different solubilizers, and different ratios of solubilizer to oil.
WHEW! When I finally got it down, I was so happy! I think this cleanser’s pretty revolutionary. Not only do you avoid water use (which is great for the environment but also for us lazy gals), you also avoid throwing away face wipes constantly. Just grab some reusable cotton pads and you’re good to go.
Common Questions
Why should I use a micellar cleanser?
Micellar cleansers have the best of both worlds. Because of the tiny oil droplets, micellar cleansers can dissolve makeup and other oily particles (remember sophomore chemistry - ‘like dissolves like’). But because it’s mostly water, a micellar cleanser doesn’t leave a greasy feel like a straight oil cleanser. Plus you have the sustainability benefits like reduced water use and packaging waste!
What are the ingredients in Refresh Cleanser?
Water is the solvent, and hemisqualane is the oil that forms the micelle. Hemisqualane is a really cool ingredient sourced from a novel fermentation process. It’s super lightweight and dissolves makeup well. Decyl glucoside is a naturally-derived surfactant used to solubilize the hemisqualane. Pentylene glycol, sodium gluconate, and lactobacillus ferment have hydrating and anti-microbial benefits.
How do I use Refresh Cleanser?
You’ll get the best results with a reusable cotton pad, but you can also try with a washcloth. Hold the cotton pad over the opening and tip the bottle and pad upside down for 3-5 seconds to hydrate the cotton pad. Then use to cleanse face and eyes. On an extra heavy makeup day, you may want to use both sides of the cotton pad. If you feel a residue (often a little makeup or dirt that’s been displaced from the skin but not washed off), you can do a quick splash with water.