1 Woman Gave Up Washing Her Face For 6 Months — and Her Skin Transformation Is Astounding

We've been using the magical potion that is micellar water for a few years now, but thanks to one Redditor, we now know just how magical the stuff is. Reddit user mollsballsss posted to the SkincareAddiction subreddit to share before and after photos of her skin, showing how it's been transformed by using exclusively micellar water to cleanse her face.

"In the past year, I found this subreddit and have tried to follow some of the recommendations," she said. She explained that she's been on Accutane twice, which has lead to some seriously dry skin. "In one post, someone mentioned not washing his/her face, and for some reason, that jumped out at me to try." She added, "I haven't put facial soap on my face for six months and it has made a HUGE difference."

The Redditor shared her full skin care regimen, which is extremely simple and consists of just SPF in the morning and moisturizer at night, rinsing her face with a splash of lukewarm water and Garnier Micellar Water ($9).

Garnier Micellar Water

From

$9

$9 at Ulta

While some may be horrified by the distinct lack of cleanser in this routine, micellar water is actually an excellent substitute for face wash. In a past interview about this liquid miracle, dermatologist Dr. Macrene Alexiades told POPSUGAR it contains small molecules called micelles, which are "nano-sized, single-layer fatty bubbles." Dr. Alexiades explained, "They are able to absorb other fats such as sebum and oils inside."

It's similar to using a cleansing oil: lipids bind to other lipids (in this case, micelles and sebum) to leave your complexion clean. Additionally, most micellar waters do not contain surfactants. These are cleansing agents that often include sulfates, which can aggressively strip the skin. So, you're replacing what could be harsh, drying soap with a gentle, soap-free cleanse. Even better, you don't need to rinse anything away — just add a few drops of micellar water to a tissue, wipe your face, and then you're done.

While replacing your face wash with micellar water might not be the best thing for your complexion (every face is different!), mollsballsss's results are inspiring enough to give this skin care switch-up a try.