Is There Really Any Benefit To The Foaming Micellar Water Hack?

When your beauty routine needs a boost, TikTok beauty trends and hacks can be lifesaving. Many of the app's viral videos take everyday hair, skin, and makeup staples and show how to use them in new ways. Micellar water is one example. According to Medical News Today, this handy skin care product is made of hydrating molecules that cling to oil, making it easy to gently remove makeup and dirt on the skin. Not only is micellar water commonly used in place of traditional makeup removers but it's also perfect as a sensitive skin-friendly double cleanser.

Unsurprisingly, TikTokers love micellar water. Videos show the product turning eyeshadow into eyeliner, effortlessly removing heavy makeup, and prepping skin for sunblock. But spend a minute scrolling through micellar water TikToks, and you'll quickly stumble upon the foaming micellar water hack.

It's unclear who created the hack, but users like @thatweirdcouplee have gone viral for their videos demonstrating the trick. The steps are simple: apply micellar water to a cotton pad, then bring the pad to the lips and blow directly through it until the micellar water creates a foam on the other side. Dab the foamy water on the face, and voilà! You have yourself a soft-as-a-cloud makeup remover or face cleanser. The hack is fun to watch and just as fun to recreate. But does it offer any real benefits?

Micellar water offers multiple benefits including hydration, acne prevention, and ease of use (via Healthline). But does the TikTok micellar water hack enhance this skincare powerhouse? Not quite, according to experts. Dermatologist Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose tells Byrdie that while blowing bubbles in micellar water may look cool, it does little for your skin. "You may be able to get a deeper cleanse from the foamed product, but truly the micellar water should work to remove oils from the skin well as a solution or a foam. That is, you don't need to make a foam to get the cleansing action from your micellar water," she explains.

What makes micellar water so effective at wiping away makeup and debris from the skin is the micelles, or clusters of molecules. This doesn't change as the texture changes, meaning that while a foam may feel soft on the skin, it's probably not enough to make this hack worth recreating.

The micellar water hack may seem like harmless — though futile — fun, but in reality, it could jeopardize your skin. In fact, dermatologist Dr. Justine Kluk tells Woman & Home, "Changing the form of a cosmetic product and using it in a way that was not intended when it was tested in the lab could alter effectiveness, and potentially also increase the risk of having a reaction to the product." 

Even worse, she explains that the viral TikTok hack could actually spread bacteria on the face from blowing hot air through the micellar water. "... [W]e do have a whole host of microbes living inside our oral cavity that are different in composition to those that live on the surface of our skin. I'm not sure I would want to be blowing them out and spreading them all over my face," she adds. Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose agrees, telling Byrdie, "The transfer of microbes onto skin could promote infection in theory," though she adds, "however I am not aware of any negative effects."

So, while the foaming micellar water hack may be tempting to try, it could be risky. To get the effect without forsaking hygiene, a safer alternative is to look for micellar products on the market that are designed to foam up via a special foaming bottle and pump — no extra effort required! But the good news is that even if you can't find one of these foamy products, regular micellar water will do the job just fine.