Hello, Gorgeous!
I remove my makeup religiously, it’s my non-negotiable. So when last week’s post about updating your skincare for autumn sparked a conversation, a reader wondered do makeup removers need seasonal updates too? In a word, no, but probably sometimes.
If you live in a mild climate and/or your skincare continuously works for you, there’s no reason to change anything. If however, you live someplace with changing seasons, if you travel a lot, or if you change your diet, you might want to consider updating what you use on your skin as well. And sometimes it’s simply shaking things up so you can remember what you love about the products you already love. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You could have a better result than with your tried and true fave. And that means your makeup removers as well, on occasion.
I have been using (the extremely pricey) Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water for longer than I can recall. It’s incredibly gentle and lightweight and removes my makeup without irritating my eyes. I’ll be honest, while I try a gazillion products yearly, I had no intention of (ever) changing my makeup remover. Until I tried Guinot gel eye makeup remover. Holy disappearing smokey eye, Batman! This stuff is incredible. Incidentally, I did the math and my longtime fave is actually cheaper per ounce ($7.39 vs. Guinot’s $9.39) but I’m still going to switch…at least for a while.
Guinot gel eye makeup remover
If you’re looking for an incredibly gentle product, that tackles even waterproof mascara, you just found it. Ingredients like Chamomile Water, Rose Extract, Cornflower Extract won’t make your eyes sting and the formula is an incredibly gentle water-like gel. It isn’t sticky, and you don’t have to spend a lot of time washing it off afterwards. And let’s face it, it feels really nice to indulge in the French heritage brand’s spa at home products ($31, Amazon). One caveat: the bottle is hard plastic rather than squeezable, so there’s a tiny learning curve for dispensing.
That said, I feel like the Guinot is like a refresher for my face, and sometimes you just need a change.
Speaking of Guinot, if you’re looking to update your micellar water, Guinot has another amazing option. Guinot Instant Cleansing Water is great for sensitive skin. One caveat, it says it can be used to remove eye makeup as well as cleansing your face. I’m not sure I’d rely on this one to remove eye makeup but instead would use to clean and refresh your face/skin ($31, Amazon).
UPDATED 10/29/25: A few of you asked for resources to purchase other than Amazon.
You can find the Guinot Micellaire Cleansing Water on Dermstore.
And the eye cleaning gel on LovelySkin.com
Do you update your cleansing products from time to time? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss!
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
Quick note: I sometimes include affiliate links in my posts which means I might earn a small commission on every purchase with no added cost to you. I also include loads of products I love, just because. Also, prices are current at publish time.
I've been having a heck of a time removing eye makeup lately, so this is very timely. Do any other retailers besides Amazon sell the Guinot one?