Payot Cleansing Micellar Milk

Payot

Cleansing Micellar Milk

face micellar water

Added Last edited

Fit by skin type

General, ingredient-based — not your personalized match.

Dry
59%
Combination (dry)
59%
Balanced
89%
Combination (oily)
81%
Oily
81%

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20
Ingredients
2
Benefits
1
Actives
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The gentle micellar milk for suffocated skin. Formulated with 97% ingredients of natural origin, this micellar cleansing milk thoroughly removes make-up and impurities from the most delicate skin. Enriched with organic orange blossom floral water and watercress extract, it frees the epidermis from pollution particles while soothing and softening the complexion. Day after day, the skin feels deeply cleansed, comforted and visibly calmer.

Key Insights

Benefits

2
Anti-Aging
Hydration

Active Ingredients

1
AHA

Risks

1
Synthetic polymer

About Cleansing Micellar Milk

Overview

Cleansing Micellar Milk is a lightweight micellar water from Payot. The ingredient list runs to 20 ingredients, each broken down in full below.

Texture and finish

By its ingredient list the formula reads as light: water and humectants lead, with emollients kept lower in the order.

What the formula does

Hydration: Moderate. Ingredients that pull and hold water in the upper layers of skin, and here that comes from Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane and Lecithin.

Who it suits

On richness alone it suits Balanced, Combination (oily) and Oily skin best, and is the least natural fit for Dry and Combination (dry) skin. Nothing in the list is flagged as a common irritant, which is a reasonable starting point for reactive skin — though a patch test is still the only way to know.

What it does not target

The formula contributes little or nothing on barrier support, antioxidant protection, oil control and brightening and tone. That is not a fault — most products are not meant to do everything — but if one of those is your priority, this is not the product that will address it.

What is not in it

Reading the full list, the formula is essential-oil-free, no drying alcohol, paraben-free, silicone-free, microplastic-free and sulfate-free. Those claims come from the ingredient list itself, not from the packaging. It does contain fragrance, worth knowing if your skin reacts to any of them.

Where it fits in a routine

It can be used morning and evening. In a routine it goes first step. Use on damp skin and rinse thoroughly. Follow with a toner or essence while skin is still slightly damp.

This summary is generated from the product's ingredient list. It is not a review, it is not the brand's own marketing claims, and it does not replace advice from a dermatologist.

Pros and cons

Drawn purely from the ingredient list

Pros

  • No essential oils
  • No drying alcohol
  • Silicone-free
  • No microplastics
  • No common irritants flagged in the list

Things to know

  • Contains fragrance or declared fragrance allergens
  • 2 ingredients could feed malassezia (fungal acne)

Which skin types it suits

Scored on how rich or light the formula reads from its INCI order.

Suitable for

  • Balanced skin
  • Combination (oily) skin
  • Oily skin

Less suitable for

  • Dry skin
  • Combination (dry) skin

Sensitive skin

No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.

Skin concerns

Based on the curated benefits documented for this product's ingredients.

Helps with

  • Hydration 3 ingredients

    Attracts and locks in moisture to keep skin plump and dewy

  • Anti-Aging 1 ingredient

    Boosts collagen and cell turnover to reduce fine lines and wrinkles

Does not target

Anti-Acne Blackhead Reducing Dark Spot Fading Evens Skin Tone Oil Control Pore Minimizer Smooths Bumpy Skin Soothing

None of the ingredients in this formula are associated with these benefits. This is not unusual, as most products are designed to target a limited number of concerns.

Key ingredients

The actives, UV filters and benefit-carrying ingredients in this formula, in the order they are listed.

3rd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.

C15-C19 Alkane is a mixture of alkanes with 15 to 19 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

Hydration

4th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.

Glycerine ;Glycerol (INN); Glycerol (RIFM); Glycerolum (EP); Glycyl Alcohol; 1,2,3-Propanetriol; 1,2,3-Trihydroxypropane

Hydration Anti-Aging

15th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

2-Hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid

18th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Lecithins. The complex combination of diglycerides of fatty acids linked to the choline ester of phosphoric acid

Hydration

Formula analysis

Each axis is scored from the ingredients present and how high up the list they sit.

Hydration Moderate

Ingredients that pull and hold water in the upper layers of skin

Barrier support None

Lipids and repair signals that support skin barrier integrity

Antioxidant support None

Ingredients that mop up free radicals from UV and pollution

Oil control None

Ingredients that moderate sebum or absorb shine

Brightening None

Ingredients that act on uneven tone and post-inflammatory marks

Soothing None

Ingredients aimed at visible redness and reactivity

Cell renewal None

Retinoids, acids and enzymes that speed surface turnover

Firmness signalling None

Peptides and growth factors that signal for collagen support

Active and supporting ingredients

"Active" here means an ingredient carrying a recorded active type or a recognised UV filter.

Active ingredients (1)

Supporting ingredients (19)

Solvents, emollients, texture agents and preservatives — the formula that carries the actives.

Aqua Coco-caprylate/caprate C15-19 Alkane Glycerin Polysorbate 20 Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Parfum Chlorphenesin Xanthan Gum O-cymen-5-ol Sodium Hydroxide 1,2-hexanediol Biosaccharide Gum-4 Sodium Benzoate Lecithin Potassium Sorbate Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract

What is and is not in it

Read from the full ingredient list. A brand's own claim may differ.

Free from

  • Essential-oil-free
  • No drying alcohol
  • Paraben-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Microplastic-free
  • Sulfate-free
  • Dye-free
  • No animal-derived ingredients

Contains

  • Fragrance

    Parfum

  • Facial oils

    Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil

What to layer it with

Judged by the same curated rules our routine checker uses. It reads the ingredients, not the label.

Compatible with

  • Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)
  • Retinoids (retinol, retinal)
  • AHAs (glycolic, lactic)
  • BHA (salicylic acid)
  • PHAs (gluconolactone)
  • Benzoyl peroxide
  • Azelaic acid
  • Copper peptides
  • Bakuchiol
  • Niacinamide
  • Hyaluronic acid
  • Ceramides
  • Signal peptides
  • Panthenol
  • Sunscreen

Nothing in this formula belongs to a group our rules can put in conflict, so it layers freely. Order still matters — thinnest texture first.

Where it fits in a routine

Morning Evening
  1. Cleanse
  2. Toning
  3. Treat
  4. Moisturise
  5. Protect

This product is the "Cleanse" step.

  • Use on damp skin and rinse thoroughly.
  • Follow with a toner or essence while skin is still slightly damp.

Safety and suitability

Flags to check, not verdicts. None of this is medical advice — if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or treating a skin condition, ask a doctor.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Nothing in this formula is on the standard pregnancy-caution list. That is not clearance — ask your doctor about anything you use daily.
Fungal acne (malassezia)
2 ingredients could feed malassezia: Polysorbate 20, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil. That is about the yeast's food supply, not a prediction that you will break out.
Sensitive and reactive skin
No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.
Recorded ingredient risks
Synthetic polymer

Ingredients by function

Most ingredients do more than one job, so these counts add up to more than the 20 ingredients on the label.

4
Preservative

Keeps the product free of microbial growth

4
Solvent

Dissolves and carries everything else

3
Surfactant

Lifts oil and dirt, or holds oil and water together

3
Texture agent

Sets the thickness, spread and stability of the formula

2
Emollient

Softens and smooths by filling gaps between skin cells

2
Occlusive

Forms a film that slows water loss

2
pH adjuster

Sets the acidity the formula needs to work

2
Plant extract

Botanical material, usually for antioxidants or scent

1
Active

Changes how skin behaves rather than how it feels

1
Fragrance / colour

Changes how the product smells or looks

1
Humectant

Draws water into the upper layers of skin

1
Chelator

Binds trace metals that would otherwise spoil the formula

Ingredient breakdown

Every ingredient on the label, in order, with what it does and roughly how much of it is likely to be there.

1 Aqua Solvent
Estimated level
30–80%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Solvent

1st on the list, which puts it at an estimated 30–80% of the formula.

Water

Estimated level
5–20%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Emollient

2nd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.

Alcohols, coco, mixed esters with octanoic and decanoic acids

3 C15-19 Alkane Solvent
Estimated level
5–20%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Solvent

3rd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.

C15-C19 Alkane is a mixture of alkanes with 15 to 19 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

Hydration
2 scientific references
  • Molecules, November 2020, pages 1–18
  • Oilseeds & Fats, Crops and Lipids, September-October 2018, pages 1–12
4 Glycerin Humectant
Estimated level
2–10%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Humectant, Occlusive, Texture agent, Solvent

4th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.

Glycerine ;Glycerol (INN); Glycerol (RIFM); Glycerolum (EP); Glycyl Alcohol; 1,2,3-Propanetriol; 1,2,3-Trihydroxypropane

Hydration Anti-Aging
6 scientific references
  • Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation, March 2021, pages 223-231
  • International Journal of Toxicology, November/December 2019, Volume 38, Supplement 3, pages 6S-22S
  • International Journal of Cosmetic Science, August 2016, ePublication
  • British Journal of Dermatology, July 2008, pages 23-34
  • Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, June 2007, pages 75-82
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 2003, pages 7, 360-7, 365
5 Polysorbate 20 Surfactant
Estimated level
2–10%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Surfactant

5th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.

Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs.

Estimated level
2–10%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line

6th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.

Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil is the fixed oil expressed from the seeds of various species of the Cotton Seed, Gossypium spp., Malvaceae

Estimated level
1–5%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Plant extract

7th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 1–5% of the formula.

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water is an aqueous solution of the steam distillate obtained from the flowers of the Bitter Orange, Citrus aurantium L. var. amara L., Rutaceae

Estimated level
1–5%
Confidence
Moderate — INCI order above the 1% line
Roles
Occlusive, Texture agent

8th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 1–5% of the formula.

C10-30 alkyl propenoate, polymer with propenoic acid, butenoic acidand/or alkyl propenoates, product with propenyl sucrose ether or propenyl 2,2-dihydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol

Synthetic polymer
9 Parfum Fragrance / colour
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Fragrance / colour

9th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Parfum is a term for ingredient labelling used to identify that a product contains a material or a combination of materials normally added to a cosmetic to produce or to mask a particular odour. According to Article 19 of the Cosmetics Regulation, 'Perfume and aromatic compositions and their raw materials shall be referred to by the terms ‘parfum’ or ‘aroma’. '

10 Chlorphenesin Preservative
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Preservative

10th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

1,2-Propanediol, 3-(4-chlorophenoxy)-

11 Xanthan Gum Surfactant
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Surfactant, Texture agent

11th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Xanthan gum

12 O-cymen-5-ol Preservative
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Preservative

12th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

4-Isopropyl-m-cresol

13 Sodium Hydroxide pH adjuster
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
pH adjuster

13th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Sodium hydroxide

14 1,2-hexanediol Solvent
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Solvent

14th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

15 Citric Acid Active
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Active, Chelator, pH adjuster

15th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

2-Hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid

Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line

16th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Biosaccharide Gum-4 is a fermentation gum derived from sorbitol. It is a deacetylated branched polymer consisting of L-fucose, 2-D-glucose and glucuronic acid repetitive units

17 Sodium Benzoate Preservative
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Preservative

17th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Sodium benzoate

18 Lecithin Emollient
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Emollient, Surfactant

18th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Lecithins. The complex combination of diglycerides of fatty acids linked to the choline ester of phosphoric acid

Hydration
5 scientific references
  • Cosmetics, November 2020, pages 1-19
  • International Journal of Toxicology, September 2020, pages 5S-25S
  • Molecules, March 2020, pages 1-9
  • Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society, March 2014, pages 1, 093-1, 101
  • Scientia Pharmaceutica, July 2013, pages 1, 151-1, 166
19 Potassium Sorbate Preservative
Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Preservative

19th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Potassium (E,E)-hexa-2,4-dienoate

Estimated level
under 1%
Confidence
Moderate — listed below the 1% line
Roles
Plant extract

20th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.

Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract is the extract of the sprout of Lepidium sativum L., Brassicaceae

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Frequently asked questions

What ingredients are in Cleansing Micellar Milk?

AQUA, COCO-CAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, C15-19 ALKANE, GLYCERIN, POLYSORBATE 20, GOSSYPIUM HERBACEUM SEED OIL, CITRUS AURANTIUM AMARA FLOWER WATER, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PARFUM, CHLORPHENESIN, XANTHAN GUM, O-CYMEN-5-OL, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CITRIC ACID, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-4, SODIUM BENZOATE, LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, LEPIDIUM SATIVUM SPROUT EXTRACT.

What are the active ingredients in Cleansing Micellar Milk?

CITRIC ACID.

How do I use Cleansing Micellar Milk?

In the evening, apply all over the face with the fingertips or a cotton pad, then tone.

What skin types is Cleansing Micellar Milk good for?

Judged on how rich the formula reads from its ingredient list, it suits Balanced, Combination (oily), Oily skin best. It is the least natural fit for Dry, Combination (dry) skin.

Is Cleansing Micellar Milk good for sensitive skin?

No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.

Is Cleansing Micellar Milk fungal acne safe?

2 ingredients could feed malassezia: Polysorbate 20, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil. That describes the yeast's food supply, not a prediction that they will cause a breakout.

Can I use Cleansing Micellar Milk while pregnant?

Nothing in this formula is on the standard pregnancy-caution list. That is not medical clearance — check anything you use daily with your doctor or midwife.

Is Cleansing Micellar Milk fragrance free?

No — it contains Parfum.

Does Cleansing Micellar Milk contain alcohol?

No. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is no drying alcohol.

Is Cleansing Micellar Milk silicone free?

Yes. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is silicone-free.

Does Cleansing Micellar Milk contain essential oils?

No. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is essential-oil-free.

Is Cleansing Micellar Milk paraben free?

Yes. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is paraben-free.

What can I layer with Cleansing Micellar Milk?

It layers well with Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), Retinoids (retinol, retinal), AHAs (glycolic, lactic), BHA (salicylic acid), PHAs (gluconolactone), Benzoyl peroxide.

When should I apply Cleansing Micellar Milk?

Use it morning and evening, first step.

How many ingredients does Cleansing Micellar Milk have?

It lists 20 ingredients, of which 1 are recorded as actives.

Who makes Cleansing Micellar Milk?

Payot.

Brand
Payot

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