072. Dara's Water, September Watchlist
Thoughts on the latest Ayla x Twelve Beauty product and what I'm looking forward to watching this month.
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I tend to be pretty good when it comes to controlling my spending. I stick to only purchasing new products once I’ve finished one in that same category or waiting until they’ve dropped to a sale price. However, I could not contain my excitement when Ayla Beauty announced “Dara’s Water” by TWELVE Beauty. I immediately ordered and tried it shortly after receiving it.
TWELVE Beauty Dara’s Water ($46, 100ml | 3.38floz)
Ayla’s founder, Dara, searched for an easy, all skin type friendly, cleansing water for over ten years. She reached out to Pedro, founder and formulator of TWELVE Beauty, and forth came Dara’s Water, a “non micellar cleansing water.” It does everything a micellar water does, except it doesn’t contain surfactants or glycols, and the pH is similar to the skin, making it suitable for all skin types, even sensitive, reactive ones.
Here’s a brief list of all it claims to do:
Works for everyone
Removes sunscreen (including mineral) and makeup
Removes eye makeup more easily than using an oil or balm
Perfect travel cleanser
100ml size can replace all cleansers and makeup removers
Perfect first skincare item for teens and tweens
In comparison, here is my month-long experience.
Packaging-wise, it is in line with the rest of TWELVE Beauty in their signature luxe black glass bottles, with minimal white type. There’s a beautiful heft to the bottle, and the pump twists and locks closed, easing your mind if you travel with it. (However, the bottle itself has a good amount of weight, so you may want to decant if weight is an issue.) The unfortunate part is the difficult pump mechanism during daily use.
There is no way to get one complete pump on your first try. When I first used this, it spurted out about half a pump’s worth. This would have been fine moving forward as they suggest half a pump for eye makeup removal. However, I consistently used this as a first cleanse and sometimes only cleanse and would end up using a pump and a half or more all over the face. With use, the first pump spurts even less (perhaps one eighth) now. So I am constantly pressing twice to get enough for the face.
As a cleansing water, the type of washcloth you use becomes very important. I prefer cushiony, thicker washcloths like the ones I love and have purchased repeatedly from Parachute. However, it soaks up the cleansing water too much, and I end up wasting a lot of it. Thus, linen or muslin cloths are the best. You can use a cotton round, but for my purpose of using it to remove all mineral sunscreen and makeup, it would simply take too long. However, they’re great if you’re using them for eye makeup removal only!
I switch between the evanhealy Linen Face Wash Cloth and the Odacité Muslin Cloth. The Odacité is the best experience as its the softest on the skin and spreads the cleansing water easily. I like to fold over the muslin cloth twice, so it acts more like a pad. When I only fold it over once, some of it seeps through and ends up on my hands, again wasting product. I haven’t had the chance to try the TWELVE Beauty muslin cloth, but I imagine that would work just as well.
Above, you can see what I mean about the inconsistent pump. I read that one full pump should be more than enough for the face. Upon removal and seeing what shows up on the wash cloth, it does appear to remove everything. However, if I go back in with more, residue still shows up. Even after I rinse off with water as advised, there is still residue. Thus, it doesn’t appear that it will remove all makeup and sunscreen. I’ve tried going over several times, but there’s always some residue left even when tested with different cloths and cotton rounds each time. *For reference, I use mineral sunscreen (which in their defense is some of the tougher ones to remove), and very light makeup. Even my mascara is easily removed with oil cleansers.
So it doesn’t exactly put my mind at ease that it’s taken off everything. Another significant deterrent is the burn if you get this in your eyes. As a cleansing water, I find it much easier for this to travel into my eyes than cleansing oils which tend to have more hold and viscosity to them. Trust me when I say this hurts incredibly badly if it gets into your eyes. Proceed with utmost caution when removing eye makeup with this! I don’t use micellar waters, but my friend who occasionally does, says the more known Bioderma does not sting the eyes.
While it may sound like there are many issues, there’s much to love about it too.
As always, the streamlined ingredient list. In true TWELVE Beauty fashion, this includes only 15 ingredients.
It has a beautifully calming, refreshing scent. It’s of an effervescent quality and promotes a cleansing feeling.
It makes an excellent first cleanse! I’d say it removes 90% of makeup and sunscreen. After rinsing this off with water, I go in with two pumps of my trusty Earthwise Beauty Marshmallow Face Cleanser, one final rinse, and wipe of a washcloth, and I feel good as new.
As someone with sensitive, reactive skin, this caused no issues for me! The only redness is from the cloth removal portion, and I haven’t developed breakouts or dry patches from it.
This is also great for those slower, slightly lazier, bare-faced days. Simply wipe your face and rinse with some water, and you’ll feel renewed. *For me, it’s best when I rinse with a washcloth. Simply splashing water doesn’t do it for my skin, as it can feel like a thin film is left on the surface. It’s a tough sensation to describe, but it’s there nonetheless!
Time will tell if I prefer this or cleansing oils as a first cleanse. You know I love my cleansing oils, and in terms of ease, I feel cleansing oils are more straightforward and less fussy. I need a cloth for cleansing waters, but I don’t necessarily need it with cleansing oils, especially those that rinse clean on their own.
I hope the pump packaging gets tweaked slightly so that it’s easier to dispense without wasting the product. I decanted some of this to a friend and housed it in a hydrosol bottle with a mist sprayer. She said this makes a great delivery system! She simply sprays it directly onto her face instead of on a cotton round first. This wastes no product and helps distribute a quick, even layer. The next time I have an empty spray bottle, I’ll be trying this myself! I believe if they can offer a better delivery system, no eye-stinging, this could make it the perfect cleansing water the team was aiming for.
As a new school year begins and fall invites us into cooler weather, so do the new film and tv releases that spark our excitement! Below is a short list of what I’m looking forward to this month. *Please note: I watch all FX series on Hulu. They premiere the next day on Hulu, so dates are pushed a day.
What We Do In The Shadows (New Episodes Fridays, FX on Hulu)
Season 3 is already upon us! Husband and I watched the first two episodes, and it was as marvelous as its first two seasons. Lots of laughs, lots of spooky fun, lots of cackling!
Impeachment: American Crime Story (September 8, FX on Hulu)
I was sold before I even knew who was in it. But now that we know the cast, how could I not watch it?! Beanie Feldstein, Sarah Paulson, Edie Falco, Clive Owen. Boom.
Malignant (September 10, HBO Max)
I have been waiting for what feels like years for James Wan’s return to horror. From the snippets I’ve heard, this should be terrifying. *Husband and I are most likely watching this right now, maybe as you’re reading!
The Card Counter (September 10, Theaters)
I’m in when it comes to anything Paul Schrader. This cast also seems spectacular: Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe, Tiffany Haddish. The only thing I’m sad about is that I probably won’t be able to watch this in September and will have to wait until it’s available VOD or elsewhere.
Scenes from a Marriage (September 12, HBO Max)
It might as well be Oscar Isaac month. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain* are reunited in the series inspired by the original 1974 Bergman film. In case you want to watch the original before the series, it’s also available on HBO Max! *The duo was electric in 2014’s ‘A Most Violent Year.’
Midnight Mass (September 24, Netflix)
Remember when I mentioned this last year in the first Tender Forms Off-Camera Podcast? The time has come! To my deepest upset, we no longer have Netflix. But maybe I’ll resubscribe for a month after all the episodes have aired (unless they’re doing the usual entire season dump).
Foundation (September 24, Apple TV+)
Another series that I feel like I’ve been hearing about and waiting on for ages: Apple TV+’s ‘Foundation’ is finally here. The series is based on the Isaac Asimov novel trilogy, and though sci-fi, I hear it’s supposed to be the service’s own ‘Game of Thrones.’ We’ll see.
Promising Young Woman (September 25, HBO Max)
Finally, this film is available on one of our subscription services!
September 11, 2001
It has been twenty years since September 11th. That’s unbelievable to think, write, say. Today, the mourning feels heavier as time grows. To all of those we’ve lost, who’ve fought, who’ve responded and saved, we remember you.
Thanks so much for reading. As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you next Sunday.
