Before we left for our last trip, though I brought some TSA-approved travel size cosmetics, I also filled up my travel size containers with skincare products I had at home. Although I had a 3.4 fl. oz. bottle of Bioderma Hydrabio Micellar Water, it looked so big that I thought I could just pour some of the micellar water from my large Bioderma Hydrabio into a small plastic bottle. So I did.
But at the end of day 3 of our trip, I ran out of micellar water. If I had brought the travel size new bottle, I would have been all set. Now I had to buy some, somewhere.
We drove from Asheville NC to the halfway point of our trip to Washington DC, Roanoke VA. We had a reservation at a bed and breakfast, a grand, traditional Georgian home built around the turn of the 20th century. Here’s the sitting area that was part of our opulent bedroom:
The innkeeper asked if we had a reservation for dinner (it was Friday night), and I said no but that I also needed to go to a store to buy a sleep shirt (I threw up on the one I brought) as well as a few cosmetics. She suggested a restaurant right near TJ Maxx. Perfect.
I scoured every single shelf and kiosk throughout the TJ Maxx at Roanoke, and I came across one bottle of makeup remover. That was it. So I bought that bottle of Giovanni Hydrating Makeup Remover. It cost $5.99 for a bottle containing 5.1 fl. oz. of clear makeup remover. The bottle was even bigger than the travel size Bioderma that I left at home, lol.
Though I didn’t really have a choice in buying Giovanni Hydrating Makeup Remover, I discovered that it is a very good product. It’s gentle, oil-free, and good for all skin types including sensitive skin. It doesn’t have added fragrance, and it appears to have a barely perceivable light scent from the natural extracts in the formula. It is cruelty-free and recyclable.
Like the Sun Bum Face Mist Sunscreen SPF 45 that I wrote about a few weeks ago (here), Giovanni Hydrating Makeup Remover comes in a spray bottle. And like the Sun Bum, you do not spray the product directly on your face, but instead you spray it on a cotton pad. Strange, don’t you think? It seems like it would be easier to dispense, less expensive and easier to recycle if it had a flip-top, so you could squeeze out however much you need onto the cotton pad. Well, whatever. It’s not problem.
Giovanni Hydrating Makeup Remover contains extracts of aloe vera, chamomile, green tea, cucumber, as well as vitamins. After removing makeup, it leaves skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. Rather than leaving Giovanni Hydrating Makeup Remover behind at the hotel at the end of our trip, I packed it in my suitcase and brought it home so I can continue to use it.
Oops, in looking for links online or in-stores for Giovanni Hydrating Makeup Remover, I discovered that the product must have been discontinued. Buying it at TJ Maxx, I shouldn’t be surprised that it exists no longer. It appears that Hydrating Makeup Remover for all skin types was replaced by the D:TOX System (perhaps for those with acne?) Makeup Removing Melting Balm formulated with Activated Charcoal and powerful Volcanic Ash that melts into a liquid oil that helps detoxify by wiping away face and eye makeup. The Melting Balm is currently out of stock everywhere online, so chances are it is discontinued as well! I wonder what Giovanni will come out with next, since the brand is still in business making skincare and haircare products.
Frankly, I am happy I found a “last chance gas” bottle of gentle Hydrating Makeup Remover when I really needed it! If you’re interested in finding this makeup remover, I recommend you also check out TJ Maxx and Marshalls like I did!
