Friday, July 3, 2015

Beauty Battle: Micellar Waters

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The Beauty Battle Series pits similar products against each other to see who comes out the winner. Depending on the product, different factors go into determining what I think is the best product. You can read my past Beauty Battle posts here.


In this battle, I will review three micellar waters. What the heck is a micellar water, you ask? It’s a water that gently removes makeup and cleanses the skin—two products in one (so they say…). I like to use a micellar water because makeup removers tend to be too rough for my sensitive skin, aggravate my eyes and leave residue on my skin. Micellar waters are big in Europe and aren’t readily available in the States yet, but they are gaining popularity. Let’s get into it!

The Contenders ( in no particular order):
1. Bioderma Sensibo H2O Micelle Solution
2. Simple Cleansing Micellar Water
3. Caudalíe Make-Up Remover Cleansing Water

General Use:

I always wash my face after using micellar water, even though they advertise that you do not have to. I wear a full face of makeup, including full coverage foundation, so I would have to use a lot of micellar water to get everything off. I use micellar water to get the bulk of my makeup off, wash my face (usually with the Simple moisturizing face cleanser or Origins Checks and Balances) and then continue on with the rest of my skin care routine (which you can read about here. If you don’t wear a lot of face makeup or just want to freshen up bare skin, a micellar water would be a great option for that too.

For all micellar waters I have used, I soak a round cotton pad and gently wipe it over my face, leaving the round over my eyes for about 10 seconds so that it can break up my mascara. I find that none of the micellar waters totally take off my eye makeup, but it helps to start loosen it up for when I wash my face.

1. Bioderma Sensibo H2O Micelle Solution ($30 for 500 ml, Amazon)
Price per ml = $0.04 - $0.06

This is the first micellar water I heard about and used—YouTubers talk about it all the time. It is made in France and not readily available in the States. You can order it though Amazon (just be careful and buy from a certified seller). I hear places in San Diego are beginning to sell it and the website Beautylish has too (and it’s cheaper there then Amazon--$20 vs. $30).

This formula of Bioderma is made especially for sensitive (sensibo) and dry skin so it works well for me. It doesn’t irritate my skin and gets my makeup off pretty easily. It has cucumber extract in it, which is supposed to be good for sensitive skin. It is also paraben, fragrance and alcohol free.

2. Simple Cleansing Micellar Water ($7 for 198 ml, Target)
Price per ml = $0.035 (or cheaper if you have a coupon/there is a sale)

This micellar water claims to remove makeup and cleanse and hydrate the skin. It is artificial perfume/dye and harsh chemical free. It contains multivitamins to nourish the skin and claims to unclog pores and increase skin hydration by 90%. This is really the only micellar water I have seen in the drugstore (Garnier makes one, but I’m not sure if it’s available in the States yet, I haven’t been able to locate it). You really need to soak the cotton round with the Simple micellar water to get a good cleanse. It is pretty gentle on the skin, but I find it to dry out my eyelids just a tad.

3. Caudalíe Make-Up Remover Cleansing Water ($28 for 198 ml, Sephora)
Price per ml = $0.14

Where Simple is my favorite drugstore skincare brand, Caudalíe is my favorite high-end skincare brand. Their products never irritate my skin and actually help soothe and calm it. This micellar water has Caudalíe’s signature grape-ish scent because it contains grape water and chamomile (which also help calm the skin and reduce redness). It is paraben, sulfate and phthalate free. I find that this micellar water cleanses my skin the best and is definitely the most gentle on my skin.

And the Winner is…

This was a hard one for me to pick. The Caudalíe micellar water is definitely my favorite, but it is like 3 times more expensive than the other two. The Simple micellar water is my least favorite. Overall, they perform pretty similarly. So, it comes down to which one I would repurchase, I would say Bioderma wins the Battle of the Micellar Waters.

If this was a key skincare step to me (like moisturizer), I would probably buy the Caudalíe one, but it’s not. If I skip the micellar water and only use face wash I just wash my face twice (or use my Clarisonic) and I’m set.

Do you use micellar water? Let me know whether you’ll be trying it out!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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