So what is this magic water? Well, it all began in France where Bioderma became a
HUGE success. Micellar water, or cleansing waters as we call it, here in the U.S. became popular because it's a new way of taking off your makeup, without having to wash your face afterwards and without the harsh chemicals.
But what IS micellar water/cleansing water? Well, I found a nice blog that has great pictures that explains it better than I do, so let's go over to
Lab Muffin and check out her hand drawings and all!
In short, using micellar water to remove your makeup is more gentle for your face and will eliminate the use of soap and water! Below I will compare 4 products I've tested and give you my opinions and hopes that it will give you some ideas of these makeup removers!
The Contestants
Up Close
Bioderma Sensibio H2O: You can find this product in various sizes and various prices. There is the travel sizes in 100ml, 250ml or the large size (shown here) in 500ml. Since this product is originally from France, buying it from the U.S. where I'm from, is not easy. Prices can vary greatly. I usually get mine from
Amazon or
Escentual. 500ml will run between $25-$35.
Bioderma, I feel like, is a must-first-try if being introduced to micellar water. I agree to an extent. If you're in the U.S. it's easily assessable, it's fragrance-free, it's alcohol-free, it's overall a great product to try for a micellar water. You have the option to choose from a small travel size and also choose from different skin type options as well. Can't go wrong with that! I've been using Bioderma for quiet a while now and I have no complaints.
L'Oreal 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution: This was hands down the cheapest of the 4 cleansing waters. At the time, I bought it from a UK website for less than $5 dollars (unfortunately, they no longer carry the product). This product is currently not available in the U.S. to my knowledge, but you can get in the UK at any drugstore (think Boots or Superdrug) for around 3 pounds. It comes only in one size, 200ml, so it's not very travel friendly.
I wasn't a huge fan of this for a few reasons. The pour spout is really poorly designed. You will most likely over saturate your cotton pad and waste water unless you transfer to a smaller bottle. The water I feel, is a little bit more harsh than the other 3, and I feel like this can be felt in the price.
Caudalie's Cleansing Water: Being a French company, of course Caudalie will also have a cleansing water as well. At 3.38oz for
a small travel size, the $14 cleansing water is definitely on the pricey side. You can get a 6.7oz for $28 if you'd like, but there's no real money saved there.
I love the smell (it made with organic grape water, amongst other things) and the compactness of Caudalie. This particular cleansing water pairs so well with the
Caudalie Beauty Elixir it's like a match made in heaven. If you are on a budget, I'd say go with Bioderma instead.
Koh Gen Do's Cleansing Spa Water: This is a product that's definitely not talked about very often. That's probably because it's from Asia! Well, Asia introduced the BB cream fever and that took over the world, but let me tell you, they also did a good job with cleansing waters. This particular water is marketed as made with hot springs water harvested on 3 weeks out of the year...a product like this is definitely not cheap. A 3.38oz for
a travel size will cost you $13 and a larger one (10.15oz) will set you back $39.
This is my new favorite. The small travel size is perfect for, well, traveling. I feel like it takes my makeup off better than Bioderma and makes my skin feel better after it's done. Overall, since I can purchase this and the travel size at Sephora (and I can't purchase Bioderma there), I will be purchasing this, instead of Bioderma from now on.
Well guys...this is it, I hope you've enjoyed my comparison! Please let me know if you have any questions!
