Bioderma Sensibio H2O micellar water

Micellar waters are a very fancy name for a mild cleanser with the following characteristics: they have mild surfactants (or cleaning agents); are non-foaming and contain moisturising ingredients. 

You can read about the technical detail on how micellar water or facial cleansers work at this BLOG.

What am I testing and why?

I am road-testing Bioderma’s micellar water, specifically the claim that it removes make-up.

Before photo

After applying a copious mix of waterproof, pigmented and shiny make-up, my forearm looked like this:

I then pressed down a pre-soaked (in micellar water) cotton pad on the above patch and counted to 5. Finally, I wiped over this area (quite firmly) exactly 4 times.

After photo

lipstick remains on forearm

The results are excellent: what remains is only the pigmented Pat McGrath lipstick. Looking at the ingredients label, I am not surprised by the product’s good performance…

The ingredients

The primary surfactant is the no 2 ingredient on the list – so there is a significant amount of it – and its PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric glycerides. This is commonly used in micellar waters as it’s a gentle cleanser. Cetrimonium bromide maybe here as a surfactant – but I think its an anti-bacterial agent here.

Most of the other ingredients present in this product are designed to moisturise the skin. They include Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol and Xylitol, all of which are humectants. A humectant’s job is to draw water from the deeper epidermis and dermis allowing the skin to feel smoother (source: Draelos)

To buy, or not to buy?

I like this product and I would buy it again, mainly because repeated use has not dried my skin out. It has a simple formula and it works, except against Pat McGrath’s lipsticks, which I am beginning to think that no micellar water I test can remove!

SourceL Draelos ZD, The science behind skin care: Moisturizers. J. Cosmet Dermatol. 2018; 17:138-144

***
Happy Skin Days ©  2021.  © Angeli Sinha 2021. All rights reserved. The contents of this blog, including images are protected by copyright law.  My content cannot be replicated without my consent. You can write to me at email@happyskindays.com

Leave a Comment

Subscribe to mailing list. Get a free book on blue ling too

Our site uses cookies.  By continuing to browse you accept our cookie policy