It's taken a few years, but so many brands are now bringing out their own affordable versions of micellar water - that holy-grail, no-rinse cleansing liquid that melts make-up off your face, whilst still somehow being super gentle.
I've been a long-time lover of Bioderma's crealine H20 (now called Sensibio H20, or the sebium version for my oily-faced friends), and have many, many bottles on stand-by, lest I run out. But, as much as I love Bioderma, it is kind of expensive so I have been trialling some of the cheaper options on offer.
Garnier - Micellar Cleaning Water
RRP = $12.99 for 400mL ($3.25 / 100)
Garnier were the first brand to release a 'drugstore' version of micellar water, and it is remarkably cheap, at just $3.25/100mL. I'm personally really not a fan of this product.
I did not find it effective at removing make-up (particularly mascara and eye make-up), and I would have to go over the same area with at least two soaked cotton pads to remove all my make-up.
This product also really burned my eyes, and dried out my skin. I did use up a whole bottle, and it did come in handy for wiping swatches off my arm.
Overall rating: 2/5
Bioderma - Crealine / Sensibio H20
RRP = $39.99 for 500mL
The original micellar water! Bioderma is super expensive in Australia, coming in at $8/100mL. Unfortunately for my wallet, it's also my most favoured of the three micellar waters I've trialled.
I've reviewed this before on the blog, here. In a nutshell, Bioderma is gentle, doesn't sting my eyes, it doesn't dry out my skin, it doesn't smell like anything, and it is effective at removing my make-up.
Overall rating: 4/5
Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water
RRP = $9.99 for 250mL
Sukin are an environmentally-responsible and vegan friendly brand, and their offering in the micellar water world is gentle, smells really good and is reasonably priced at $4/100mL. It's infused with cucumber and chamomile, which helps to soothe your skin.
This is probably the runner up of the three for me. It does a pretty good job of removing make-up, and it doesn't sting my eyes. It has got a very distinct scent though, which is a bit strange for a "water", and is something that may not agree with a few people.
This micellar water doesn't leave my face feeling as clean as Bioderma does though - it's almost as if a very thin film is left on my skin, and it takes ages for my skin to dry and feel normal.
Overall rating: 3/5
Final thoughts
I think everyone would like the Bioderma offering, except for the price. The good thing is, when Priceline have their 40% off skincare, you can get the 500mL version for prices that are comparable to what you would pay in Paris.
If your skin isn't sensitive and you don't wear eye-makeup then the Garnier version could suit you really well. If you don't mind scents in your products, then you would probably really like the Sukin version.
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