I'm always excited when Science meets Skincare, and I've been a huge Micellar Water fan for quite some time. While I will be forever grateful to Bioderma for (I believe) coming up with this awesome invention originally, I'm also thankful to all the other brands that have picked up on it, and are releasing their own versions at considerably lower prices. But are they all the same? A quick squiz at the ingredients on any of the bottles reveals they can't POSSIBLY be, so I set about trying eight of the "drugstore" ones on the market to find the best one for my particular needs. I don't use it as a primary cleanser as such, but ditched toner years ago in favour of this magical liquid for my second cleanse, and overall refreshment. Below are the ones I chose for my experiment, with prices ranging from $4 to $12.99, all available at supermarkets, Priceline and most chemists...
I've been using the majority of these in rotation for almost three months, and they sure do vary, so let's get on with the deets. I'm planning on doing a couple of reviews every few weeks or so, and I'll start with the ones that have been on my bench for the longest period...
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water 125ml/400ml (RRP $7.95/$12.95)
Hard to go past this one for value and performance - with regular specials, I doubt you'll pay more than $12 for the giant 400ml bottle. Garnier was the first to release a micellar water into the mainstream, and they've since expanded their range to include variations for different skin types (will review the one for oily skin down the track). It's colourless and fragrance-free, has plenty of slip, and doesn't leave my skin feeling either dry or with an oily residue - very refreshing, and I love that it comes in different sizes, this 125ml one is perfect for travelling. There's been a bottle (usually a BIG one) of this on my vanity for years ♥...
Nivea Sensitive 3 In 1 Micellar Cleansing Water 200ml (RRP $9.99)
Had reasonably high expectations for this offering from Nivea, but I was a tad disappointed. While it contains no dye or perfume, I found it to be quite drying even though I have normal to oily skin - the cotton pad drags and tends to ball up, and the liquid leaves my face feeling a bit tight, which is surprising given it contains Grape Seed oil. The drying effect isn't severe enough for me to toss it out, but I was expecting it to be more moisturising. Will not repurchase...
Already you can see that the ingredients vary from one brand to another, and believe me, it gets even more interesting, especially with one pictured at the top that's touted as "natural skincare", and yet it contains petrolatum and peroxide - eek! More soon lovelies ♥
Take care of you,
kats xxx
P.S. If you're a blogger, why not join in Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party - if you're a blog reader, then there's a beaut selection to choose from ♥...
P.S. If you're a blogger, why not join in Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party - if you're a blog reader, then there's a beaut selection to choose from ♥...
Great review. My favorite is the Gariner brand. Great price, works great and I can normally find it on sale.
ReplyDeleteHard to beat the Garnier one hey - it's been an interesting exercise though, they're all so different!
DeleteThanks for doing all the research for us Kat! I've been wondering whether all micellar waters are equal for a while now. I can't wait to read your next installment of this series.
ReplyDeleteWon't be long before the next one Ingrid - after using them regularly, it's a challenge for me to work out how they can all be called the same thing, when in fact there's very little similarity xxx
DeleteI haven't tried any of these!! I have a bottle of bioderma (the pink font one) it works really well for removing eye makeup :)
ReplyDeleteLily not Louise
Hey Lily, I reckon the Bioderma one is the cream of the crop but it sure is pricey - glad to see it's available in Priceline now though ♥
DeleteI have the Garnier one, it's the only Micellar water that I have tried, but am very happy with it. Great reviews as always, Kat xx
ReplyDeleteWell you know me Indie, can't help myself when it comes to experimentation lol, and yet I'm perfectly happy with the Garnier x♥x
DeleteThat's quite a collection you've got there! I'm using the L'Oreal one at the moment, and quite liking it.
ReplyDeleteYes the L'Oreal one is good too - has the same ingredients as Garnier, but it's twice the price. I wonder if Garnier and L'Oreal are related?
DeleteThanks for the review. Excited to hear about the other ones!
ReplyDeleteHi there Mel - hope it's helpful. Gosh there's still some I haven't tried, but this is a start at least xxx
DeleteI've only tried two micellar waters; simple and garnier. I love them both. Good to know the Nivea is drying, I'll stay far away! Looking forward to your other micellar water reviews. Thanks for doing the research and saving me some money!
ReplyDeleteHey doll, I love doing these kinds of "studies" - I'm planning on putting together a little summary table at the end of the exercise ♥♥♥
DeleteLooking forward to this series of posts!
ReplyDeleteI love micellar water but have only tried three (Bioderma, Garnier and Lacura). Garnier is definitely my fave! I'd love to try others but I've heard that so many have added scent so it makes me hesitant as I prefer non scented. They quite often don't have testers in store to sniff first so it's a gamble.
Yeah I know what you mean mayday - I didn't include the Lacura one as I tossed the bottle ages ago, plus I haven't seen it since. Most of the ones I've tried are unscented, but there are a couple that have a bit of a fragrance - more soon xxx
DeleteI love Garnier.
ReplyDeleteIve tried Swisse and Natio but Garnier is my favorite.
Ahh yes I spotted the Natio one the other day Fawn - this may be a long series ha ha!
DeleteI haven't tried any of these, but I'm keen to hear your thoughts on Swisse as I nearly bought some during the last Priceline skincare sale (and might do so at the next one). I definitely know they're not all made equal.
ReplyDeleteThe Swisse one is in Part 2 Shell - hoping to have the post up this week ♥
DeleteThis is a great idea, because there are so many out there! I use the Garnier one you've reviewed above, but I'll be interested to read the rest of your reviews so I know if there's a better drugstore one I could be using!
ReplyDeleteYes Di, there's lots of companies releasing their particular versions hey, and I haven't gone near the high end ones, well not yet anyway xxx
Deleteusing your posts as a referral! I don't use Micellar Water, but now I want to! Great review x
ReplyDeleteOnce you try it Barbe you won't go back :-)
DeleteI agree with Kate Barbe - it's a terrific innovation, and so interesting the way it works xxx
DeleteI don't use Micellar Water (yet) but it's something I mean to try eventually, I'll probs wait for the next Priceline 40% off special (I hear the cosmetics one is next weeeeeek!!!)
ReplyDeleteWell worth a go Beth - the last time I picked up the giant Garnier bottle, it was on special at Priceline for around $8, lasts a long time too xxx
DeleteAs a huge lover of Bioderma I have found it very difficult to find anything that comes close but I have to say my cheaper alternative has been the Garnier. It is pretty good for the money and is definitely better on my hip pocket.
ReplyDeleteIf I can't buy the Bioderma on special and I have run out, I will throw the Garnier in the shopping trolley and be pretty happy.
Looking forward to hearing about the other options Kats xx
Lovely to read you Kate - I agree that there's nothing quite like the Bioderma one for removing makeup. I still find it amazing that a "water" can be so effective xxx
DeleteAfter getting the Bioderma, thankfully on special, from recommendation from an excellent Priceline Assistant, I probably won't try another. Couldn't believe they could be so different! The Bioderma IS worth the money, in my opinion. Great work, Kats and also Kate. The only other I've tried is Simple which I thought was fine - until I tried Bioderma!
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Trish.
Hello darling Trish! If I was ONLY using micellar water for cleaning my face, I would use the Bioderma one too - it's certainly a superior formula ♥♥♥
DeleteI actually recently met with a rep from Bioderma who explained the science to me - incredibly interesting stuff! Don't ask me to repeat it because it was very science-y and I have no idea how to even explain bahahaha. Something about patents and formulas and such. I love the Garnier one as well though! xx
ReplyDeleteI've read all the "technicals" about this amazing water, and I agree it's fascinating how it works - all those molecules attracting molecules lol..
DeleteYou've certainly got a collection there! I've only tried the Garnier & I'm not crazy about it, but I'm still curious to hear about the others. It's good to have an opinion from someone else with oily skin.
ReplyDeleteNext instalment will be up soon neurotic - I bought the Garnier one for oily skin, but it doesn't seem to work any differently or better than the pink one. I'll probably do a chart rating of all of them at the end xxx
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