Bioderma Sensibio H2O vs. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Micellar waters have become the cleanser and makeup remover of choice since the boom of Bioderma's Sensibio/Crealine H2O Micelle Solutions which I reviewed here last year. What makes these micellar waters popular is their ability to remove makeup from even the most sensitive of skin and eyes without irritation, and not needing to be rinsed off. I have adored my Bioderma Sensibio H2O and have finished a whole 500mL bottle already, as well as stocked up on a few large bottles from overseas! The Bioderma does come at a price though, retailing in Australia at $29.95 for a 250mL bottle (I haven't seen the 500mL sizes in store). So when Garnier released their rendition called Micellar Cleansing Water for $11.99 for 400mL, I had to see how it performed. Being at a fraction of the cost, I was curious to compare Garnier's version to the cult favourite Bioderma Sensibio H2O.

Seeing as we all know what the fuss is about micellar makeup removers, I'll let the photos do the talking. The Garnier version is made in Poland whereas Bioderma is made in France and  since being both European countries, this does not bother me the least. Packaging wise, I have no issues with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water as it is housed in a plastic bottle with a cap similar to Bioderma's. Its solution is clear, water-like and not unlike the Bioderma Sensibio H2O. So far, they are looking quite similar.

Nothing better than a test to compare these two directly! Here I swatched two eyeliners, one being a long-lasting one, another a gel, and one eyeshadow in the middle. On the left I will trial the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, and on the right, the Bioderma Sensibio H2O.

L-R: Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Brown, The Balm Shade Lady Palette Vol.2 Shade Feisty Felicia,  Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Brown

L-R: One swipe of Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, one swipe of Bioderma Sensibio H2O

The photo above is the remnants of the eye products after placing a cotton pad soaked in each micellar solution for 5 seconds and swiping once only. I found that they performed quite similarly with the one swipe test, and that both did not manage to budge either of the two eyeliners, although the Bioderma did manage to take a little off the gel eyeliner on the far right.

This is the residue left behind after rubbing the soaked cotton pad about 8 times over the makeup. If you look carefully the Bioderma has performed a bit better than the Garnier.

The final result after vigorous rubbing with the cotton pad- you can see some redness from how much I rubbed! Both micellar solutions did not completely remove the makeup as there is still minor marks leftover. Overall, the performance of the Garnier is near to similar as the Bioderma. The only one problem with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is that it leaves a slightly soapy residue afterwards that may need to be rinsed off, whereas the Sensibio H2O has no residue at all. This may be a deal breaker for some!

All in all, I like both the micellar solutions. Nothing can replace my beloved Bioderma Sensibio H2O as it is foolproof, does the job and doesn't leave any residue behind. However, the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is just so much affordable and accessible (I can even buy it in the pharmacy I work at) and is regularly discounted. It performs nearly as well as the Bioderma- sans the soapy residue- but at a fraction of the cost, you can't go wrong.

Have you tried any of these micellar solutions? Which one do you prefer?

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