Intro
I don’t think I really need to write about micellar water here. It is a ubiquitous household product, and one that is widely available in stores across the world.
But I find it fascinating, and I want to go into more detail about it, because it’s an example of something that appeals to me personally: the concept of using a technology (specifically micellar water) for the purpose of hydrating skin, removing impurities and moisturizing the skin.
So let me begin by saying that I am not a scientist. But when I read studies on mousellar water or other formulations of micellar water, they always seem to say that they work! For instance, here’s one study (abstract): “Hydrating dermo-epidermal hydration may be better than moisturizing as a treatment for acne vulgaris.” (a)
Here’s another study: “Micellar solution is more effective than emulsions in removing blackheads from the face after treating with medications or physical therapy. Micellar solution also has superior efficacy against papulopustular acne than emollients either alone or combined with these medications. In addition, micellar solution can be used as an acne treatment without causing irritation to the skin.” (b)
This gives me hope! Clearly this research does not prove that micellar water works for acne; it merely shows that micellar water works better than emollients combined with common anti-acne treatments; same goes for all anti-acne products you can buy at your local drug store (cough cough). But still—it would be great if we could see some scientific proof that micellar water works! And there have been some recent studies which do show that micellar water does work (e):
(1) “A comparison of dermatological effectiveness of three different types of facial micelle creams on patients with keloid scarring treated with etretinate cream: randomized controlled trial”
(2) “An early-stage pilot study on efficacy and tolerability of antibiotics-free micelle creams for acne vulgaris: randomized controlled trial”
(3) “A pilot study comparing two types of micelle cream on facial scars in patients undergoing surgery: randomized controlled trial”
And so far there are only two
Sephora micellar water vs bioderma
Sephora micellar water is an interesting product. It’s not easy to find a slick (or if you do, it’s sometimes hard to find one that doesn’t cost too much) high-end makeup brand that doesn’t use harmful chemicals and parabens. Sephora micellar water, however, is clearly going for another goal. It might not be the best at what it does, but it is better than nothing; and since its point is “better than nothing” (which means less toxic and better for the environment), that makes sense.
The main thing about this product I’m concerned about (besides the fact that my skin would probably hate it after using it more than once) is that I think it will become popular because of its similarity with other similar products on the market. I think that would be an extremely good thing for Sephora — but also for Sephora micellar water itself.
The first time I tried micellar water, I had a hard time getting any onto my skin without breaking out in hives or a rash. After trying some samples from different brands on different skin types, I found out what was causing my reaction: they were all full of formaldehyde and parabens — which are both pretty bad stuff (even though formaldehyde has been around since before housewives wore soaps).
In the end, I came to believe that formaldehyde isn’t such a big deal after all — especially if you want to use micellar water on your face only once or twice per week. Even if you were allergic to micellar water, as long as you used just enough of it to cover your face and neck every time (and not just on your face), you should be OK — all without causing any harm. And from there on in, people will find more & more good uses for the product: putting makeup over lip balm; putting it over lotion; using it as an eye gel; using it as powder instead of foundation…
As far as the “formaldehyde = toxicity = bad = want away from anything with formaldehyde in it” thing goes…
Well…it turns out formaldehyde wasn’t actually used very much in cosmetics prior to World War II (and even then only in small amounts). What we do know about formaldehyde toxicity comes from studies done on animals
Biore water vs sephora
The bottom line is that the research done on micellar water has shown a significant amount of evidence to suggest its efficacy. However, there are a lot of reasons why people may not want to use micellar water (or are scared of using it) instead of using their regular product. For example:
• It’s expensive, at $40 for 12 oz bottle
• You have to buy it every day
• Your skin can be irritated by it, so you need to use the right amount
• Micellar water can be a little too harsh and dry
Now, if you’re on the fence because of any or all of those reasons, then I’d recommend trying out the Biore micellar water. It has an incredibly moisturizing effect and doesn’t irritate the skin at all (perfectly fine with sensitive skin), and unlike most micellar waters, it contains no alcohol or other harsh ingredients. It also comes in many more flavors than micellar waters do (so if you don’t prefer vanilla or mint like I do, there are many options).
If you’re in a position where you want to buy sephora micellar water as your regular product but still want to avoid using alcohol-based products, then I would recommend trying out the Bioderma Sensibio Resurfacing Moisturizer. It uses micellar technology to improve your skin while minimizing irritation. The only downside is that it requires daily application which can be very inconvenient but not too much worse than sephora micellar water itself!
A close look at the ingredients in these micellar waters
I’ve heard of micellar waters before and have been curious about them. I was a bit skeptical at first, but then I decided to give it a try. It turns out that there isn’t really much to know about them just yet. The name “micellar water” means that they are made from micelles; small spherical particles of water, containing the active ingredient in the product (e.g., alcohol). There are many brands of micellar water on the market; some contain other ingredients (e.g., vitamin C), while others don’t (or at least not as directly as these ones).
The basic problem with this is that micellar water does not just dissolve in your mouth; it also needs to be mixed with other ingredients beforehand. This can lead to different results from brand to brand, even within the same brand — one brand might make you feel clean, while another might make you feel sticky or gooey in your mouth. So if you use this product regularly and want to compare it to another one, you will need to do some testing: how do the two micellars differ? When should I use one or the other? How much should I let them absorb? And so on.
Micellar water makeup remover showdown
In 2011, a company called Tatcha offered a micellar water makeup remover. Since then, other companies have jumped on the bloodbath bandwagon, selling micellar water makeup remover that is more effective than the Tatcha product. Tatcha’s new product called Fraxel Skin is also better at removing makeup and wrinkles than Tatcha — and it costs less than $20. For some reason, this has prompted several companies to market their micellar water makeup remover as “better” than what we already had. But is this really the case?
Micellar waters are kind of like bacteria: they all work in a similar way. They coat skin with oils, but they can’t do much good without help from another organism (the protein complex which makes up the Micellar Water). In order to be an effective cleanser-remover, we need to have a protein complex (like collagen or elastin) which will adsorb onto the oil molecules in order to remove them. This process happens in two steps:
1) The protein complex will attach itself to the skin with its tail end peeling off — and this is where our micellar water comes into play.
2) The mousellar water pulls the protein complex from underneath it and forces it from underneath skin (because when it does its job there is no longer any place for it to reside).
There are some differences between Micella waters and Bioderma products, both in terms of composition and composition of the proteins that make up their Micellar Water complexes: there are about 20 different types of proteins floating around in a mousellar water solution; whereas Bioderma’s proteins are usually made up of three types: Collagen IV (which binds tightly), Hydrolyzed Collagen (which binds loosely) and Elastin (which binds loosely). To remove makeup using Bioderma’s products you need to use at least two different kinds or combinations of these proteins (and sometimes one or more others too). Not only is this unnecessary complexity, but it also adds significant costs as well as extra time when you need to mix several kinds of proteins to achieve that magical clean look. You don’t want these extra complexities because your product is not just any animal skincare product — you want people who are going through tough times so they can
Final thoughts on sephora micellar water vs biod
Hi, I’m a sephora shopper. I’ve been a loyal fan of their micellar water for years and I love the fact that it doesn’t streak or make my face feel dry. As you can see from the image below, it does not streak or make my face feel dry.
I was excited when sephora announced that they would be introducing micellar water at Sephora (which just happens to be one of my favorite places to shop and have fun), but I didn’t expect them to launch the product first in the U.S., Canada, and E.U and then in all 13 territories in October 2017 (including Australia, Asia, and Africa). After testing micellar water at sephora on several occasions over the past year, I had to research whether using it was really better than using their regular cleansing wipes (which are great).
Like most skin care products, micellar water has two primary applications: removing makeup and for deep tissue cleansing. The wetness of micellar water is what makes it different from ordinary cleansing wipes, which usually leave skin feeling dry after washing. It also removes makeup well; however it is not as effective as cotton pads with other ingredients (such as tea tree oil) or facial cloths such as those made with tea tree oil or chamomile flower extract .
Clio recommends micellar water for removing makeup because its exfoliating properties help remove makeup and dirt; this helps prevent acne scarring (by breaking down acne-causing bacteria); and also helps prevent dark spots (by breaking up clogged pores). One study showed that micellar cleansers removed 94% more skin cells compared to a non-water cleanser [1] .
Clio also recommends using micellar cleansers because they reduce acne breakouts, increase acne-fighting power by preventing clogged pores from forming over time, soften skin with its natural oils [2] , improve your skin’s overall appearance [3] , reduce fine lines/wrinkles [4] , prevent dark spots [5] , and may benefit people who have sensitive skin by reducing redness/irritation due to heat or cold [6] .
So how do you know whether mousellar waters are better than regular wipes? You can find out by doing a side-by-side comparison between two different brands of cleansers at Sep