This French micellar water with a cult following gently removes my makeup and cleanses my skin without stripping it

• Micellar water is an increasingly popular skincare tool that acts as a cleanser, moisturizer, and makeup remover.
• Bioderma’s Sensibio Micellar Water (available on Amazon and Dermstore for $9.90) is a global cult-favorite and one of the must-haves from French pharmacies.
• I’ve been using it for weeks, and the product is wonderfully gentle on my sensitive skin, as well as noticeably silkier than others I’ve tried.
• Though I’m particularly fond of this brand, you can also find other popular micellar water options here.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been using la crème de la crème of micellar waters. Or, at the very least, one of the most iconic.

Bioderma’s micellar water is a classic standard-bearer and a global cult-favorite. It’s on the shortlist of must-have products from French pharmacies, and the company claims a bottle is sold somewhere in the world once every two seconds. It’s a staple of models, makeup artists, and the general public. It’s also one of the best-sellers in all of skincare on Amazon. What I’m talking about, of course, is Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O Micellar Water.

What is micellar water?

In case you’re new to the game, or haven’t spent much time rifling through the makeup bags backstage at runway shows, micellar water is the kind of product that has no right to exist in a finite universe – its many functions and benefits seem almost impossibly comprehensive.

It’s a cleanser, moisturizer, and makeup remover that somehow manages to respect the skin’s natural moisture barrier while still vacuuming the grime out of your pores.

Micellar water is, essentially, soft water with micelles in it. Micelles – which are basically tiny balls of oil – are naturally attracted to dirt, debris, and grime. When you pump micellar water onto a cotton pad and draw it across your skin, the micelles act like magnets, lifting impurities out of the skin and gently cleansing without abrasion, rubbing, or strong astringents that strip the skin and create lasting dryness. The solution removes makeup, hydrates, and protects your natural moisture barrier, which in turn makes clear skin more sustainable. And since its composition is meant to be simple and inoffensive, it’s easily compatible with different skin types and especially helpful for sensitive or allergy-prone skin.

There are plenty of great options for micellar waters out there (and at varying prices), but you’d be hard-pressed to find a list of the best without running into Bioderma. The micelles in Sensibio H2O are unique and very similar to the skin’s natural composition. It uses an “optimal dosage of ingredients that are already present in your body” to respect the skin’s own biology while mimicking its functions. You can get it online in the States now for about $15, but I picked up a few bottles the last time I was in Paris to save myself a few dollars and have been using it consistently for a few weeks. Online, the French mainstay costs more than big bottles from brands like Garnier, though.

My experience using Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O Micellar Water

Bioderma Sensibio H2O feels noticeably soft and silky – oddly more so than other cleansing waters I’ve tried. For this reason, using it feels a little luxurious, and I appreciate that in a nightly routine. It does remove makeup (though you might need to use a little more than usual if it’s something heavy-duty), and hydrate skin more than a face wash, but its real standout function is its total lack of irritation.

My skin is sensitive and pale, so an abrasive cleanser or harsh astringent can mean I come out of my nightly routine looking like the first successful hybrid between a human being and a farm-fresh tomato. Bioderma – and micellar waters in general – are a godsend just for their effortless gentleness. The smooth, unoffensive “water” means you can use it repeatedly without stripping skin, which is one reason why makeup artists and models use it so consistently for runway shows. It also doesn’t require rinsing, so you can use it with a cotton pad whilst traveling right on the plane, or pretty much wherever you are.

If you have acne-prone skin, though, you might not want to rely solely on Bioderma for your cleansing step. For me, it works well as an early morning cleanser or preemptive makeup remover (followed by my regular face wash). It does do a lot of good in the acne department longterm – such as preventing a buildup of dirt and makeup in pores and respecting your skin’s natural hydrolipidic film – but it doesn’t have the antibacterial or anti-inflammatory ingredients that target the bacteria that cause acne. For those products, you can check out our go-to helpers for fighting adult acne.

Aside from being gentle on my skin, Bioderma also helped me keep my hands away from my face. When you use a harsh astringent on sensitive skin and everything looks red and scary, it’s hard to keep your hands to yourself. When you use something less offensive to your face, it turns out it’s a lot easier to stop bothering imperfections, which means fewer opportunities to introduce new bacteria and germs or disrupt your skin’s own tentative balance.

The bottom line

If you want a gentle makeup remover, cleanser, or more hydration-packed cleansing routine, you should look into a micellar water to see if it can improve your own routine.

Bioderma’s is my personal favorite, but there are other options for micellar waters out there (you can find a range of options to check out here). If you’re looking for a place to start, and you want your first experience to be a positive one, I can confidently say that Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O is a great option – and one I’ll continue using in my own life.