Micellar waters - what's all the fuss about?

Micellar waters have seen a massive increase in popularity over the past few years. Once a bit of a French pharmacy secret, you can now find dozens to choose from on the High Street. So what’s all the fuss about?

A Micellar Water is also often referred to as a cleansing water. designed to be an effective makeup remover, they look a lot like water and are often scentless. Most are a mix of oil and water, which need to be shaken together gently to activate the formula. They’re best used on a cotton pad, which when swept over skin, will remove your makeup easily – almost lifting it away from the skin. 

I love micellar waters – they feature in my nightly skincare routine as a first cleanse. I use mine to get rid of my makeup first, then following up with a proper cleanse with a balm or oil cleanser. Don’t be fooled – just because a micellar water takes your makeup off, doesn’t mean your skin is clean. Use a cleanser with a white flannel afterwards and you’ll be surprised (and slightly freaked out) at how much stuff still appears! They’re also really great for cleaning up between swatching makeup photos – nothing else gets lippie off your arm like a good micellar water! 

Bioderma are probably the brand that have had the most press since launching into the UK just over a year ago. There are three versions – one for oily skin (green lid), one for sensitive skin (pink lid) and one for dehydrated skin (blue lid). My favourite has to be the Hydrabio* (blue lid) version, which is designed for drier, dehydrated skins. I’d used the Sensibo (pink) bottle before and found it a little bit drying, whereas this leaves skin makeup free and still hydrated. At £9.99 for 250ml, it's one of the more pricey options, but incredibly effective and lasts a good 6-8 weeks per bottle. The only downside to Bioderma is that it's a bit tricky to track down as it's not in Boots or Superdrug, but lots of pharmacies stock it, as well as being online at places like Escentual and Feel Unique. 

There are also a lot of high street micellar waters that have launched recently - I've been using Garnier's for the past week and find it does a good job a makeup removal, and at around £4 a bottle, is a great budget version. L'Oreal also have a version which seems to be quite popular, although I've not tested it myself yet. 

I think a micellar water is a great addition to your cleansing routine - just make sure it's not the only one you use!

Do you use micellar waters? Which one is your favourite?

*PR sample