A Cleansing Superpower

The easiest and most effective way to remove dirt and longwearing makeup from your face is to use micellar water.

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The easiest and most effective way to remove dirt and longwearing makeup from your face is to use micellar water. See why you should consider French beauty brand Bioderma’s formulas.

Micellar water is a miracle worker. It looks and feels like plain water, but it’s a onestep, gentle and powerful product that doesn’t require double cleansing. It leaves no residue, and doesn’t have to be rinsed off.

Generally, micellar water is made up of water, moisturising agents and mild cleansers. The cleansing molecules band together, working like magnets which sop up makeup and dirt. When you pour a generous amount of micellar water onto a cotton pad and swipe it across your face, it mops up all the unpleasant stuff with minimal rubbing. It doesn’t irritate or dry out skin, but leaves it clean and refreshed instead.

Micellar Water Is the One Cleanser Everyone Needs for Healthy Skin

While cleansing may seem like a simple skincare step, choosing the right product can be overwhelming, what with so many types of face cleansers available: foam, gel, oil, cream, balm, and even hybrid ones that transform from cream to oil, and so on. Each has its own merits.

However, a good micellar water formula would stand out from other cleansers as a foolproof, fuss-free, one-step solution that can remove all types of impurities without disrupting the skin’s protective barrier. Better still if it is suitable for sensitive and sensitised skin.

A Gentle Giant: What Makes Bioderma’s Micellar Waters Great?

French skincare brand Bioderma uses highly purified water in its formulations. This water is said to be of the same quality as medical water that is used for injections. Unlike cosmetic-quality water, highly purified water is free of endotoxins which can penetrate skin and may cause inflammation. Bioderma’s gentle micellar waters also have natural sugars to further reduce skin irritation and cell damage, and prevent inflammation.

The OG Micellar Water

The concept of micellar water is not new. A clinical research team from Bioderma, in partnership with dermatological experts, invented the first-ever micellar water in 1995. They developed it to help people in France avoid washing their faces with tap water, which was heavy metalbased at the time.

Sensibio, the original variant of Bioderma’s H2O micellar water, was specifically formulated to deeply cleanse and soothe sensitive, reactive skin. Its cleansing action is extensive: It can remove long-wearing makeup, sebum, dead skin cells, toxins from perspiration, and dirt and pollutant particles that have accumulated on skin, even on the delicate eye contours. Its pH of 5.5 is in perfect harmony with the skin.

To cater to different skin types and conditions, Bioderma has formulated three other micellar water variants: Hydrabio H20 for dehydrated skin, Sebium H20 for skin that experiences oiliness, and ABCDerm H20 for babies.

 

A NEW CLEANSING EXPERIENCE

While micellar water has been available for many years, most people in Singapore are more familiar with rinse-off cleansers such as foam and gel ones. Three women with different cleanser preferences try Bioderma’s micellar waters for the first time.
 
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The former oil cleanser fan

AUDREY LIM, 35, BANKER

Skin type: Normal

Product tried: Bioderma Sensibio H20

Review: “I have always enjoyed the comfort of massaging an oil cleanser over my face, and how supple and hydrated my skin feels after. When I tried Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by how effectively it could remove all the makeup, oil and dirt on my skin without making it feel dry at all. I like that I don’t have to remove my waterproof makeup beforehand as the Sensibio H2O works on all kinds of makeup. It’s an especially brilliant cleanser on nights when I am too tired to go through the whole double-cleansing routine. I just clean my face with it and go straight to bed.” 

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The former foam cleanser advocate

LEONG GUILING, 28, PROJECT ANALYST

Skin type: Oily

Product tried: Bioderma Sebium H20

Review: “One try of the Sebium H2O and I found that it cleans better than my foam cleansers! Sometimes, I need to wash my face twice with a foam cleanser to remove all the dirt and excess oil. With this micellar water, I only need a small amount to clean my whole face – and I only need to cleanse once for my skin to feel fresh, comfortable, and not dry. Personally, I find that it can also double as a toner as it leaves my skin balanced, so it also saves me time on my daily routine.” 

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The former user of other micellar waters

JOEY LIM, 28, MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Skin type: Drycombination (oily T-zone, dry elsewhere)

Product tried: Bioderma Hydrabio H20

Review: “With other micellar waters I’ve tried, I usually need to soak four cotton pads to remove all my makeup and thoroughly cleanse my face. With the Hydrabio H20, I only need three cotton pads because it dissolves longwearing makeup like mascara much quicker than the others I have tried. I also like that the Bioderma formula is gentle and doesn’t sting my eyes or dry out my skin.” 

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Available at major Guardian, Watsons, Unity Welcia-BHG and Robinsons stores, and at Lazada Official Store. Go to www.bioderma.sg for more information.

PHOTOGRAPHY VERONICA TAY ART DIRECTION SHERLI CHONG
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