Before discovering micellaire or cleansing waters, I always used your typical bi-phase makeup remover. Specifically, I used Neutrogena's Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover, which worked perfectly well...except for the fact that it left an oily residue which then dried my skin to a *lovely* ashy white...attractive, right?
So, fed-up and inspired my Ruth's (A Model Recommends)
video about cleansing waters and alternatives to Bioderma Sensibio H2O (formerly Crealine), I went on a mission to Shoppers Drug Mart to try and find the Garnier Clean Sensitive or the North American equivalent...
Annoyingly, there is no equivalent, which needless to say, is frustrating. I didn't want to splurge on Bioderma because in Canada it's $22 for a 250ml bottle! Which is ridiculous considering how fast you can go through it. So I wandered the makeup aisles literally looking at every brand's makeup removers with a bottle of Bioderma in hand--I know, a bit obsessive aren't I?
Well, after this long intro, I am
very happy to say I've found
the best alternative to Bioderma...introducing Marcelle's Soothing Cleansing Water!!!
Note, I didn't buy Bioderma at the time I bought this, so this was my very first eau micellaire experience, and I have to say, I was blown out of the water (pun fully intended). I will
never go back to biphase removers again. This cleanser comes in one size only and costed me $12 plus tax for 200ml!! Regularly it's $14, but Marcelle skincare goes on sale quite often.
It removes every speck of makeup without any tugging or scrubbing and leaves your skin feeling so soft and supple. No oily residue whatsoever. After using this, my skin feels like it's been freshly washed and moisturized. I'm not even kidding...it is THAT good and deserves HG status. This is a great 3-in-1 product as it removes makeup, cleanses, and tones skin. Sometimes I use this before cleanser, but most days I use it afterwards as a toner and to remove stubborn eyeliner.
A couple weeks after buying this, I found myself in Shoppers (again, obsessed much?) and I saw a great deal where the 100ml Bioderma Sensibio was on offer in a little trial skincare kit for $9.95. Considering I got samples of the Sensibio moisturizers, I though this was pretty darn good and my curiosity took over.
Well, to keep it short, it feels exactly like the Marcelle Soothing Cleansing Water. Again, removed all my makeup and made my skin feel refreshed without leaving an oily residue. I did a test where I removed half of my face makeup with each cleanser on a cotton pad, and I didn't find one cleanser removed more makeup than the other. I used a second round of cotton pads on my face to see if one had more makeup leftovers than the other...both came out clean!
The most interesting part is in comparing the ingredients lists of both products. With the exception of a few ingredients, the formulas are almost identical! Even the order of chemicals is almost the same!
The important thing to note is that both use the same active ingredient, PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides.
Here is a mini science lesson. PEG-6 is a fat made from glycerin and fatty acids in coconut oil. Essentially, all micellaire waters are microscopic balls of oil suspended in water. This is why they are so effective at removing both oil-based and water-based makeup.
Both waters are non-irritating and fragrance-free. The difference is in the price. The only con? Marcelle is only available in Canada :( If you are in the US, I suspect it's cheaper to get this from Canada than it is to ship Bioderma over from Europe, but it is still more expensive online than it is in-store at SDM.
UPDATE: If you live in the US or Canada, you can now get all Marcelle products at shop.marcelle.com
