Micellar Water Review: Biore VS. Bioderma

One of the most common beauty mistakes that women commit is taking off their makeup with only water and facial wash. This is FINE—if you’re not wearing a water-resistant sunscreen and makeup. Today, we have cleansing products like micellar water that make taking off your make-up easier than ever.


Ten years ago, I made a mistake of washing off my makeup at night using only water and my trusty facial wash. I thought this was enough, since the label said it takes off makeup, too. Boy, was I wrong!

Not Washing Off Makeup Completely Can Ruin Your Skin

When I started wearing foundation, blush, eyeliner, and eyeshadow daily, I started getting more whiteheads on my forehead, temples, and chin. I would also often get styes on both of my eyelids. I thought I was allergic to the makeup I was using, so I would frequently change brands. But I still kept getting those stubborn whiteheads, no matter what makeup brand I use. It didn’t matter whether the makeup I was using was high-end or had non-comedogenic claims.

So I just quit using makeup, save for my sunscreen and lipstick. I resorted to just wearing brighter lipsticks to look more “alive.”

My First Micellar Water Experience

Fast forward to 2014, I discovered micellar water. I stumbled upon it while shopping for a new set of makeup because I wanted do my own makeup for a relative’s wedding. I didn’t want to have pimples or whiteheads again after wearing heavy makeup, so I asked the saleslady at Watson’s what she can recommend and she handed me a small bottle of Sensibio H2O cleansing and makeup removing water.  At that time, a 100ml bottle cost around P500.

I used it to cleanse my fully made-up face after the event, and I was happy with the results. It removed all of my foundation, eyeliner and eyeshadow, lipstick, and blush. Best of all, it didn’t leave any oily or heavy residue that you can get from creams.

Even if the product is non-rinse, I still washed my face with soap and water after cleansing with micellar water, to remove any residue that you can’t see with the naked eye. Dermatologists and skin care specialists recommend double cleansing.

Now three years later we have a lot more options. We now have Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water, Maybelline Micellar Water, L’Oreal Micellar Water, Make a Clean Sweep by Happy Skin, Simple Micellar Water, Biore Micellar Water. Major brands like Lancome, Avene, Yves Rocher, Vichy, Nuxe and many others have their own variations of cleansing waters, too.

How Micellar Water Works

Micellar water contains micelles or tiny oil spheres that remove skin impurities, as explained on Marie Claire. It was created in the 1990s for women in Paris to address their need for a mild, no-rinse makeup remover as their regular water was too harsh for their skin. Bioderma is the first micellar water on the market.

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O vs Biore Moist Up

For this review, we’re going to focus on Bioderma Hydrabio H2O and Biore Moist Up, because these are the two that I have used frequently last year. Bioderma is a French brand, while Biore is a Japanese brand. Both are popular skincare brands in their home countries.

I switched from Sensibio H2O, which is made for sensitive skin, to Hydrabio H2O, because the latter is for dry skin. I find that skin in my 30’s is on the drier side.

Biore Moist Up is also for dry skin types. There’s another Biore micellar water variant for oil control.

To show you how the performance of these two brands, I swatched my Make Up Forever Aqua Eye Pencil XL. This is an extra long-lasting waterproof eye pencil.

This first picture shows the line after being washed by plain water and a foaming facial wash.

The eyeliner after being washed by plain water and a foaming facial wash.

As you can see, the line didn’t budge at all. And it’s not supposed to disappear with just water and soap because it’s waterproof! You don’t want your waterproof eyeliner to smudge when you’re crying during an event or when swimming in a pool.

Here I swatched it twice again. I used Biore Moist up to remove the top line and Bioderma to remove the second line. For this photo, I just wiped the lines thrice using the micellar-water soaked cotton pad.

Biore Moist Up vs Bioderma H2O performance on removing water-proof eyeliner.

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O performed slightly better than Biore Moist Up here. I was able to eventually remove both lines after wiping them off a few more times.

Here are the pros and cons of Bioderma Hydrabio H2O and Biore Moist Up:

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Pros:

• With a little patience, it removes waterproof makeup effectively.
• It has a pleasant, mild scent.
• Has no parabens and is hypoallergenic
• Feels light and refreshing
• No sticky or greasy after-feel
• Non-drying
• Has tons of positive reviews from users online (this shows that majority of users have a great experience with the product)
• Available in major department stores and drugstores.

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O cons:

• A bit pricey, considering that there are lot of cheaper in the market.
• Has fragrance, which may not be appropriate for those with sensitive skin.

Biore Moist Up Pros:

• Removes most makeup effectively. Also removes water-proof makeup, but you need to use more product.
• Inexpensive compared to Bioderma and other micellar water brands
• Non-drying
• Has a fair share of positive reviews online

Biore Moist Up Cons:

• Not very efficient for removing water-proof makeup.
• Has parabens
• Has a bit sticky after-feel
• Has a scent that reminds me of coconut oil. This may not be noticeable to others. 

Which Micellar Water Brand Should You Buy? 

If you’re on a budget and you’re not always wearing heavy makeup, try Biore Moist Up. If you have more money to spend and you wear heavy makeup from time to time, choose Bioderma H2O. On whether it would cause allergies, it would really depend on your skin. Both did not irritate my skin at all. Test one of the products and stick to it if it does the job of removing makeup for you and doesn’t irritate your skin.

Also to make the product work more effectively, try double cleansing.

Additional Tip on Removing Eye Makeup:

By the way, the correct way to remove eye makeup is to soak your cotton pad with micellar water and to press the pad against your eye area for about 5 seconds before gently wiping it away using upward strokes. You can’t rub, tug, or pull the skin around your eyes because they’re thinner and more sensitive, and is therefore more prone to irritation and wrinkles.

What's your experience with micellar water? Let me know in the comments section.