Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

Skin care trends might not be as obvious as makeup and fashion trends but trust me, they exist. In 2014, micelle solutions were one of the hot products that appeared seemingly overnight in everyone’s bathroom. While these cleaners have been around for a few years now, they seemed to really take off in North America this year and leading the pack was Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution.

This product, and all micelle cleansers, uses the power of a certain type of molecular cluster to remove dirt, makeup and other gunk from skin without using water and with minimum impact on a skin’s moisture levels (read this article over hear if you want to know more about the chemistry of these products).

Many people love micelle cleansers because they are quick and easy to use and eliminate the need for a separate makeup remover. All you need is the solution, a cotton pad or two and maybe 30 seconds or so to wipe your face down until the cotton pad is clean.

According to Bioderma, following these steps should result in “a feeling of instant freshness.” The solution also supposedly, “Cleanses and removes make-up from the face and eyes” and “soothes and clears up irritated skin.” Bioderma also emphasizes how this product, which is “fragrance-free formula, alcohol-free, paraben-free and hypoallergenic,” is “sensitive to intolerant skin.”

I do not have intolerant or sensitive skin. But I do have skin that occasionally gets very persistent blemishes. One of those nasty things was just starting to grow deep in my chin when I started to use this product. Would this cleanser, which looks like water and feels like a toner, actually be able to defeat the erupting pimple?

No, no it did not. In fact, that one pimple spawned a couple of smaller friends and sadly, this cleaner seemed to have no impact on them. It also had minimal impact on blackheads; I guess the powers of the micelle clusters don’t extend into pores.

After a couple weeks of twice daily use, it became clear to me that this is not a deep cleansing product nor is it designed blemishes. I then mixed up my routine, using a blemish-fighting cleanser in the morning and the micelle solution at night.

This system seemed to work better as this product does do a fantastic job at removing makeup and cleaning the very top level of skin. While tougher eye makeup, like anything with sparkles or made by Benefit, required multiple cotton pads, the micelle solution did eventually remove every trace of makeup while leaving my skin feeling fresh, clean and never dry or uncomfortable. My face also looked bright and healthy, well, except for my chin, which was not at all soothed or cleared up by this cleanser.

I can definitely see why some people love this product and why one bottle of it sells every five seconds. It is very convenient and quick to use and yes, I completely agree with those who say that it can replace a makeup remover. But, I don’t think it’s for everyone; it’s certainly not for me.

Bioderma is sold by Shoppers Drug Mart/Murale and this particular product goes for about $22 for 250 ml, an amount that might not actually last you that long if you wear a lot of heavy/waterproof makeup.

Will I buy this product: No, it doesn’t have the deep cleansing power that I need.

Should you buy this product: If you have sensitive skin, it’s worth checking into as it quite mild and does do a great job at removing surface dirt, without disturbing skin’s moisture levels.