If you haven't heard of micellar water, well I won't make fun of you because when I would speak to people at Sephora about their skin, a lot of them truly thought this was just water repackaged with fancy skincare marketing jargon. Before I launch into small science talk, I use micellar water quite often for cleansing and there are some I absolutely adore and some I feel could be better. I have always thought of La Roche-Posay as one of the more "derm" brands not only in the drugstore, but in the overall skincare world. They go beyond the basic cleanser, toner and moisturizer with a focus on skin conditions like psoriasis and rosacea and sensitive or reactive skin. Earlier this year, La Roche-Posay debuted a brand new micellar water formula combining the cleansing power of micelles with hydrating glycerin termed "glyco-micellar". The addition of glycerin is intended to provide better adhesion to makeup and dirt, a smoother glide leading to less rubbing and lasting comfort so that skin does not feel stripped or dry.
I often think the word "micellar" is what throws people for a loop because who REALLY knows what a "micelle" even is? Essentially, a micelle traps oil allowing dirt and insoluble particles to be washed away in an aqueous solution, most often water or in this case micellar water. For a FULL explanation, check out my post from last week where I did some micelle nail art (here)!
There are three formulations of La Roche-Posay Micellar Water Ultra (400mL/$19.95 CDN) - one for reactive skin, normal skin and oily skin. Starting with the micellar water for Normal Skin*, the bottle below says "Sensitive Skin", but is actually geared for both skin types. There is a slightly sweet floral fragrance which I actually really like and would like in some form of body wash as well! This did a decent job of removing my face and eye makeup, with waterproof eye makeup needing a second pass.
Ingredients: AQUA / WATER, PEG-7 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, POLOXAMER 124, POLOXAMER 184, PEG-6 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, GLYCERIN, POLYSORBATE 80, DISODIUM EDTA, BHT, MYRTRIMONIUM BROMIDE, PARFUM / FRAGRANCE
The Micellar Water Ultra for Reactive Skin* is enriched with 5% glycerin, the higheset concentration in the Ultra series to reduce the amount of friction with skin. This formulation also had absolutely no scent which makes sense for use with reactive or delicate skin. Unfortunately, this formulation was probably the least effective at removing my face and eye makeup and I cannot imagine someone with reactive skin being able to remove all of their makeup effectively with just this micellar water alone. I would definitely recommend an oil cleanse first to at least lift makeup off the skin.
Ingredients: AQUA / WATER, GLYCERIN, PEG-7 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, POLOXAMER 124, POLOXAMER 184, PEG-6 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, POLYSORBATE 80, DISODIUM EDTA, BHT, MYRTRIMONIUM BROMIDE
Finally, we get to the Micellar Water Ultra that should not have worked for me at all, but did! The one for Oily Skin*! I felt like this formula had the most effective makeup removal powers without drying out my normal-dry skin. The main difference between this and the micellar water for normal skin is the addition of zinc and sodium hydroxide. Zinc slows down the production of sebum in the skin and is often used in acne treatments while sodium hydroxide is a pH adjuster, but can be a skin irritant. My skin was just fine using it and is probably the only one I will keep using.
It felt like there was a bit of residue on my face after using all three micellar waters and though my skin wasn't oily, it did feel slightly tacky which I have experienced with other cleansing waters and makeup wipes.
Finally, we get to the Micellar Water Ultra that should not have worked for me at all, but did! The one for Oily Skin*! I felt like this formula had the most effective makeup removal powers without drying out my normal-dry skin. The main difference between this and the micellar water for normal skin is the addition of zinc and sodium hydroxide. Zinc slows down the production of sebum in the skin and is often used in acne treatments while sodium hydroxide is a pH adjuster, but can be a skin irritant. My skin was just fine using it and is probably the only one I will keep using.
It felt like there was a bit of residue on my face after using all three micellar waters and though my skin wasn't oily, it did feel slightly tacky which I have experienced with other cleansing waters and makeup wipes.
Final verdict: As for whether the glycerin made a difference? Compared to my micellar water of choice, the very famous Bioderma Sensibio, I did not feel like the glycerin made my cleansing routine any better. I have a feeling that the cleansing efficacy of Sensibio is superior because Bioderma uses propylene glycol in their formulation. I know some would prefer not to have this ingredient in their skincare which is when I say maybe these new micellar waters might be something to look at. Pricewise, I think $20 for 400mL is very affordable and if you don't wear heavy or waterproof makeup and have sensitive skin these might be worth checking out, but as for me, I don't think I will be giving up my Bioderma just yet even though it's almost double the price...
La Roche-Posay is available at all drugstores across Canada.
Edit: I just had a look at the prices for both of these cleansers at London Drugs and the La Roche-Posay was $24 for 400mL and Bioderma Sensibio $25 for 500mL so pricing is fairly comparable if not better for Bioderma.
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