Bioderma Sensibio H20 vs Garnier Micelle Cleansing Water

Bioderma is as far as I can tell, the cult and most loved water based micelle solution. Garnier has recently been the first mass market consumer brand to bring out their own version of this. Of course the two will be compared to each other but which works better?

Let me explain a little bit about what micelles are, as I had never heard of it before and had no idea what it was I wanted to know what results are to come from this so I can see this when I use it compared to what the packaging is claiming. Micelles are molecules that are formed in high concentration in water. Each molecule is made up of two parts; the inside of oil and outside of water. Know you may be aware that water and oil repel each other so a micelle molecule is able to be formed the water 'head' sticking outside with the water 'tail' inside.

This is the basic formulation for most soapy detergents as when the molecule is split open the oil is released and able to do its work in breaking down grease and oil. However, micelles are different in that they are spherical clusters.

Packaging:

The first thing that caught my eye about this is the similarity of the packaging with Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellaire solution. Maybe that's a marketing ploy for consumers to try it out and automatically compare it to this. They are similar but not the same, Garnier has more of a baby pink theme and a flatter bottle and Bioderma a rosy pink with a rounder bottle. The openings are different with Garnier being smaller.

Smell:

I can't smell anything for either. Bioderma is fragrance free whereas Garnier is perfume free that doesn't always mean it has no smell. I'm not sensitive to scents in a product so this didn't bother me.

Colour:

Both are clear.

Formula/ Texture:

They are similar in that they are a thin, lightweight liquid consistency. Both are easily absorbed into the skin and contains soothing ingredients for sensitive skin and is hypoallergenic.

I have combination skin and have had no breakouts, irritations, sensitivity from either. Nor did it tug or pull at my skin or leave any sort of film on my skin. My skin isn't left feeling tight after use with either brand. One difference I've noticed is that the Bioderma leaves a slightly cooling leaving my skin soft.

I did notice that the Garnier solution dribbled out and down the side of the bottle instead of dropping out. I'm thinking because there is no lip on the opening or it could be the size of the opening on the cap? So I hold the cotton pad directly over the opening and tip the bottle upside down to avoid this.

One main use of a micelle solution is as a makeup remover and they both do a really good job completely removing all my makeup including eye makeup. It is easy, fuss free and very gentle to use. Both needed 3-4 drops of solution to remove all my makeup including eye makeup.

I think the best way to best the removing power is on eye makeup. I took one half of a cotton pad for each brand, holding on one eye for 30 seconds and swiping away. The results are below, I am surprised to see that how much they removed is very close. As you can see Bioderma has more pigmented eyeshadow and liner/mascara which to me means that it has removed more.

Another use for a micelle solution is as a cleanser. So in the same manner as removing makeup, both are gentle and effective. The non rinse formula allows for this to be perfect for any situation especially travel. This is a non rinse cleanser which was a little weird at first but after using Bioderma I am used to it. I was really expecting it to leave a film of some kind and not work for me, but it didn't! I can't determine one way on this so both are 

Even before using it, I noticed that the liquid bubbles easier in the Garnier. I compared ingredients listed and they have a few main ingredients in common but Garnier has more chemical sounding ingredients like Disodium. It makes me wonder if this contains cheaper other ingredients to get the same effect which is why it's sold at a cheaper price. Could this be an explanation for why it wasn't as effective at  removing the same amount of eye makeup in the test?

Bioderma is a French skincare brand and along with the other brands from this country are pioneers in the micelle solution so it makes me think they have a better access to knowledge and science when formulating a product like this.

So who wins? Bioderma or Garnier?
Overall with this in mind, I personally think that Bioderma is a more effective micelle solution.

The makeup removal results are so very close so keep in mind your situation. If you wear light makeup then Garnier is the perfect option, it'll remove your makeup just as efficiently as Bioderma and is more affordable so there's no need to spend the extra money on the Bioderma.

This is the same thinking process for someone who would use a micelle solution as an additional makeup removing step. Garnier is cheaper, therefore more cost efficient when using with another removal product.

If your situation is more about the cleanser aspect, then honestly the ball is in your court. The performed exactly the same for me. You can look at availability, ingredients, price, size of bottle, amount of product needed etc to help make your decision. I'd say for the most part the price would sway most to Garnier being $12 for 400ml compared to $30 for 250ml.

I hope this was helpful, ultimately the decision is yours.