BEDA Day 1: Avène vs Bioderma: The Battle of the Cleansing Waters

Hello everyone and welcome to the first day of BEDA (Blog Everyday in August). I hope you enjoy today's post. 

Micellar lotions or cleansing waters are all the rage these days. Evidently they are already very popular in Europe but have just recently made their way into North America.

Firstly, I thought I would talk a bit about what cleansing waters are supposed to do and how you are supposed to use them. Cleansing waters are meant to be used in conjunction with a cotton pad to either remove makeup or cleanse the skin. The idea behind them is that you don’t have to rinse them off. They are designed to stay on the skin and work wonders. Many people with sensitive skin rave about cleansing waters because the ingredients are so minimal that they hardly, if ever, irritate the skin. Sounds like a miracle product already, doesn’t it?

One of the most popular cleansing waters is by Bioderma and mine is called the Sensibio H20. I have watched hundreds of YouTube beauty vloggers rave about Bioderma and it’s many benefits. Bioderma is widely available in Europe and the United Kingdom but clearly absent on American shelves. American’s have to order Bioderma online. As I am a lucky Canadian, Bioderma is available for me at Shoppers Drug Mart where I was able to get my hands on a bottle to try out.

Now for many years I have been using makeup-removing wipes to remove my makeup at night in order to prepare my skin for a thorough cleansing after with a wash off cleanser. I decided to stop with the wipes and use Bioderma in place of them. What I noticed the first week of using Bioderma was a change in my overall skin texture. I was always getting pimples on my forehead (the consequence of having an oily T-zone) and I never really knew how to control them or stop them. While using Bioderma and removing cleansing wipes from my routine, I noticed that those breakouts were fewer and farther in between. I also noticed that there was no adjusting period. Usually, for some people (including me), trying new products means that skin goes out of whack for a couple of days but with Bioderma I found that there was none of that. The formula was made for sensitive skin so it knows what it’s doing. The only downside to Bioderma is the price. Although it isn’t too expensive it does cost around $24.00 to $30.00 which when compared to the cost of an average package of makeup-removing wipes at the drugstore, $8.00 to $10.00, that is significantly higher but do the benefits outweigh the cost. In my opinion: of course. I mean everyone wants clearer skin right? It’s sort of like one of those universal desires: clear skin, toned body, amazing hair. Well none of those things come easy so I guess in some cases spending a little extra will get you a little more. I wish there was a successful drugstore dupe for Bioderma for me to try out and hopefully fall in love with but not as of yet.

Another popular alternative to Bioderma and also much more readily available in the United States is Avène Micellar Lotion. I picked this up because it was one sale and also because I have heard amazing things about the brand Avène. I have read countless reviews and praises about Avène and their commitment to making products for sensitive skin. I also wanted to try a brand that almost anyone could get their hands on and that wasn’t so scarce like Bioderma. I used Avène the exact same way I used Bioderma so to keep this comparison honest and as fair as possible. Firstly, they both have their merits. Avène leaves a much cleaner residue on the skin. Bioderma does tend to leave my skin with a little bit of a filmy residue but it hardly bothers me because I wash my face with cleanser immediately after. The problem that I have with Avène is the scent. It’s not that I don’t like the scent, it is quite nice but the scent is so extreme that it really shocked me. For a company that keeps sensitive skin in mind, they sure don’t seem to realize that high fragrance can be quite irritating to the skin. In fact my eyes would hurt every single time I used Avène to remove my eye makeup. To be completely fair, Bioderma does also have a mild scent (even though it claims to be "fragrance free") but it is far less potent than that of Avène, which makes it far less irritating on the skin. Now Avène as a brand do make some wonderful products (I adore their sunscreens!) but in terms of cleansing waters; I would stick with Bioderma, especially for those with highly sensitive skin particularly around the eye area.

Well there you have it. The battle of the cleansing waters has concluded. This is the first day of BEDA (Blog Everyday in August). Stay tuned for more exciting blogs coming to you every single day in August. See you all tomorrow.

Stay Happy!

- Cate W.