Bioderma Sebium H2O Solution - Honest Review

Micellar waters have been around for years, especially in Europe, but they seemed to have blown-up in popularity in the last year or so. They arrived to North America from the shelves of ordinary French pharmacies and the rest is history - everyone wanted a bottle!

The basic concept of these solutions is a formula based on oil infused water so in theory that means that it would emulsify makeup and dirt from the skin surface without over drying or stripping .

Many beauty bloggers swear by Bioderma, praising its miraculous ability to clean the skin with just a few effortless swipes of cotton pads soaked in this broth and quoting famous makeup artists who apparently use this backstage at these famous fashion shows. 

Umm, ok! Once again I seem to be on side lines with this one, left wondering why I am not experiencing these awesome benefits that everyone else seems to have!

As I was pondering this thought, a kind of a lightbulb went on in my head! The reason this seems very mediocre to me is because my skin is too darn temperamental for such "light cleansing". Unfortunately for me wipes and micellar waters are simply not enough for my skin to unclog itself. Surprisingly that thought doesn't seem to upset me too much probably because as a product junkie I actually enjoy the gazillion steps my skin care routine entails. I know - I am pretty weird!

That being said, I have come to appreciate Bioderma for what it really is - an excellent makeup remover and ocassional cleanser for those situations where the sink is not available to me. As with other micellar waters rinsing is not required but it is recommended that you pat your skin dry once cleansing is finished. My fellow science nerds will understand that this is done to prevent the moisture from evaporating from the skin cells and thereby interfere with the natural skin hydration balance. The formula is very gentle but capable of removing heavy eye makeup and even waterproof mascara, which means that I can use it as step 1 of my double cleansing evening routine. 

The formula I have is the Bioderma Sebium H2O, meant for oily-combination skin. One of main differences between the Sebium H2O and the original Bioderma Crealine is the fact that the Sebium does have a very light fragrance. The scent is very mild but if you are sensitive you might want to take that in to consideration. 

Having tried both formulas I have to say that I didn't notice any difference in performance or general feel on the skin. The Sebium H2O may have a slightly stronger cooling effect on the skin but that could very well be my imagination! It should be noted that both of these feel incredibly refreshing on the skin surface.

This particular Bioderma formulation is described like this;

Bioderma innovation, Sébium H2O gently cleanses the skin without drying it, through the micro-emulsion of impurities and excess sebum.
Enriched with purifying active ingredients, SébiumH2O cleanses the epidermis in depth and regulates secretion of sebum. The patented sebo-correcting complex, Fluidactiv^®, normalises sebum quality.
Sébium H2O guarantees excellent cutaneous and ocular tolerance.
Sébium H2O is non-comedogenic.

Ingredients;

WATER (AQUA), PEG-6 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, SODIUM CITRATE , ZINC GLUCONATE, COPPER SULFATE, GINKGO BILOBA EXTRACT, MANNITOL, XYLITOL, RHAMNOSE, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, CITRIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM).

Since this Bioderma is targeted towards oily skin, which usually means acne-prone, it's comforting to see that it's packed full with zinc, ginkgo biloba, xylitol and copper. All of these ingredients are known to work to counteract acne and other skin congestion issues. 

One of the things that I really like about the Sebium H2O is the fact that it really does live up to the promise of being ultra-gentle. It is the only makeup remover (micellar or otherwise) that does not sting my eyes one bit. I can use this comfortably over my eyes (and face) with no irritation and despite that its that mild it still manages to remove every last trace of the heaviest eye makeup possible. 

My final conclusion is somewhat mixed! I don't think the Bioderma would serve well  as a primary cleanser for most people but used as a makeup remover definitively earns its star power. There is a reason why this is used backstage at these fancy fashion events and not in the model's apartments as the sole cleanser. For a quick makeup change this little bottle will not let you down.

Bioderma seems to be hard to track down in the US but in Canada it can be found in almost any Shoppers Drug Mart. New online suppliers are popping up every day due to the huge demand and there are a lot of eBay sellers that stock it regularly as well. 

I hope you found these helpful! 

Have you tried Bioderma yet? 

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)