Bioderma vs Simple Micellar Water 2024 (The Definitive Guide)

We’re positive you’ve seen or at the very least heard of Bioderma’s and Simple’s cult-favourite micellar water. But how do they compare? And which is best for you?

Most Bioderma vs Simple reviews we've found online briefly glance over the standard version of the micellar water and then call it a day, completely neglecting the fact that there are several alternatives by the same brands that are absolutely worth comparing, too. To rectify this, we've compiled a set of 3 comparisons (one for each skin type and purpose) to help you better decide which is best for you and your skin!

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Bioderma vs Simple Micellar Water

Micellar water is made up of tiny surfactant molecules (i.e. soap) suspended in soft water. These molecules attract impurities (such as makeup), drawing them away from the skin without interfering with your skin’s natural oils and moisture barrier. Not only does this make micellar water less likely to dry out or irritate normal skin, it makes for an ideal alternative to cleansing for those with sensitive skin.

Micellar water for normal/sensitive skin

There’s arguably no two better choices of micellar water for normal to sensitive skin types than the Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water and the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water; two absolute cult-favourites with thousands of rave reviews between them. There are a couple of considerations to take into account before deciding which is best, though.

2024 update: Looks like Simple has been busy since we originally published this comparison article! True to their name, they've simplified their formula somewhat, doing away with superfluous Vitamins B3 and C (which in hindsight wouldn't have had much effect in a cleanser anyway), while retaining plenty of humectants. They've also updated their packaging (reflected in the updated photos here), which is 100% recycled.

Meanwhile, Bioderma's formula has remained unchanged, and so has our verdict. Read on to find out more!

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Although price played a large part in our conclusions regarding Bioderma vs Garnier micellar water, here, the prices are almost exactly equal ounce for fluid ounce, so it’s going to come more down to differences in efficacy and formula. Speaking of which, both brands place a particular emphasis on their ingredient selection process; allow us to expand and contrast.

Bioderma selects their ingredients in line with the NAOS approach to skincare, which respects the skin’s biological balance, ensuring perfect tolerance for even the most sensitive skin (notice the similarity yet?). Formulated with a pH of around 5.5 - which happens to be around the same acidity as pure rainwater - and a complex of 3 biomimetic soothing sugars, Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O Micellar Water soothes and prevents inflammation.

When we tried them out for ourselves, we definitely found Simple’s to be just that bit more effective. While the Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water did the job in the end, it took one extra application than Simple’s did to achieve the same results (removing a single swatch of makeup), meaning that value-wise Simple’s also slightly trumps Bioderma’s. With regards to gentleness, we saw no adverse effects from either product, which echoes the sentiment of the thousands of rave reviews online.

All in all, our preference lies with the Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Water. In our books, it ekes out wins on the efficacy front and value front (not to mention that the Simple Micellar Water is also cruelty free and vegan whereas Bioderma’s is not). That said, it would be very hard to argue that Bioderma’s skin-biology-friendly formula isn’t an enticing alternative.

Micellar water for hydration

Micellar water’s natural state as, well, water… makes it ideal for injecting your skin with an extra boost of hydration when you feel you need it. Simple and Bioderma each offer variants of their cult-favourite micellar water specifically for this purpose: the Simple Water Boost Micellar Cleansing Water, and the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Micellar Water.

Just as with Simple’s Kind to Skin Micellar Water, their Water Boost Micellar Water is also completely free of harsh, irritating chemicals, making it perfect for dry & sensitive skin. It is also cruelty-free, vegan, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. The similarities more or less stop there, though, since the formula switches up the actives for more hydration-oriented ingredients (which definitely makes a lot of sense).

Plant-based prebiotics take the spotlight (ensuring a strong and healthy moisture barrier), with PENTAVITIN - a 100% naturally derived extract which gives improved skin protection against dehydration and sensitivity - plays a major backing role.

The Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Micellar Water is also not all too different from the standard Sensibio version. The main difference is the inclusion of their patented “Aquagenium” complex which retrains the skin to activate its natural moisturizing capacities by stimulating the production of aquaporins (water channels in the skin). Furthermore, it’s fatty acid esters naturally help rebuild the skin’s hydrolipidic film, helping to lock in hydration for longer.

We couldn’t find any stats regarding Simple’s hydrating capabilities, but Bioderma proudly and transparently presents their “+25% hydration after 8 hours” figure on their website. When we tried them for ourselves, the difference was night and day. With the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Micellar Water, the makeup removing efficacy is much improved over the pink cap (Sensibio) version, requiring just a single application to get the job done.

Also, its hydrating power is seriously unrivalled; some nights I even felt I could forego the usual night cream step and still woke up to a hydrated, dewy-looking portrait in the mirror. I truly wish I could just bathe in a tub full of the stuff!

If it wasn’t clear already, we much prefer the Bioderma Micellar Water here, and not because Simple’s is bad per se, but rather Bioderma’s is just that good.

Bioderma vs Simple Makeup Wipes

And to round off this set of comparisons, we have the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes and the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Makeup Wipes. No special explanation is required here, other than pointing out that the towelettes are pre-doused with their respective brands’ micellar water for ease of use.

As you can probably imagine, our conclusion strongly resembles that of our first comparison in that on paper we prefer Simple’s makeup wipes over Bioderma’s for the same reasons as described before. The value also seems much better with Simple in this case, since you can buy a pack of three (totalling 75 wipes) for the price of two of Bioderma’s (totalling 50 wipes). That said, Victoria Beckham absolutely *swears* by Bioderma’s Sensibio Makeup wipes, so perhaps that will sway a few people’s decisions (admittedly myself included!).

2024 update: Just as with their micellar water, Simple's packaging has seen an overhaul over the past couple of years. It's not immediately clearly whether or not the ingredients list has seen any change as well (though some concentrations appear to be different), but thanks to Amazon we do know that their return rate is *incredibly* low, which is indicative of a product that people love and use to the very last wipe.

This article was originally published on January 18th 2022, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on January 24th 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.