Micellar water that removes makeup

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water has the best record: 27 of 30 reviewers said it took their makeup off easily, without much rubbing, and it is also the best pick sold on Amazon. Garnier Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup follows at 60 of 71, and more reviewers weighed in on it than on any other water here. Simple Micellar Cleansing Water has the weakest record here at 12 of 16.

  • 232 store reviews counted
  • Target shoppers
  • Mar 2016 to Sep 2026

Updated . How we count

Did it take makeup off easily? What reviewers said
  1. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water 30 said either way
  2. Garnier Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup 71 said either way
  3. Garnier Micellar Water with Rose Water 34 said either way
  4. La Roche-Posay Ultra Micellar Cleansing Water 28 said either way
  5. Simple Micellar Cleansing Water 16 said either way

Share of reviewers who stated an outcome for makeup removal. Ranked by the lower bound of a 90% confidence interval, so a product needs both a good share and enough reports to rank high.

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water Best record Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water 27 of 30 say it removes makeup easily See price & reviews on Amazon
What stands out

Each water comes with its own complaint. Stinging eyes come up in 18% of Bioderma reviews and 15% of La Roche-Posay reviews, a leftover film in 15% of Garnier Waterproof reviews, and irritation or breakouts in 38% of Simple reviews.

The ranking, product by product

Praise and complaints are the points reviewers repeat most, shown as a share of each product's counted store reviews.

1 Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water

Bioderma

Sensibio H2O Micellar Water

27/30 say it removes makeup easily

27 of 30 reviewers said it took makeup off with little rubbing, and 38% of its reviews call it gentle on skin. Stinging eyes is the main complaint, at 18%. Reviews copied from Bioderma's site agree at 9 of 9, which we show but don't count.

What buyers praise

  • Gentle on skin 38%
  • Leaves skin fresh 18%
  • Gentle on eyes 15%
  • No residue 10%

What buyers complain about

  • Stings eyes 18%
  • Too expensive 10%
  • Irritation or breakouts 5%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 27 of 30
  • Brand site 9 of 9 shown, not counted
2 Garnier Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup

Garnier

Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup

Best for good value

60/71 say it removes makeup easily

60 of 71 reviewers said it removed their makeup easily, the largest group to weigh in on this page. 10% call it good value. The complaints are makeup left behind (16%) and a leftover film (15%).

What buyers praise

  • Gentle on skin 18%
  • Leaves skin fresh 11%
  • Good value 10%
  • No residue 9%
  • Gentle on eyes 5%

What buyers complain about

  • Leaves residue 15%
  • Irritation or breakouts 9%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 60 of 71
  • Brand site 8 of 9 shown, not counted
3 Garnier Micellar Water with Rose Water

Garnier

Micellar Water with Rose Water

28/34 say it removes makeup easily

Reviewers liked how it felt: 22% call it gentle on skin and 10% say their skin felt fresh after. Still, 6 of 34 said it left makeup behind or took a lot of rubbing.

What buyers praise

  • Gentle on skin 23%
  • Leaves skin fresh 10%
  • No residue 8%
  • Good value 8%
  • Gentle on eyes 5%

What buyers complain about

  • Irritation or breakouts 13%
  • Stings eyes 8%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 28 of 34
  • Brand site 1 of 3 shown, not counted
4 La Roche-Posay Ultra Micellar Cleansing Water

La Roche-Posay

Ultra Micellar Cleansing Water

23/28 say it removes makeup easily

Gentle on skin is the standout praise, in 50% of its reviews, and 23 of 28 said it removed makeup easily. Price (15%) and stinging eyes (15%) are the complaints. La Roche-Posay's own site shows 10 of 10, which we show but don't count.

What buyers praise

  • Gentle on skin 50%
  • Leaves skin fresh 15%
  • No residue 10%
  • Good value 8%
  • Gentle on eyes 5%

What buyers complain about

  • Stings eyes 15%
  • Too expensive 15%
  • Irritation or breakouts 8%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 23 of 28
  • Brand site 10 of 10 shown, not counted
5

Simple

Micellar Cleansing Water

12/16 say it removes makeup easily

Irritation or breakouts are the big complaint, in 38% of its reviews. On makeup, 12 of 16 said it came off easily, the weakest record on this page, and 25% still call it gentle on skin.

What buyers praise

  • Gentle on skin 25%
  • Gentle on eyes 13%
  • No residue 9%

What buyers complain about

  • Irritation or breakouts 38%
  • Leaves residue 6%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 12 of 16
  • Brand site 9 of 9 shown, not counted

Where these numbers come from

The 5 products ranked here carry 26,630 reviews at Target. We read the newest reviews of each product (up to a thousand per listing), kept the ones that talk about makeup removal, and counted up to 40 per product, posted between Mar 2016 and Sep 2026.

A review counts only when the reviewer used the product themselves. We drop reviews written in exchange for a free product or a sweepstakes entry (6 on this page), and products that are no longer sold.

Target also shows reviews first posted on brands' own websites. We show them on product cards but never count them, because brand-site reviews run more positive than store reviews of the same products.

Because we searched for the problem, people who had it are overrepresented. Compare products with each other rather than reading a share as your own odds.

Skin type, skin tone and age splits use what reviewers chose on Sephora's review form (and age on Ulta's when given). We only show a split when enough reviewers fall on each side.

Amazon buttons appear only on products that most reviewers here say fix the problem (at least 60%, with enough reviews to trust it). Everything else gets no buy link.

An AI model labels each review against a fixed list of points, and we spot-check the labels before publishing. We publish counts, never the reviews themselves.

Read the full method

Product pages we read

  1. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water Target (40 reviews counted)
  2. Garnier Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup Target (80 reviews counted)
  3. Garnier Micellar Water with Rose Water Target (40 reviews counted)
  4. La Roche-Posay Ultra Micellar Cleansing Water Target (40 reviews counted)
  5. Simple Micellar Cleansing Water Target (32 reviews counted)

Questions buyers ask

Which micellar water removes makeup easily?

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water has the best record (27 of 30), followed by Garnier Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup (60 of 71) and Garnier Micellar Water with Rose Water (28 of 34).

Does micellar water take off waterproof mascara?

Some are sold for it. Garnier Micellar Water for Waterproof Makeup is labeled for waterproof makeup, and 60 of 71 reviewers said it took their makeup off easily. If mascara still clings, our page on makeup remover for waterproof mascara covers removers made for that job.

Does micellar water sting your eyes?

It can. Stinging eyes come up in 18% of Bioderma reviews and 15% of La Roche-Posay reviews. Keep your eyes closed, hold the pad on your lashes for a few seconds, then wipe outward.

Does micellar water leave a residue?

It depends on the bottle. A leftover film is a complaint in 15% of Garnier Waterproof reviews, while 10% of Bioderma reviews say it left none. If your skin feels coated afterward, a splash of water or your usual cleanser takes care of it.

Related problems

Micellar water Micellar water for sensitive skin Top pick: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water 239 buyer reports Makeup remover Makeup remover that removes waterproof mascara Top pick: Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover 187 buyer reports Face wash Face wash that doesn't strip skin Top pick: Fresh Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser 294 buyer reports Face wash Face wash for sensitive skin Top pick: Clinique All About Clean Foaming Face Cleanser 362 buyer reports

HiveTried earns a commission when you buy through the "See price & reviews on Amazon" buttons. It never changes the ranking: the order comes from buyer reports only, and a product gets an Amazon button only when buyers here say it works.