Bioderma micellar water side effects

What symptoms should you watch for?

Contact dermatitis, a skin reaction caused by irritation or an allergy, can cause:

• Burning, stinging, tenderness or intense itching.
• A rash with discoloration, swelling or warmth.
• Excessively dry skin, flaking or cracks.
• Hives or fluid filled blisters, sometimes with oozing and crusting.

Burning or itching can start before a rash becomes visible. An allergic reaction can also take time to appear, so symptoms need not begin during the first swipe. Repeated contact with the cause can lead to thickened, scaly skin and deeper cracks.1

The skin around your eyes is thin and particularly prone to contact dermatitis. A cleanser or makeup remover can trigger a reaction there even after brief contact. Fragrance or another ingredient can be responsible; the location of the rash alone cannot identify the culprit.2

What should you do if you react?

Stop the suspected product and watch whether the rash clears. Improvement after stopping helps narrow down the cause. If avoiding the suspected product does not resolve the problem, or you cannot work out what triggers it, see a dermatologist for help identifying the cause.2

Could an ingredient allergy be responsible?

For a known ingredient allergy, read the ingredient list on your own bottle. Benzalkonium chloride, for example, can cause irritation or allergic contact dermatitis if present in a product. Irritation is more common than allergy, and people with a damaged skin barrier, including eczema, are more susceptible. Do not assume your Bioderma bottle contains it just because the ingredient can occur in makeup removers.4

A dermatologist can use patch testing to investigate an allergy to benzalkonium chloride. If that allergy is confirmed, avoiding products containing the ingredient matters beyond your cleanser: it also occurs in some moisturizers, wipes and eye drops.4

Why is it used for sensitive skin?

Micelles are tiny clusters of cleansing molecules that lift oil, dirt and makeup. Mild cleansing agents make micellar water less likely than some cleansers to strip natural oils.56

Water alone cannot remove all oily dirt, which is where the word 'water' starts underselling the contents. Cleansing agents do that work, but excessive cleansing, particularly with abrasive products, can damage the skin's protective surface film.3

In a survey of 400 Sensibio H2O users, 82% reported sensitive skin. Self reported itching, tightness, tingling and burning improved from day 2 and continued improving through day 28. That timeline describes improved comfort during use, not a reason to continue applying a cleanser that causes a rash.7

How should you use it?

1. 1Apply micellar water to a cotton pad and sweep gently across your face without scrubbing.
2. 2Bioderma says Sensibio H2O does not require rinsing. When removing sunscreen or cosmetics, general micellar water guidance advises following with a gentle cleanser.
3. 3Finish with moisturizer and, in the morning, sunscreen. Micellar water can be used in the morning, at bedtime or both.