Garnier Skin Active Micellar Gel Wash Review

I really love the Garnier Micellar Water, so I had high hopes for this product as it would eliminate a step from my evening routine and speed things up. It works - it removes most make up (although I still prefer to use make up wipes first anyway). However, I would not purchase this again because I found it a bit stingy - it says to use on your eyes to remove eye make up but it REALLY stings if it gets in or near your eyes. It also claims to be scent-free but I found it had a really chemical smell which was unpleasant. The only thing I really liked about this product is that it foamed and lathered well, and the packaging/bottle is nice.

Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Gel Wash is an all-in-one rinse-off gel that not only promises to remove make-up but cleanses too. It's dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested, has a gentle formula, and is non-perfumed, making it perfect for all skin types, including sensitive skin. If you're avoiding products containing SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) you may want to avoid purchasing this, as it does contain it.

Packaged in an easy to use 200ml clear plastic pump action bottle with hot pink nozzle, the bottle makes it easy to see how much you have left. Unfortunately, this product did not live up to the promises made. This extremely gentle cleansing gel hardly foams, and does not remove gel eyeliner pencil or non-waterproof mascara, however it did remove powder products and foundation.

I ended up using the rest of my bottle of Micellar Cleansing Gel Wash after oil cleansing first to remove make-up, purely to use it up (as I didn't want to simply throw the product away) and to help remove some of the oil cleanser residue before I cleansed with a foaming cleanser.

Sadly, this micellar product gets a "no" from me, and I won't be purchasing more or recommending it. Garnier's Micellar Water did a better job of removing make-up than this did.

I'll be frank - not overly impressed with this micellar gel wash. I was intrigued because I use the Garnier Micellar Water and love it. However, I love it because I don't have to rinse my face afterwards. Putting it in a gel wash just defeats the purpose for me. But, I still gave this product a go. It doesn't foam up too much, and looks pretty cool in a clear gel form. But my skin was irritated by this, even though it was meant for sensitive skin. Not sure why, maybe I just have ultra sensitive skin? It also didn't remove makeup around my eyes, and I use mascara. To me, this product wasn't anything special, and that's a bummer.

I was super keen to try this as I love Micellar water and the Garnier one is my favourite!

You only need to use one pump and the definite advantage over the water is that you don't need a cotton swab to use it. It foams up relatively nicely and definitely removed all of my skin makeup! It says it can also be used to remove eye makeup and it didn't sting or irritate on the eye area. However, I found it couldn't remove all of my mascara without using something else. I had to bring out the face halo or a cotton pad to get the rest of it off.... this was probably the biggest let down.

It doesn't really have a particular smell. Just clean and fresh. Which is nice for a makeup remover.

It does the job it says (minus removing eye makeup) and it is very gentle on the skin but because of it not removing mascara I would always choose the water over top of this. The water would also last a lot longer as I find you literally need the smallest amount and a bottle of the same price would last sooooo much longer.

Good product, but the alternative is better!

This Gel Wash definitely caught my attention, you can use it on your face, eyes and lips! I really that idea, it makes removing your makeup a lot quicker. It comes in a clear plastic bottle with a pink pump lid, its easy to use and you need a couple of pumps to get enough product for your entire face and neck. Trying to get it to foam up on your face after you apply to wet skin didn't really work for me but if you foam it up by rubbing it into your hands first it works great. Before I used it I made sure I had another read of the instructions on the back of the bottle, luckily I did because it says 'incase of direct eye contact rinse immediately' so I guessed it really isn't good to get in your eyes! I was a bit worried because I wasn't sure how I'm supposed to use it on my eye makeup without getting some in my eyes, the thought of it freaked me out a bit. The product doesn't have much of a smell to it, just a mild chemical scent. The first time I used it I foamed it up in my hands and rubbed it all over my face and lips, I've got to admit it works really well at removing makeup, but I really don't like the fact that it stings if you gets some in your eyes, I found it impossible to not get any in my eyes while removing my eye makeup, the next morning I ended up with a swollen eye up the top, which has never happened before so I wont be using it on my eye makeup again. It also tastes really bad so try not to get it in your mouth while using it on your lips! I liked that it didn't dry my skin out it was very gentle. I'm not sure if I would purchase again just because of the fact that I wouldn't use on my eye makeup again when that's what its for, the price is affordable though.

After reading all the rave reviews of this gel wash, I thought I'd better give it a go.

What I like:

Lathers up well

Comes in an easy to use pump bottle that is clear so you can see how much is left

Seems like good value for money as you get quite a lot and don't need more than a coin sized blob for your face

No exfoliating beads so OK for when you don't want to scrub

If fragrance irritates your face or eyes then you might like this, but only if that's the only thing your face doesn't like.

What I don't like:

I mistakenly thought all micellar things were the same, and all natural/healthy. Unfortunately Garnier have resorted to using Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) which was a surprise - I wouldn't have bought it if I'd read the ingredients.

While it doesn't feel harsh upon application or directly after, a little while afterwards I notice that my face feels a prickly and irritated. No other face washes or scrubs make my skin feel like that. The feeling goes away if I apply moisturiser but since I've already put some on after my shower, this would be an additional layer.

The labels says you can wash your eye makeup off with this but it didn't make a dent in my non-waterproof mascara or waterproof eyeliner. It did get the cream eyeshadow off.

Overall I give this a No Thanks. I'll probably finish it off in the shower as a body wash, but it needs to stay away from my face.

I tested this every day for a week and it removes almost all make up on the first go! Waterproof formulas generally take a couple of washes but that’s ok because I didn’t find it drying which was nice. The smell though, ugh! It was a very harsh smell and I hated it for that reason alone. I’d use it if I didn’t have better smelling options, but I don’t think it’s my go to.

I wanted to like it, unfortunately I can’t get past the smell.

I was skeptical with this product. My usual routine is to use makeup wipes and then cleanse using a high end cleanser like clarins or dermalogica. My review of this product will be comparing this cheaper product to my usual. The size of the bottle is great value for money. A similar size bottle in cleansers I normally use is over $100 so the price is definitely a plus. The pump lid is also really handy to manage the amount you want to use. The liquid is light and clear. When rubbing on my face it doesn't foam up as much as I expected so a full pump is required, definitely not a pea sized amount you would use with the high end cleanses. The bottle says to massage around your eyes and lips to remove makeup. I purposely didnt take my make up off with a wipe to test this claim. It works! Even on waterproof mascara, it gently removed it without having to scrub with a wipe. The liquid is free of perfume so I didnt like the chemical smell very much. Scrubbing my lips I accidentally tasted the product and it was sour and gross but your not meant to eat it so I can't judge that! After cleansing, my face didn't feel tight and dry which is good because even some high end cleansers can make it feel like this. Overall this product is great value for money but I do prefer more specialized cleansers that are for hydration or break outs. I do like using makeup wipes so I havent got much need for this. I will continue to use it as an extra makeup remover after using the wipes but I'll still cleanse properly with my high end stuff.