What This Bioderma Micellar Water Does
This Bioderma micellar water removes make-up, sunscreen, sweat and the oily film of a long day from skin that shines, in one pass, with a cotton pad and no water at all. Nothing to lather, nothing to rinse, no tight feeling afterwards. Sebium H2O is the version made for oily and breakout-prone skin, and this is the 250 ml bottle — the one that fits a gym bag, a wash bag and a hand luggage allowance.
Why People Buy a Micellar Water at All
Because it works in all the places a basin is not. Bioderma’s instruction for this bottle runs to three steps and stops: soak a cotton pad, wipe it over the face, and leave it there, because the label states in as many words that no rinsing is required. That is the entire appeal, and once you have used one on an evening when washing your face properly was simply not an option, it is hard to go back to a cleanser that needs running water to work.
On a day when the water is off or rationed, you can still take your face off properly. After the gym, you clean up without queueing for a communal sink. On a night shift, in a hostel, in a hotel room, in the back of a car on the way home from a wedding with a full face of make-up on, a cotton pad is all the equipment you need. It works around the eyes too, which is where the make-up that is hardest to shift tends to be.
Which Size to Buy, Honestly
We stock this bottle and a bigger one, and we would rather you heard this from us than worked it out afterwards.
At the moment the two bottles are priced almost the same. The 500 ml bottle holds twice as much for only a little more money, so per use it costs a fraction of what this one does. If this is going to live on your bathroom shelf and you already know micellar water suits you, buy that one instead with our blessing.
Buy this size for a reason, and there are three good ones. You are trying micellar water for the first time and do not want to commit. You travel, and the big bottle is too large for hand luggage. Or you want a second bottle for the gym bag or the handbag while the large one stays at home. Those are the cases where 250 ml is the right purchase, and our pharmacist will tell you the same at the counter.
What Is in It, and the Fragrance Question
Bioderma publish the full ingredient list. Three parts of it matter to a buyer.
The cleansing is done by micelles, not soap. PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides surround oil and dirt so a cotton pad can carry them off the skin. That is why nothing needs rinsing, and why skin is left comfortable rather than tight afterwards.
Zinc gluconate and copper sulfate are what make this the oily-skin version. Bioderma call them sanitising, and the claim they put on the finished bottle is that it purifies and limits sebum secretion. Ginkgo biloba leaf extract and a set of sugars — mannitol, xylitol, rhamnose and fructo-oligosaccharides — make up the rest.
It contains fragrance. Parfum is in Bioderma’s own published list. That is unremarkable in a micellar water, but it is the commonest reason people react to a cosmetic, so if scented products have troubled you before, tell us and we will point you to the unfragranced Sensibio range instead. Bioderma state this one is non-comedogenic, has very good tolerance, and make it for adults and teenagers.
What Bioderma Tested, and on How Many People
Bioderma attach sample sizes to their figures, so we can give you the numbers and the groups they came from.
A usage test on 20 volunteers aged 19 to 46 with combination or oily skin, run over 7 days: 95% found the cleansing gentle, 95% reported purified skin. A separate instrumental study on 33 volunteers over 30 days measured microparticles left on the skin and found them down by 93%.
Two of those three are people’s own impressions of a product they knew they were using, in small groups. The 93% was measured by an instrument, which makes it the one worth paying attention to. We give them as the maker’s own testing, because that is what they are.
How to Use It
Soak a cotton pad, wipe it gently over the face and around the eyes until the pad stops coming away grey, and stop. No water, no rinsing. Once or twice a day.
Do not scrub — on skin that breaks out, friction leaves more marks than the dirt would have. And treat it as the wash rather than a toner to follow one. If you prefer the feeling of water on your face there is no harm in splashing afterwards, but it is not needed.
If you are on a prescribed acne cream, cleaning with this first is sensible because it leaves the skin’s own oils alone. Ask our pharmacist to fit it around your treatment, and if that treatment has left your face dry and sore, the Sebium Hydra moisturiser is the one built for exactly that.
Is This Bioderma Micellar Water Right for You?
It is made for oily, combination and breakout-prone skin, and it is a good first micellar water. A few things to check.
- It contains fragrance. Ask us for the unfragranced alternative if scented products have given you trouble.
- Keep it out of the eyes themselves. It is made for the eye area, not for inside the eye; if it gets in, rinse with water.
- Inflamed, painful or scarring acne needs our doctor, not a cleanser. Marks left behind are treatable and the sooner the better.
- Patch test on the inner arm if a cleanser or make-up remover has ever reacted on you.
- For adults and teenagers, and not for babies or young children.
Where to Buy Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Water 250 ml in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At one use a day a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A micellar water like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Water 250 ml from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will tell you whether this size or the larger bottle is the better buy for you, check whether the Sebium or the Sensibio version suits your skin, and fit it around any prescribed acne treatment. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Bioderma Micellar Water, 250 ml: Your Questions Answered
What is this Bioderma micellar water for?
Taking the day off an oily or breakout-prone face — make-up, sunscreen, sweat and the greasy film that builds up by evening — with a cotton pad and no water. Sebium H2O is the version Bioderma make for skin that shines and breaks out, and their claim for it is that it purifies and limits sebum secretion while respecting the skin’s balance.
Do I have to rinse afterwards?
No. Bioderma’s directions are soak a cotton pad, wipe the face, no rinsing. That is why people buy a micellar water at all: you can clean your face properly when the water is off, after the gym, on a night shift, travelling, or at the end of a long evening in full make-up.
Should I buy this size or the big one?
Buy this one for a reason and the big one otherwise. The two bottles are priced close together at the moment, so the 500 ml bottle gives twice the product for a little more money. This size earns its place if you are trying micellar water for the first time, if you travel and need something that fits hand luggage, or if you want a second bottle for the gym bag.
How long does 250 ml last?
Used once a day by one person, around two months. Morning and evening, around one. Tell us how long you want covered and we will work out what to send.
Can I take it on a plane?
Yes. At 250 ml it travels in checked luggage without a thought, and it is the practical choice for a trip where the big bottle would have to stay at home. For hand luggage, check your airline’s current liquid limit before you pack it.
Can I use it on my eyes?
Yes, around the eyes as well as on the face — that is what Bioderma make it for, and it is where the make-up that is hardest to remove sits. Keep it out of the eye itself, and rinse with water if any gets in.
Does it foam?
No. It is a clear liquid you wipe on with a pad, not a wash you lather. If you would rather have a foaming cleanser for the same skin type, ask us about the Sebium Hydra cleanser.
Does it contain fragrance?
Yes — parfum appears in Bioderma’s own published ingredient list. That is normal for a micellar water and is not a fault, but fragrance is the commonest cause of a reaction to a cosmetic, so tell us if scented products have given you trouble and we will point you to the unfragranced Sensibio range.
How is it different from the blue Bioderma bottle?
The blue Sensibio H2O is for sensitive, reactive skin. This is the Sebium version, with zinc gluconate and copper sulfate added as purifying agents, made for skin that is oily and prone to breakouts. Reactive rather than oily skin is better served by the Sensibio line.
What testing is behind it?
A 7-day usage test on 20 volunteers aged 19 to 46 with combination or oily skin, in which 95% called the cleansing gentle and 95% reported purified skin; and a 30-day instrumental study on 33 volunteers in which microparticles on the skin fell by 93%. Small groups, two of the three self-reported, so we present them as the maker’s own testing.
Will it stop me breaking out?
It is not a treatment and we will not sell it as one. It cleans oily skin without stripping it, which makes a prescribed cream easier to live with. If your acne is inflamed, sore or leaving marks, see our doctor instead of changing cleanser — that is treatable, and the sooner it is looked at the better.
Is it suitable for teenagers?
Yes, Bioderma make it for adults and teenagers. It is not for babies or young children.
Where can I buy Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Water 250 ml in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown at the top of this listing. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. This is the travel size; if the bottle is for home use ask us about the 500 ml instead, which works out far cheaper per use.
