I tried 5 different drugstore makeup removers, and I'll never use anything other than micellar water again (2024)

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Like many people, I wear makeup, and I take it off — but I haven't found a remover that I love.

I've been wearing makeup consistently since high school.

Although my makeup routine is pretty simple, I still have to use some kind of remover to get it all off at the end of the day.

Despite wearing makeup for years, I haven't found a remover that I'm totally happy with.

I have sensitive skin that dries out easily and am prone to breakouts when I use products that are too harsh, so the wrong remover can really cause issues for me.

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I decided to test five popular makeup removers to see which one was the best.

After nearly a decade of wearing makeup, it was time for me to find a remover that actually did its job and didn't make my skin feel bad in the process.

I selected five makeup removers for my test:

• Neutrogena's Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
• Aveeno's Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes
• Cetaphil's Gentle Oil-Free Makeup Remover
• Olay's Gentle Facial Cloths
• Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water

You can buy all of the removers at your local drugstore.

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To get ready for the test, I did my normal makeup routine.

After washing my face, I put on my makeup, which consisted of eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow pencil, and a bit of concealer under my eyes. Every product I used was something you could buy at the drugstore, much like the removers I used.

During the experiment, I washed my face after using each type of remover to "reset" my face for the next product, then reapplied my makeup.

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I started with the Neutrogena wipes, which I've been using for years.

Neutrogena's Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes have been my go-to makeup remover for as long as I've been wearing makeup, so I knew what I was getting into as I tried them.

It typically takes me several minutes to get all of my makeup off with the towelettes, as I have to rub my face pretty hard to get the wipe to work.

The makeup started to come off with a few swipes, but I noticed that the liquid in the wipe feltheavyon my skin.

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The towelette got my makeup off quickly,but not completely.

My mascara and eyebrow pencil came off pretty easily, but there was leftover eyeliner on my face. Even after using a towelette and washing my face, I still had eyeliner residue around my eyes.

I also had to wipe my face pretty hard to get it off, which made my skin red. The Neutrogena towelettes work, but in my opinion, they're time-consuming to use and hard on my skin.

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I tried another makeup removing wipe, this time from Aveeno.

I had never used Aveeno's Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes before, but they were popular when I researched products online, so I added them to the experiment.

I immediately noticed that the Aveeno wipe felt lighter on my skin compared with the Neutrogena version. But the gentle texture also meant that in my experience, it didn't work as well.

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Although it felt good on my skin, the Aveeno wipe wasn't effective at all.

Instead of removing the makeup, the Aveeno wipe seemed to just move it around my face.

The wipe left a layer of eyeliner and mascara on and under my eyes, making me look like I had dark circles.

In fact, my roommate walked by right after I had used the wipe and washed my face, and she said, "Oh, you have eyeliner on today."

Based on that comment and the makeup I could feel on my face, I definitely didn't feel strongly about the wipe's effectiveness. But I was glad it didn't make my skin feel dry.

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Next, I gave Cetaphil's Gentle Oil-Free Makeup Remover a try.

I was familiar with Cetaphil's sunscreens and cleansers, but I had never used the brand's makeup remover before the test.

I poured a generous amount directly onto my face, and I felt instantly confident about the Cetaphil remover. The makeup started to run off of my eyes as soon as the liquid touched my face.

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The Cetaphil remover got almost all of my makeup off and didn't dry out my skin.

The cleanser was much lighter on my face than both of the wipes I had tried. It felt similar to a moisturizer.

It became slightly less hydrating than a moisturizer, though, because I had to wash my face after using the remover, as it didn't fully get the makeup off.

But once I washed my face, the makeup hadvanished, leaving no residue, unlike the wipes.

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Olay's wipes were the next remover on my list.

Olay's Gentle Facial Cloths seemed to be another popular remover based on my research, and I've liked other Olay products I've used in the past, so I had high hopes.

When I first applied the cloth to my face, I was confused by how dry the wipe felt. It didn't seem like it was soaked in enough remover to actually get anything off of my face.

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The Olay Cloth was the least effective remover in my test.

It took off some of my mascara, but I had a thick layer of leftover makeup on my face after I used the Olay remover.

And while it felt light on my skin when I was using it, I had to wash my face so thoroughly to get the rest of my makeup off that the removermade my skin feel dry and a bit sore.

It definitely wasn't the right makeup remover for me.

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The final remover I tested was the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water.

I had used micellar water prior to the test, but I wasn't familiar with Garnier's product.

Like I did with the Cetaphil remover, I poured the liquid product directly onto my skin, and I was pleased to see and feel my makeup start to come off as soon as it touched my face.

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Garnier's Micellar Water was by far the most effective remover I tried.

The product did exactly what you want a remover to do — it got all of the makeup off my face with little effort. After I rubbed the micellar water onto my face and rinsed it off, there was no leftover residue.

Even better, the micellar water felt moisturizing as I applied it. Plus, because I didn't have to wash my face to get excess makeup off after I used it, hours later, my skin still feltsmooth and hydrated.

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I'm making the switch to Garnier's Micellar Water for good after my experiment.

Although most of the other products got my makeup off in some capacity, they required another cleanse or made my skin feel dry.

The micellar water was the most effective and the gentlest on my skin, so the decision was really a no-brainer.

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