Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Water for combination skin
Rose Water
Glycerin
Salicylic Acid
Coco-Betaine
Propanediol
Low
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for combination skin; the products alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers mild cleansing and pore-refining benefits for your oily shine and combination skin, as salicylic acid provides mild exfoliation while glycerin balances both oily and dry areas.
- Coco-betaine and caprylyl capryl glucoside contribute to moderate cleansing, effectively removing impurities without causing irritation.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Use it daily to help control excess oil.
- Apply this micellar water before your cleanser as a first step.
- Soak a cotton pad and gently sweep it across your face without hard rubbing.
- Apply it on dry skin to effectively remove makeup and impurities.
- Avoid getting the micellar water directly into your eyes.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 3.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dry and sensitive skin frequently praise this product for its ability to cleanse and remove makeup without stripping moisture, often citing the rose water and glycerin formula as a key factor in leaving their skin feeling hydrated and glowing. While the majority find it gentle and effective for daily use, a subset of users with specific sensitivities report that the fragrance can be overpowering or irritating to the eyes.
Highlights
Gentle and hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Does not strip skin”
- “Face feels like rose petals”
- “Leaves skin hydrated”
- “Good for sensitive skin”
Convenient and easy Often Mentioned
- “No rinse needed”
- “Quick routine”
- “Easy to use”
- “Perfect for travel”
Effective daily cleanser Often Mentioned
- “Removes makeup well”
- “Skin feels squeaky clean”
- “Lifts away dirt”
- “Great morning refresh”
Pleasant rose scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells really good”
- “Light rose scent”
- “Smells like a spa”
- “Lovely floral fragrance”
Waterproof makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “Doesn't remove waterproof mascara”
- “Requires harsh rubbing”
- “Left mascara residue”
- “Not strong enough”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “Stung my eyes”
- “Burned my eyelids”
- “Irritating to eyes”
- “Caused redness”
Scent sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “Smell is overpowering”
- “Perfume is too strong”
- “Odd chemical scent”
- “Headache inducing”
Sticky residue Rarely Noted
- “Leaves a sticky feeling”
- “Feels soapy”
- “Foamed up on face”
- “Had to rinse off”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, target.com, ulta.com, iherb.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Water a weak match for combination skin?
Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Water is a weak match for combination skin because it falls short of providing the ideal balance of hydration and soothing care needed for both dry and oily areas. A micellar water for this skin type needs effective hydrating and soothing ingredients, a gentle cleansing action without irritation, and an optimal pH to maintain skin balance.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for combination skin?
This cleanser is a weak match for combination skin because it may not provide enough deep hydration for dry areas while managing oily shine. A product of this type needs effective hydrating and soothing ingredients that balance both dry and oily zones without causing irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Rose Water do for combination skin?
Rose water helps calm combination skin while keeping areas feeling soft and balanced. It is unlikely to cause irritation and provides gentle refreshing moisture throughout the day.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This micellar water goes in the evening routine as a makeup remover before cleansing, or as a gentle cleanser in the morning. Combination skin needs a product that provides mild exfoliation for oily shine alongside ingredients like glycerin that balance both oily and dry areas.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first to remove makeup and impurities, and following it with your retinol treatment. Because this product is a weak match for your combination skin, this type of skin needs gentle cleansers with barrier-restoring ingredients like ceramides and soothing moisturizers to prevent dryness and irritation.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This micellar water is a weak match for combination skin, so you should use it cautiously and see how your skin reacts. A product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like glycerin and rose water alongside gentle cleansers to keep both oily and dry areas calm and clean.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin, as salicylic acid helps clear pores and glycerin balances oily and dry areas. However, because it is a weaker match for your skin, combination skin typically needs a cleanser with stronger balancing ingredients and gentle purifying agents to keep pores clear.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with a rose extract activated newly identified skin olfactory receptors and prevented epinephrine-induced skin stress responses in epidermal keratinocytes and human skin explants, while clinically decreasing the appearance of under-eye dark circles in stressed women.
Molecules, 2020Rose petal extract improves stratum corneum moisture levels in humans by upregulating HAS2 expression via the GLK-MAP2K-MAPK signaling pathway.
BioFactors, 2023Rosa gallica petal extract (RPE) exerts skin whitening by attenuating tyrosinase activity and melanin accumulation and exhibits anti-wrinkle activity by suppressing MMP-1 levels in human cells.
Journal of Medicinal Food, 2020A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003Topical application of 1,3-propanediol at various concentrations, alone or combined with butylene glycol and/or glycerol, increased skin hydration and reduced trans epidermal water loss in 30 healthy female subjects over an 8-hour period, with the 15% concentration and the addition of glycerol providing greater benefits.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024A mixture of propanediol, xylitol, and caprylic acid demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against C. acnes and S. aureus, reduced 5-alpha reductase expression, and decreased skin oiliness, porphyrin, and inflammatory lesions in participants over 28 days.
Molecules, 2021Sustainable cosmetic products formulated with renewable PDO-based emulsifiers showed equivalent performance in sensory and moisturization evaluations compared to those formulated with petroleum-derived PEG-based emulsifiers.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Arginine, Salicylic Acid
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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