little white truths

I bought this cleanser because it's had such great reviews online, and I'm glad I bought it because I'm really enjoying it.

Yes it's designed to control oil production and my skin is dry (not oily in the slightest), but it's not too astringent and it hasn't dried me out while I've been using it. It's just a lovely cleanser that I can happily use every morning without irritation and my skin loves it. More on that below.

Elemental Herbology claims/product details:

• A gentle cleanser that removes dirt, makeup and impurities while controlling the appearance of shine
• A foaming cleanser to gently balance oil production
• Removes all traces of makeup including eye makeup 
• Fragrance and soap-free, it contains a 100% biodegradable apple-based cleansing agent 
• Perfect for all skin types throughout spring and summer, and great for problem skin all year round
• RRP $50 AUD for 100ml

Verdict

I'm really enjoying this cleanser and I recommend it. Unfortunately, though, I've just seen that it's no longer stocked at Mecca (looks like nothing from Elemental Herbology is stocked there anymore), so it's not as easy to get your hands on these days if you live in Australia and that's a shame.

It's a gel cleanser with a natural, herbal scent that I enjoy. In texture it's a thin gel that feels light as air on the skin, and when you add water it lathers up but it doesn't foam, and I can tell that it doesn't contain any nasties like soap or SLS.

I love the feel of this cleanser when I massage it across the skin. The lather is velvety and it feels like it's cleansing without stripping my natural oils, and even though it's designed to help with oil production, it's been fine for my dry skin year-round and I haven't noticed any issues (eg, it doesn't dry me out further, irritate or strip my skin).

I use mine as my second cleanse in the morning, and I find that my face feels clean, fresh and soft after use. You can however use this to remove makeup and it does a good job of that, it's just that I enjoy this for the morning spot because it leaves my skin clean and ready for skincare. But really, you could use it morning or night.

I also like that this comes with a pump, and it's one of those pumps that only releases a tiny amount of product (less than a pea) each time, and I find that this is enough to do my whole face - unless my face feels really dirty, in which case I opt for two pumps. Since I use so little each time, the bottle is lasting me ages so it's good value on a price-per-use basis.

Overall I think this cleanser is fantastic and I really love it, and I'm sad that Mecca no longer stocks it. I suspect that others are sad about this too because it had such great reviews on Mecca's website and it was a staple product for many. Hoh well. Guess you can't win them all.

Love.