For me, a gel cleanser is something that is perfect for my morning cleanse ; they are generally too lacking in the makeup removal capabilities for me and my drag face to use in the PM (only oil-based/ richer cleansers will do!) but I love them for a post-sleep refresh and a light cleanse in my morning shower. I always have quite a few on the go and I simply select the one of choice depending on how my skin is feeling that day. As always, I ran out of ALL my skincare pretty much at once last month so have a whole a bunch of new bits that I am trying, including this bunch of gorgeous gel cleansers.
OM Skincare Pure Glow Cleanser. I picked this up in my Space NK haul (more on that soon) and it was a new brand that I hadn’t even heard of and had just launched into store. To be honest I just really liked the pretty packaging and smell. Yes, I am THAT shallow. I have been using it for a couple of weeks and so far, so good. It’s a lightweight, colourless gel that feels wonderfully silky and glides over my skin. It smells absolutely wonderful with the inclusion of organic aloe vera, rosewood & orange oils and this leaves me feeling happy and my skin refreshed and gorgeous. This cleanser is all about leaving your skin balancing without compromising the PH or natural balance of your skin AKA it doesn’t strip your skin. It’s also suitable for people with breakouts, blackheads and sensitive skin, so pretty much a cleaner that anyone can have in their stash. It IS a cleanser that is designed for makeup removal too so both an AM & PM cleanser but as I said, I always use a heavier oil-base/balm in the PM but this works well as a step-2 PM cleanse or if you don’t wear heavy/waterproof makeup. I have just read that you can also leave this on for 5-10 minutes as a mini pre-cleanse mask which sounds interesting so must give this a try!
The Sanctuary Warming Detox Charcoal Wash. This is a warming cleanser that activates upon contact with water, and turn from a gel type texture into a slightly oilier/silky feel. Quite unusual but addictive at the same time. Yes, I have found myself applying this 3 times in a row to get that warm sensation again & again! It contains charcoal to draw out impurities and the warming sensation will open up the pores ready for cleansing. For me, this is one I use maybe twice a week as I am worried that the combination of warming and charcoal will draw out TOO much and make me break out with overuse. Definitely not a makeup remover-type-cleanser because of the ingredients and warming of it….would not be ideal on the delicate eye area, but great for that deep cleanse if you have breakouts, open pores and congestion.
Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser. I absolutely love this organic cleansing gel and this is my second bottle (it lasts me ages). I’ve just cracked this open again after a break and it’s probably my most commonly used AM wash. If you are wearing very light makeup/eye makeup too I find it breaks it down well so could possibly be used as a both AM & PM if you aren’t into wearing too much on your face. This contains New Zealand Manuka honey 20+ which is a great natural anti-bacterial & Kiwi superfruit that gently exfoliates so perfect for a breakout and oily skin to bring it into balance and harmony. There is something about this apothecary-like & unisex packaging that I really love and it’s a plastic squeezy bottle so not hard to get the product out down to the last drop.
SJAL Balans Deep Pore Cleanser. The fanciest of my current gel cleanser arsenal. SJAL is a brand that uses precious gems and minerals to promote energised and beautiful skin. This is a lightweight pale pink cleansing gel (non-foaming) that has a big emphasis of cleansing the pores & detoxing the skin without compromising hydration. It has numerous fancy-pants ingredients including pearl powder for brightening and oxygenation, African Whitewood extract to regulate sebum production, and potent antioxidants to deliver an anti-ageing kick. This is pricey and for me, I don;t think I can quite justify the £47 tag for a gel cleanser that I use in the shower….again this IS one you can use as a makeup remover/PM so if you don’t mind lightweight PM cleansing and want something active /fancy then this could be one for you ; It just hasn’t WOW-ed me as I wish it had.
Have you used any of these? What is your current AM cleansing routine?
