Review: 3 Facial Cleansers

Hey guys and gals,

I first want to apologize for the recent lack of posts. Med school has been crazy (if you check out my other blog, www.medskolgirl.blogspot.com, you'll see what I'm talking about) and has taken over my life.

Anyway, I'm going to take a break from all that and bring in a few reviews of skincare cleansers I've tried and used lately.

Note first:
My skin type is combination/oily, meaning I get acne/oil around my T-zone. I get a few breakouts every few weeks - a lot less than I used to break out. I don't use any foundation/tinted moisturizer/powder, but I apply sunscreen on my face everyday. I am of East Asian descent and have straight dark brown hair.

1. Neutrogena Visibly Bright Daily Facial Cleanser



I was fortunate enough to get a deluxe sample of this product from Target. I've been using this product for the last 2 weeks, so I think it's time now to give it a review roll.

The caption to this product states that it makes the skin look "brighter and less tired".

Hmm.

According to drugstore.com, the ingredients in this product include:

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, PEG 80 Sorbitan Laurate, DI PPG 2 Myreth 10 Adipate, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Fragrance, Soyamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Sorbate, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth 10 Hydroxypropyl Dimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide, Polyquaternium 10, Mica, Sodium Hydroxide, Silica, PEG 16 Soy Sterol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Copper Gluconate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein

No salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide in this one. Well, I guess it didn't advertise itself as an acne face wash, but rather just a non-comedogenic face wash, so that's all right.

Pros:
-Cleans my skin well
-Gets rid of excess makeup (that isn't removed by makeup remover)
-Doesn't cause me to break out excessively
-Affordable pricing ($7 for 6.7 oz, available at Target, Ulta, etc)

Cons:
-Is highly fragranced
-Is drying to the skin (and that is pretty considerable, considering I have acne, oily-combination skin)
-Says is non-comedogenic, but might not be for everyone (depends on how large your pores are)
-Didn't help clear up acne when I had it severely

Overall, did I think it did its job? Yep. However, I don't think this skin cleanser is anything extraordinary. I think I'd rather stick with something like Cetaphil if I just wanted an ordinary skin cleanser. I probably won't buy the full-sized product.

2. 3LAB Perfect Cleansing Foam


This is a cleanser I got from one of the MyGlam bags I subscribed to for awhile. I've used it for about a week, and even though it's been just that period of time, I think I've gotten used to how it is, and I don't know if I'll get another chance to write reviews soon, so here we go.

According to the official website, www.3lab.com, the ingredients in this product are:
Myristic Acid, Water (Aqua/Eau), Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, PEG-8, Dipropylene Glycol, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Beta-Carotene, Ceramide 2, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Algae Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Amino Esters-1, Coccinia Indica Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Lawsonia Inermis (Henna) Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Pearl Powder, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Urea, Allantoin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides

Pros:
-VERY effective at removing makeup and other traces of stuff
-Need just a tiny amount (pea-sized) to cover entire face
-Foams really nicely

Cons:
-Extremely expensive ($50 for 4.4 oz, at Nordstrom or www.3lab.com)
-Super strong smell (not as much as the Neutrogena, but still pretty strong)
-Has alcohol in it, as well as titanium dioxide and a bunch of other ingredients in it (that aren't too good for the skin usually)
-Is super drying
-Caused me to break out (is too drying)

Would I purchase this again? No way. Too expensive for sure, and I don't want to buy something that dries out my skin and causes me to break out.

3. Clearasil Daily Clear Face Wash (2% Salicylic acid)


This has salicylic acid in it - an acne-fighting agent (which works by desquamating, aka in layman terms, exfoliating, the epithelial layer of the skin, to help skin turnover).

Ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Salicylic Acid (2%) (Acne Medication)

Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium 10, Triclosan, Pentasodium Pentatate, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Capric Acid, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic Acid, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Isopropyl Alcohol, Maltodextrin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate


Pros:
-Price (super cheap - I got it on sale for $4, 6.5 oz!)
-Effectively removes makeup
-Pretty good at stopping acne
-Has glycerin as a key ingredient (is toward the front of the ingredients list, and glycerin is a highly hydrating agent)
-A little bit goes a long way (I've used it for about 4 weeks, and I've barely made a dent in the tube!)

I've got to say, this product is pretty good. Its results are comparable to those with Neutrogena's Oil-Free Gel Acne Wash (the orange gel squirt bottle that I've used previously as my HG face wash).

Cons:
-Is a bit drying
-Has ingredients such as isopropyl alcohol and sodium benzoate
-Must moisturize afterward

Overall, which product do I like the best? Probably the Clearasil. Ironically, it's the cheapest one. Well, I guess price doesn't predict value/utility, does it?

All right now, I'm going to sleep. Good night.

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3