Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Gel Cleanser

What is it?
A gel cleanser. (I know: obvious.)

Who is it for?
It makes no skin type specific references, but after using it I would suggest it’s better for the slightly more combination skins. It wouldn’t be my first choice for dry skin types.

What’s in it?
Water (Aqua, Eau), Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Saponaria Officinalis Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavandin) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Abies Sibirica (Fir Needle) Oil, Cymbopogon Martini (Palma Rosa) Oil, Pelargonium Graevolens (Geranium) Oil, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Lauryl Glucoside, Gluconolactone, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

What’s not in it?
SLS, SLES, sulfates, parabens, formaldehyde carriers, PEGs, MCI/MI, steareth-n, synthetic fragrances, dyes

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
essential oils

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
natural/vegan

Tested on animals/sold in territories that advocate testing?
No/No

How does it smell?
Fresh, not particularly strong.

How do you use it?/Where to use in your routine?
The instructions say to ‘Dispense 1-2 pumps of cleansing gel. With water, rub hands together to create a gentle foam. Massage onto wet face. Rinse and pat dry.’

I prefer to put 1-2 pumps (they’re generous pumps, so usually 1 is sufficient) onto fingers and apply it directly to dry skin, then add a teeny bit of water to ‘spread’ it out. Massage into skin, remove with flannel in the usual way.
I’ve tried it the other way, I prefer it this way.

How long before you should see results?
It’s a cleanser so you’re good to go with one try. 🙂

How long did I test it for?
On and off for a few weeks.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?
$18.00 for 150ml. Difficult to say exactly, but if you use this every morning, it should last you at least two months/ten weeks, so I would guesstimate around 24-30 cents a use? If you’re careful with it and don’t use it to remove makeup, but as a morning or second cleanse, that would probably reduce by half.

What’s good about it?
This is a perfectly acceptable cleanser and a good one to check out for those of you that love gels, but obviously don’t want to dry your skin out with ones laden with SLS. If you prefer to splash off in the mornings or don’t like to overuse flannels, this would also work. It does rinse away well without the flannel.

What’s not so good about it?
I personally wouldn’t use this to remove makeup. It’s certainly not great for heavy eye makeup. I’d use it as a morning or second cleanse.

Works well with?
Works well as a second cleanser after an oil-based first cleanse as the mild soap element removes any remnants of oil.

Would I repurchase?
Yes, but probably for Ava. The lack of heavy-duty chemicals* and the light texture would make it great for teens/young skins.
*I cannot bring myself to use the term ‘non-toxic’.

What’s the website like?
It’s what I would call ‘nice-looking basic’. It’s pretty to look at, has some video content and lists the ingredients, but there’s scope for more. Q&As would be good, more info on the background of the company etc. Still, it’s early days.

Similar products?
REN Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel
NUDE Perfect Cleanse Omega Cleansing Jelly
OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel

Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Gel Cleanser is $18.00 for 150ml and available from HonestBeauty.com