Cleanse Cleanse Cleanse..

I am a self-confessed cleanser junkie and I haven't washed my face with just plain water since I was what, 10? 11? I started out using really gentle stuff like Simple, Clean & Clear and slowly graduated to higher end products over the years. I can safely say that I have never re-purchased any of the cleansers I have used. Not because they sucked (some did) but because I feel there are better products out there waiting to be discovered. 

The average duration a cleanser lasts me is about 3-6 months, depending on how much I use and if by the end of 3 months I don't see a visible difference, off I go looking for a new cleanser. 3 months should be sufficient time for you to know if a product works for your skin. I won't just "settle" because there are so many products/brands out there and I am determined to find my HG (Holy Grail) cleanser!

I don't usually return to a brand unless there is a selling point which interests me and one of them is Clarins. I have used Clarins' products on and off over the years and it is really gentle on the skin. A short history- the Clarins brand has been around since 1954 and their first Institute was opened on 35 rue Tronchet in Paris. Fast forward to the present, Clarins does not use any ingredient of animal origin in their formulas- which means all their products are plant based. My mother is an avid fan of Clarins (25 years+ and still going!) and she has bought me numerous cleaners from this brand to try out since I hit puberty-

Yes, I have *almost* tried all the cleansers Clarins has to offer. The only two which I really like are the Pure Melt Cleansing Gel (with Marula oil) and the Gentle Foaming Cleanser (with Tamarind and purifying micro-beads). The former worked beautifully for me during Melbourne's winters- it took off all my make-up at the end of the day and did not cause me to break out/dry up at all. However when I came back to hot and humid Kuala Lumpur, my skin seemed to go crazy and rejected this product, causing me to break out almost everywhere! Not to mention it felt like it didn't remove my makeup very well. I don't think the product was the culprit, rather it was my hormones and the weather? The latter was purchased many months later as a follow-up to my make-up remover at night. I liked the scent and the little beads which dissolved as I rubbed into my skin. It was good, but wasn't fantastic- so I moved along and didn't repurchase it.

My mother on the other hand, has been using the Cleansing Milk and Gentle Cleansing Foam since before I was born and she still uses these products today. But of course, once in a while I pass along a few products which are too rich/moisturizing for my skin and she doesn't mind finishing them up for me. I have heard only raves about the Cleansing Milk and I was a bit disappointed that my skin doesn't like milk cleansers much (except for Chanel's Lait Confort, that would be another post), however that was years ago, I might give Clarins' Cleansing Milk another go now that my skin has "grown up" a little.

At the moment, I am using Clarins White Plus Pearl to Cream Cleanser in the morning (and this at night) and here is my review:

Clarins Pearl to Cream
Brightening Cleanser, 125ml

What is it? (from website)

Clarins White Plus Pearl to Cream Cleanser, 125ml

Claims? (from website)

A generous mousse which perfectly cleanses skin, tightens pores and brightens the complexion.

How to use it? (from website)

Morning and/or evening, work up a generous foam and apply with circular motions on a damp face and neck. Rinse well with cool water in the morning and warm water at night. Avoid the eye contour area.

Things to note? (from website)

Jua from Brazil- cleanses, eliminates impurities while respecting the hydrolipic film. Alchemilla- brightens. Flavonoids from parsley- stimulates blood and lymphatic drainage, enhances complexion radiance. Tannins from alchemilla- purifies and tighten pores. (Phew! Sounds like it does a lot.)

My review:
I got this as a gift from my mother so I am not too sure how much it costs. It has a nice scent to it, but not overpowering. It foams up to a rich, fluffy foam and it feels more moisturizing than the Ettusais cleanser I am using at night. After cleansing, skin is smooth and soft, there is no "tight, squeaky feeling" which is fine for me as I use it in the morning, not at night to remove traces of makeup. To be honest, it does do what it claims- a generous, rich mousse which cleanses and tightens pores. However, I am not too sure about the brightening claim as I have not been using it for very long (2 weeks). Overall, a nice cleanser to try if you are interested in Clarins products.

Conclusion:

Plus points for being a plant based and gentle product, however I feel that it *might* be a bit moisturizing for me- my skin has not broken out or anything but I am constantly worried it might. And I don't like living in fear of that! Other than that, it is a nice cleanser- just not my HG morning cleanser. I might repurchase this in the future when my skin has mellowed to Dry/Normal instead of Combination.

A side note: there is one more cleanser I want to try from Clarins..

WHITE PLUS
Detoxifying Cleansing Mousse

One more thing- although Clarins skincare products work well, their eye makeup removers are crap so please do not attempt any of them unless you wear little to virtually no eye makeup. They have two- the Gentle Eye Makeup Remover and the Instant Eye Makeup Remover. Not only did they BOTH not work for me, one stung my eyes and the other gave me milia (oil seeds) near my eyes -_-". Definitely not recommended for people with sensitive eyes.

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My thoughts and prayers are going out to the Universe and Mother Earth. I am sorry for everything mankind has single handedly done. I am sure I must have in some way contributed to this undoing as well. I know we have done you so much damage in the last decade and you have had enough of it. If this is your way of letting us know you are giving up, please don't. If you are cleaning our mess up and doing this to create a better tomorrow for us, then please be gentle. A lot of us are getting worried.

Love always.