Product Review - Purity Facial Wash

Last month we took a look at moisturisers - two facial and one for the body. This month I thought I'd shift the focus to cleansers. As you know I began using a nice natural, organic moisturiser and in that same vein I decided to turn to organic facial cleansing as well.

Since January I've been using an organic facial wash that I actually found by chance at Superdrug. It's made by a company called Purity, a British brand who specialise in organic skincare ranging from moisturisers to cleansers and facial scrubs. The Purity philosophy is "less is more in beauty" and they certainly live up to that motto with absolutely no unnecessary ingredients ploughed into their skincare products!

I'm already a big fan, so let's take Purity's product description for their facial wash and go into why I recommend this for you too...

A blend of softening, moisture retaining and conditioning Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera and Glycerine is combined within a gentle Coconut and sugar-based foam to cleanse, soothe and protect skin. Added Citric acid controls skins PH Levels.

The Aloe Vera is sourced in the Dominican Republic and the Sweet Almond Oil from Spain.

Softening, moisture retaining & conditioning Sweet Almond Oil?

After a week of use I began to notice a considerable difference in the softness of my skin compared to my old facial wash. I do think it helps with moisture retention and it does contain Sweet Almond Oil (I can't say if it definitely comes from Spain though) which is known for its gentle moisturising effects on the skin! Now after a month of using this day and night I can honestly say that I've noticed an overall improvement in the softness of my skin and perhaps as a result, ironically my T Zone is less oily...

Aloe Vera & Glycerine?

Yes and yes. Aloe Vera is very widely known for helping soothe angry, dry and damaged skin (I can't tell you if it has actually been sourced from the Dominican Republic though!) Whereas glycerine is simply an organic compound which for hundreds of years has been used in the making of soap.

Coconut & sugar-based foam to cleanse?

Yes, or as it's listed on the back of the bottle - Decyl Glucoside which is produced by the reaction of glucose (the sugar) with a fatty alcohol called decanol taken from the coconut! So it's a mild and totally natural foaming agent. Unlike sodium laureth sulphate - an artificial foaming agent commonly added to most cleansing products such as shampoos, shower gels and facial washes that doesn't really need to be there other than it makes it feel as if the product is physically cleaning your hair/skin.

This is a product perfect for people with sensitive skin, as Purity recommends, because a lot of people with this skin type do not react well to sodium laureth sulphate and it can often break their skin out or at least aggravate it.

Soothes and protects skin?

It definitely soothes my skin, but I'm not sure about protecting it as such. In other words I don't think I could get away without using a moisturiser every day but I still have seen an overall slight improvement in the texture and softness of my skin.

It's also fragrance-free so all the more perfect if you have sensitive skin. Some products claim to be fragrance-free but they still smell a little bit (or is that just me?) However I really don't get a scent from this one. The only thing you'll possibly smell is the glycerine, which if you're used to fragrant and sweet smells takes a bit of getting used to! If it gets into your mouth, it doesn't taste great either but then what facial wash does? I think you do have to get past the 'raw' scent of pure ingredients but once you do, you'll be happy you gave it a chance!

Added Citric acid controls skin PH Levels?

Yes there is also Citric acid in this facial cleanser. pH levels describe the 'acidity' levels in your skin. The lower the pH the more acidic something is. Human skin pH is supposed to be anywhere between 4.5 and 6, so in other words it's fairly acidic. Skin is slightly acidic for a reason and that is to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin.

Ordinary soaps and cleansers are reknowned for being particularly harmful to the pH balance in human skin as they're especially alkaline (i.e. anything from pH 9-11). As a result the acidity in the skin changes to become more alkaline which makes it more susceptible to the growth of bacteria. This is nightmare of course if you're prone to blemishes, have adolescent skin or have especially oily skin. Citric acid is a weak, organic acid deriving from citrus fruits and therefore is added to allow your skin to remain at a nice and healthy pH level!

Overall...

I'm very happy with this facial cleanser. I definitely feel like it does a better job of removing my makeup than my last facial wash ever did and on top of that it has made it a lot softer and smoother all over. You can buy it online (via the link above) or you can buy it from Superdrug stores where you'll also find the rest of their skincare range. In addition, at £4.99 a bottle, which is a bargain considering this is a organic skincare product, I urge you to at least give it a go just the once!

Would I buy again? Yes, absolutely! This is a fantastically priced product that goes a long way and does a great job without any adverse side effects and some very noticeable improvement to my skin. If a organic skincare product is this good, why buy something full of the unnecessary gunk instead?

Photo taken from Purity's website.