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.

Lush - A Few Reviews

Seeming as their sister brand (B Never) is saying a fond farewell to us all at the end of the year, I thought I'd celebrate my favourites at Lush to take our minds off the very sad news! I love Lush and their products because they make such fun cosmetics for all ages - it's like being a kid again when you get to try all of the different types of textures, smells and sensations. And because their products are so different from your average cosmetics and toiletries on the market, it makes preening and cleaning yourself that bit more special and fun!

I've got a list as long as my arm here people, so if you're thinking of making a Christmas list for yourselves, then you better get scribbling...

Cupcake Fresh Face Mask

It smells like chocolate icecream, looks like chocolate icecream so it's got to taste like it, no? I don't know, I can't say I've tried but what I can say is that whilst I can't recommend you taste it I can recommend that you use this all over your face every week if you suffer from oily or acne-prone skin.

This face mask has been specifically designed with teenagers in mind. It's perfect to soothe breakouts and prevent new ones. The main ingredient that you may mistake for chocolate icecream is Rhassoul mud which is responsible for soothing angry red blemish-prone skin...

Whilst my skin isn't so teenage anymore, I do have skin that leans towards the oilier side and I also suffer from clogged pores. So I use this mask on my T Zone once or twice a week. It has peppermint oil in it so it's slightly cooling and when you take it off your skin's left feeling really smooth, soothed and soft. You'll also end up with a slight whiff of chocolate on your skin so don't be surprised if people start to drool after you!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

It's pink, has sparkles in it and smells divine - what's not to love?! In fact I wish my blog came with Smell-o-Vision, I don't think describing the scent can do it justice. The first time I smelt this I got very excited, haha! My sister had received a bottle one Christmas and I decided I just had to have some too. Except by the time I trotted along to Lush I'd missed out and found out that this beautiful shower gel is only limited to the Christmas period.

Well I'm not going again another a year without it so I'm all stocked up now. I love that it leaves you feeling young again - it smells like all the naughty sweets you used to love as a kid and the smell lingers on your skin and in the bathroom long after you've showered. You can also use it in your hair if you like and you can buy it in three different sizes 100g, 250g and 500g. If you haven't smelt this yet then I'm sure when you do you'll be stocking up on the largest bottles to last you until the next Christmas... Snow Fairy is available to buy now!

Ocean Salt Facial Cleanser

It's like rubbing the contents of a cocktail bar... ON YOUR FACE! There's salt, lime and even vodka in this heavenly facial cleanser. It works as an exfoliator and is ideally best for those of you with oily skin. This is the best exfoliator I have ever used on my face and I mean EVER! Not only is it really fun - when you open the tub you'll see big, blue, beautiful chunks of sea salt and then if you delve in you'll notice the mousse-like cleanser all mixed in underneath! It's also really good at controlling oil, unclogging my pores and making my skin super soft! My skin hasn't been in this good condition for a long time, I love it and will definitely be stocking up on this in future...

Curly Wurly Shampoo

There's no chocolate or caramel in sight but if you open up the tub you'll find a very fun coconut mixture inside. I dare you to turn the tub upside down - with the lid off! No it doesn't move - at all. This is a solid shampoo and as you'll see if you scoop some out, it contains tonnes of dessicated coconut. All you need to do is wet your hair, grab a small amount of Curly Wurly and rub it in your hair and voila - as if by magic, it bubbles up and creates a wonderful lather leaving your hair feeling silky soft!

Designed for those of us with curly hair (hence the name!), it's great at curing the dried, dull texture that curly hair can suffer from time to time. If you have processed hair then this shampoo will work wonders for you too! If you want to follow up with a conditioner too then you can buy Coolaulin - a similar mix but with creamed coconut and lemon juice for added shine - this conditioner is however a liquid and comes in a bottle.