Got Milk? Better You than Me!
Written: Dec 15 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Probably won't dry you out.
Cons: Butter wouldn't either, but we don't try to wash our face with it.
The Bottom Line: I can't recommend this product because it doesn't seem to have any cleansing action on the skin whatsoever.
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| thatsmytake's Full Review: Clarins Cleansing Milk |
Much like any other avid and choosy consumer of cosmetics, I discover that some products thrill me, some chill me, and many I can take or leave. But rarely does a product leave me feeling completely bewildered and even a little indignant. Enter Clarins Cleansing Milk.
Clarins makes TWO Cleansing Milks... one for normal and dry skins (the "Alpine Herb" version, it's pale green) and one for combination and oily skin ( the "Gentian" version, it's pure white). Because these are two separate products, Epinions should have given each one it's own review space, obviously. But since they didn't, hey, I can deal with the oversight. Yep, I'm able to adapt, that's why I make sooo much money here on Epinions, it's my ability to gracefully handle these confusing situations.
So, let's consider this a review of only the "Gentian" Cleansing Milk, for combo or oily skin, since in all fairness that's the only one I've tried. I'm willing to bet, however, that the drier skin version works pretty much the same, with the possible exception that it's even greasier.
I was given my bottle of Clarins Cleansing Milk for free, since I had just joined the ranks of Clarins, as a counter salesperson, and they wanted me to use the skin care. I'm no longer working for Clarins, but I was with them for six months and (trust me) it wasn't because I wanted another free bottle of the Cleansing Milk!
Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed a few of Clarins products, just not this one.
Clarins Cleansing Milk comes in a clear plastic bottle with a flip top lid. It rings in at $19.00 for a standard size bottle. This cleanser is the consistency of a lotion. I don’t recall the scent, meaning that that it must not have been heavy or unpleasant to me, nor especially wonderful.
I believe this product does have added fragrance on the ingredients list, in addition to the scent of the many botanicals in the product, but I’m not positive.
This milky concoction for oily/combination skin should have been perfect for someone like me! I'm basically oily on my “T-zone,” but with some dryness all over, especially in the winter. At age 37, I can no longer claim "seriously oily" skin (thank God for small favors). So I need a very effective, clean rinsing cleanser, but I don’t need my skin to be left dried out or irritated. I was excited to try this product because the thought of a using a cleansing herbal milk sounded sooo gentle and wholesome. I was fully prepared to like it.
Well, I tried it… once, and only once. It was not for me. Period. In fact, I have a really hard time fathoming that it could be for anyone! The problem was, it didn’t clean my skin. Not at all. I mean, NOT AT ALL. It felt exactly like I had tried to clean my face with scented body lotion. YUK! It didn’t even really rinse off. Instead, a bit of it was absorbed by my skin, and most of it just remained on the surface, despite the avalanches of water I was using.
This confused me at first. I actually stood there dumbfounded for a moment, while my face was dripping tap water, thinking that I must have done something wrong! Could I be such an idiot that I had just used a body lotion on my face, perhaps? No, it was the cleansing milk alright. Hey, maybe I didn’t follow directions properly. No, I double checked and I’d followed them exactly.
Let’s review my method, shall we? Who knows, maybe you can find some giant mistake I made, something that can explain my totally un-cleansed face.
O.K., I moistened my face with warm water, and smoothed on the milk. No lather. Clarins then likes you to press your hands gently on your face and pull them away quickly several times. Yes, you read correctly… that type of motion is supposed to be a “suction” that draws the dirt, makeup and toxins out. Still no lather. I then rinsed with plenty of water. Then I followed with Clarins toner, as directed. Clarins toners are used not just to freshen and exfoliate, but to actually “finish the cleansing process.”
After the rinsing with water, my face was, as I said, not at all clean, and it felt coated. The very light makeup I wear was still on my skin. My face felt gross, and greasy. After the toner on cotton routine, it felt less coated, sure, but still not truly clean , not by any stretch. My skin also felt slightly irritated after using the toner to “finish the cleansing process.” And did I mention there is no lather involved in this cleansing process?
What the toner does (or attempts to do) is mop up the mess of oil, makeup and germs that the milk mixes up on your skin. The toner does not succeed well at it’s designated job, which is no surprise. Can’t send a toner to do a cleanser’s job.
The Clarins toners do work well on skin that’s been adequately cleansed, though. They are very nice toners except for the fragrance in them , which can be irritating to some.
I can’t see how even the very driest skinned people on the face of the planet... desert-dwelling octgenarians perhaps?... could see Clarins Cleansing Milk as any kind of an option. I just don’t get it. Even dry skin needs adequate cleansing.
Perhaps this product would work better as a wipe-off cleanser? Maybe. But that would only be useful for dry skin, or for occasional use. For oily skin, I have to strongly urge against wasting your money.
In Clarins product education school, they had us try washing our hands with Clarins very creamiest facial cleanser. It was a cleanser that was even more emollient than the Cleansing Milks! They then pointed out that if our hand skin felt clean from this ultra-creamy cleanser (and it did, unbelievably !), then surely the Cleansing Milk would not be too rich for an effective cleansing. Hmmm….
Obviously, Clarins correctly predicted that we ‘counter ladies,’ not to mention our customers, would find the concept of a moisture laden lotion for oily skin a bit ridiculous, and they were prepared to try to convince us otherwise. It was a nifty experiment, except that facial skin has a lot more going on than hand skin does! Facial skin produces oil and perspiration. It has larger pores, sometimes clogged pores, and coat of makeup on.
If you love Clarins, trust me, they have much better options for cleansing your combination or oily skin, including their “Purifying Cleansing Gel,” and their “Foaming Face Wash.” In my opinion, the foaming wash is a terrific product for oilier skin, as long as you’re not fragrance sensitive. It gets the job done.
When I was with Clarins, I noticed that the Cleansing Milks did not sell very well. I admit there were a few women who swore by this product, though, which just floors me. And some of them had nice looking skin.
So if you’d like to give the Cleansing Milk a try, more power to you! Ask for a sample first, just in case you're as puzzled by it as I was. Clarins is usually happy to give out a single sample for the asking, even if you’re not making a purchase.
As for me, I’m not letting “milk” get anywhere near my face again, unless it’s in a bowl of cereal.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
thatsmytake
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Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 64 members
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