Back in June, the lovely Stephanie over at Aquaheart's Obsessions posted a review of this product and shortly afterward, I went and picked it up. Stephanie said this was a gentle cleanser and it also removed her eye makeup (I love love love all-in-one cleansers!) and since I'm a sucker for foaming cleansers, well I just had to try it.
Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser
(retail: around $7.99, 6 oz)
The first thing I noticed about this cleanser is that, even though it is fragrance-free, it does have that signature "Aveeno" scent to it (a soft, oatmeal-ish fragrance). It's not strong though, and I actually really love the scent of Aveeno products so it didn't bother me one bit.
I should tell you right now that I have oily skin with a super oily t-zone. My skin is not sensitive, but I've noticed that as I get older, certain products tend to irritate my face a little more than they used to. I also suffer from adult acne from time to time, especially during that TOTM.
I'm not going to lie: the first time I used this, I was a little bit underwhelmed. I've used and loved some great foaming cleansers over the past few years (I still really enjoy Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser which I reviewed a long time ago) but this one's a bit different. When I dispense the product into my hand, I have to use about five or six pumps to get enough product to cover my face (that kind of seems like a lot, huh?). Also, the foaming agent seems to be a little on the weak side. In other words, when I apply this product to my face and start working it in, I notice that the foam quickly dissipates and it feels like I'm just working plain ol' water into my skin. This can be a little bit of a challenge if you're used to cleansing with a thicker product.
That said, I also noticed that ever since I purchased this product back in June, it's the cleanser I most often reach for in my shower. That may seem weird given the complaints I just mentioned, so I had to ask myself, "Why do I keep reaching for this if it's a little bit of a pain to use?"
Well, I've come to the conclusion that my skin seems to really like this cleanser. My face feels extremely clean when I use it, yet it never feels stripped, dry or tight (again, your results may vary, especially if you have dry skin). Also, with a tiny bit of elbow grease, I am able to remove even my long-wear makeup and mascara with this cleanser (note: I do not use waterproof mascaras). I've done the "toner test" several times after using this cleanser and my cotton pad always comes back clean.
So I guess, in my opinion, the lack of foaming and extra few pumps are worth the results. I love the soft, natural oatmeal smell of this product, and here's the best part: I've been using this pretty religiously since the middle of June and just now, at the beginning of October, the bottle is starting to feel a bit light. I'm willing to bet I'll run out completely within the next week or two, so four months worth of cleanser for $7.99 isn't bad at all, right?
I can't really speak to the "calming" effect that this cleanser claims to have, since my skin generally doesn't need calming. But I can tell you that I haven't had any additional break-outs, redness or irritation since I've been using this cleanser, which is part of the reason I keep coming back to it.
If you love foaming cleansers and you're in the market for one with minimal fragrance that removes most makeup, this might be a nice choice for you. But just remember that it might not function like the foaming cleansers you're used to, so be prepared for a little bit of an adjustment period.
Have you already tried Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser? What do you think of it?
When my hubs couldn't find his usual Neutrogena foaming cleanser, he picked up the Aveeno one. He likes it well enough (he has very dry skin) but says he liked the Neutrogena better; we just can't find it.
ReplyDeleteI use it as well and even though I feel that my skin is clean, it doesn't do the job taking off makeup.
I have this and while I don't like this a lot I don't hate. I use it to wash my face in the morning, to get my super oily oily oilyness off. And if I wash it during the day like I did today and I got crazy oily, which has happened to me in like an hour =/ I wash it, and its genetle enough that it doesn't dry out my skin, like a different cleanser would. I hope that made sense.
ReplyDeleteI have very sensitive skin, and I've never had any problems with Aveeno. I have used that facewash and thought it was nice. I'm currently using their Positively Ageless cleanser, which I like a lot.
ReplyDeleteI use this every day. I have super sensitive skin and other products make my skin tone uneven but this has really helped with redness. As far as how long the product lasts, I think you will find that the bottle lasts you even longer then a week or two. Mine has been in that light almost empty mode for almost 3 weeks and it's still going strong. I'm also using the moisturizer that goes with this product, it's a great line and I really love it.
ReplyDeleteQuick question G, all of the sudden I can't access AquaHeartObsessions blog! It say I need permission to view it/ be invited to view it but I've been reading this blog for awhile but suddenly I just can't see it. Any suggestions/info? Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteAffordableBeauty: Hey honey--thanks so much for letting me know about that. I just talked to her and it turns out she had set it to invite-only while she was working on something last night, and then forgot to set it back before she fell asleep. So it's back to normal now--we can all access it! :)
ReplyDeleteLight foam, takes off makeup easily. You're right about the needing more pumps thing. Very gentle on skin, non drying.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually my holy grail face wash. It always removes my makeup, and it's the one cleanser I can use multiple times a day without drying me out (I work on-camera and usually apply makeup more than once).
ReplyDelete