Review: Noah's Naturals Gentle Cream Cleanser

Please note: I wanted to hurry up and bring you this review as quickly as possible because this product is currently on clearance at Walgreens for $3.49 PLUS there's a $1 peel-off coupon on each tube, bringing your total cost down to just $2.49. But you've got to hurry if you want to try this because the peel-off stickers expire on 11/30!

 Noah's Naturals Gentle Cream Cleanser 

(retail: around $6.49, 3.4 oz)

I can never resist a good bargain, especially when it comes to natural skincare. I've seen Noah's Naturals products at various stores (Walgreens and Walmart come to mind) but for some reason this is the first product I've tried from this brand (yes, the clearance price + coupon helped in that decision!). 

Looking at the image above, it's pretty impressive to see that this cleanser is free from just about anything controversial. That's wonderful, do not get me wrong, but at the end of the day, it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans for me if the product doesn't work.  So I put this cleanser to a five-day-morning-and-evening test.

First of all, I think the fragrance is outstanding. It's not a very strong fragrance, but it is there, so if you're a person who prefers little-to-no-fragrance in your facial products, this isn't for you.  I ADORE the scent of this cleanser because the predominant note is acai berry, which I love love love.  The product itself is opaque white in color and it's got a lotion-like consistency.  I have found that if I don't already have a lot of water on my face (ie: I'm using this at the bathroom sink as opposed to standing in the shower) it feels like I'm actually applying a medium-weight lotion to my face.  Not the best feeling for an oily-skinned gal like myself, but I've gotten used to it.  When I use this product in the shower and I have more water on my hands and face, this cleanser actually produces a light lather, as opposed to feeling like a standard cream cleanser.

Now on to the important questions: 

Does it remove my makeup? Yes and no. I'm delighted that it removes my eye makeup, including my washable mascaras, but occasionally I've found that this doesn't always completely remove my long-wear concealer. 

How does my skin feel after I've used it? Now here's the tricky part. At first, I thought, "Ugh. What is this coating I'm feeling on my skin?" I literally felt like I had already applied moisturizer to my face after I would rinse this product away. BUT, after lightly drying my face with a towel, I surprisingly did NOT feel that light coating on my skin. My skin just felt soft and very hydrated, yet clean at the same time. 

The best analogy I can give you is this: have you ever used a new conditioner and after you rinse your hair, you think, "Uh oh. My hair feels super coated and heavy."?  But then once your hair is dry and styled, it feels very soft but not as greasy or heavy as you thought it was going to feel? That's exactly how I feel about this cleanser. At first it feels like it's going to be heavy, oily and way too rich for my skin. But once it's rinsed and I've patted my skin clean, my skin feels kind of amazing.

To whom would I recommend this product? I think this might be a good cleanser to use if you've got dry and/or mature skin. If your main concerns when it comes to cleansers are 1) finding something that does not strip your skin and 2) finding something that leaves your skin feeling hydrated after you use it, I think this might be gentle and hydrating enough to fit the bill.  Also, if you do not normally wear a lot of makeup, and certainly not long-wear makeup, this might make a great everyday cleanser for your skin. Skincare is SO subjective though, so I don't want to say: dry and mature-skinned gals, run out and get this NOW! Because different ingredients react so differently on each person's skin. I personally cannot use anything on my face that contains menthol because it's breakout city when my skin comes in contact with menthol. However, menthol is in so much skincare out there--skincare that is wildly popular--so I know it doesn't break out everyone.

To whom would I not recommend this product? If you've got very oily skin, you wear long-wear cosmetics and you're looking for an all-in-one nightly cleanser that removes everything, this is NOT for you. Also, people who prefer unscented facial products can just keep on walking--this won't be a love-match.

Will I continue to use Noah's Naturals Gentle Cream Cleanser? In the winter months, YES. But I'll be using it in a very specific way.  I will not continue to use this cleanser at night, because it simply doesn't remove every last trace of my long-wear makeup.  However, now that winter is upon us and my skin has more dry patches than usual, I find this cleanser works beautifully for me as a morning cleanser, when my face is already free of makeup.  I think it's the perfect product to use when I have dry patches and I just need something to lightly cleanse my face in the morning and give it a touch more hydration before I apply my moisturizer.  So it works for me in the winter, but only in the AM.

I hope you found this review useful, and remember: if you think this might be a good match for your particular needs, run to Walgreens, look for this on clearance and use that peel-off sticker before by 11/30/10! 

Do you use any products from Noah's Naturals? Is there a hidden gem in this line that you'd recommend? Any must-haves? I'd love to hear from you!