Review: Naive Rose Facial Cleansing Foam by Kanebo

Purchased by Me

A top seller at Marukai (which is where I purchased this tube) and arguably a top seller at most Japanese markets, Naive Rose Facial Cleansing Foam by Kracie (a division of Kanebo) is an extremely popular drugstore-level facial cleanser in both Japan and the US.

 If you don't have a Japanese market in your area (for my fellow San Diego peeps, this product is sold at just about every single Japanese market in SD  including Marukai Living, Mitsuwa and Nijiya) you can also purchase it on sites like Sasa, as well as on Amazon, etc.

Naive Facial Cleansing Foam in Rose

(retail: around $7, 6.7 oz)

Naive Facial Cleansing Foam comes in several different scents/formulas, but the Rose formula is the most popular, so that's why I went with it (I had to see what all the fuss was about!). I've been using this product off and on for about three months now, and I definitely have a strong opinion about it. Keep reading for my full review, after the jump...

standard flip-top tube

paraben-free

This product has a very thick, yet slippery consistency. The amount in this photo is equivalent to the amount of toothpaste you'd put on your toothbrush. This is definitely enough to cleanse my entire face:

I suggest getting your hands wet before you apply this product to your palm.Once you start rubbing your palms together, you will probably need to add a tiny bit more water to your hands because it takes a bit of time to get a foam going, due to the thick consistency. Once you add more water, this product eventually breaks down and creates a nice, thick lather. 

In this photo, I added a bit too much water to my palm, but you can see that there are plenty of bubbles:

Texture and consistency: This is a thick, rich formula. It basically looks like toothpaste when you first dispense it into your palm, but it has a slippery consistency. It takes some effort to break down with water, but once you get it going, the lather is thick and luxurious and it feels amazing when you're working it into your skin.

Cleansing abilities: This cleanser easily removes waterproof mascara, waterproof eyeliner, long-wear foundation and sunscreen. The first time I used it on a full face of makeup, I was shocked after I rinsed it off, because there was not a trace of mascara or eyeliner left on my eyes.

Ease of rinse: Surprisingly easy to rinse! I thought that, because of the thick, rich consistency, it would take some effort to rinse this product from my face. But the moment I splash my face with water, it easily rinses away with little to no effort.

After effects: Here's the weird part. After I rinse this product from my face, I can feel a very slight oily residue on my skin. It makes it so the water that's left on my skin forms little beads (sort of like if you apply pure olive oil to your skin and then try to rinse it, but not nearly as heavy-feeling as olive oil). I'm guessing that the residue that's left on my skin is the castor seed oil. But here's the strange part: once I towel-dry my face, the residue is gone gone. I don't know how that happens, but when I touch my face (after towel-drying) it just feels soft, not oily. I can honestly say that I've never experienced a cleanser quite like this, because it's so efficient at removing my makeup, but yet it doesn't ever leave my face feeling dry or tight. Also, I have not experienced any breakouts or irritation in the three months that I've been using this product.

Fragrance: This product has a nice, creamy rose fragrance to it. I would classify the fragrance level as medium. Not barely-there, but not "knock your socks off" strong.

FINAL VERDICT: I now understand why this product is such a top-seller in both Japan and the US. It is extremely effective at removing every last stitch of makeup (even waterproof mascara) and it does not leave my face feeling dry or tight in the process. I adore the consistency and the fact that this formula produces such a thick, luxurious foam, and I love how this product feels on my skin when I'm working it onto my face. It rinses easily and if you can get past the slight oily-residue you'll feel once you've rinsed (which goes away after towel-drying), I think you'll be quite happy with how soft and clean your face feels after use. I love this cleanser so much that I'm excited to try the other formulas (Pomegranate and Aloe are next on my list).

Have you tried Naive Rose Facial Cleansing Foam? I would love to hear about your experiences!

 The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more info, click here.

SHARE: