Beauty Bite: Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Purchased by Me

So I recently found a new Holy Grail facial cleanser, but of course that won't stop me from trying new cleansers for the purposes of this blog! And since there was a lot of excitement around here when Clean & Clear first released their Morning Burst Hydrating line back in July, I decided to pick this cleanser up a few weeks ago when there was a good deal at CVS. So here's my quick take on this product after using it for two weeks straight.

For new readers, I have very oily skin, but I also appreciate cleansers that can effectively remove my makeup without leaving it feeling dry or tight, so that's why this "hydrating" cleanser appealed to me.

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Facial Cleanser

(retail: around $6, 8.0 oz)

From the Clean & Clear website:

From the energizing MORNING BURST® collection comes CLEAN & CLEAR® MORNING BURST® Hydrating Facial Cleanser. Wake your skin up with this invigorating foaming cleanser uniquely formulated with BURSTING BEADS® technology. It's formulated with water, not oil, and contains a unique blend of cucumber and green mango extracts. Get a deep clean while refreshing your skin with an added touch of moisture. Won't clog pores.

PROS: 

• Effectively removes most of my makeup (traces of my liquid liner and washable mascara are still a bit visible after cleansing with this product).

• Rinses easily.

• Easily available and frequently on sale.

CONS:

• Fragrance is very strong (smells like watermelon candy)

• When using this product at the sink (vs. in the shower) I notice a slight film left behind on my skin after rinsing. When I use this cleanser in the shower, I do not notice a film on my face when I get out of the shower, which is probably due to the fact that my face is coming into contact with a lot more water during a shower vs. rinsing at the sink.

• Over my two week testing period, my skin became drier than usual. I did not change anything else about my skincare routine, so I'm guessing this cleanser made my skin dry with continued use.

• According to the label, there is more fragrance in this product than the "good stuff" (i.e., fruit extracts).

THE LAST BITE: I can get past the strong watermelon candy scent (I actually like the scent of watermelon candy, but this one's very strong) and I can get past it not removing every last trace of my eye makeup. But what I can't get past is that, over the two weeks I used this product, my face became drier than it was before I started using this cleanser. For a product that says "hydrating" right on the bottle, I'm disappointed that I could see some light flaking on my skin after a week of continuous use, and after two weeks it got worse. I'm guessing that the high level of fragrance in this cleanser is what's drying out my skin, but that's just a guess. At any rate, if this is happening to me--and I have oily skin--I have to wonder how it will work for those with normal or dry skin.

If you own this cleanser, I would absolutely love to know what type of skin you have, and how it's working for you. I realize that everyone's skin is different, and that this could be a good match for some of you...sadly, it's just not a match for me.

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