In comes the REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser.
I'll be honest, before this cleanser entered my life, the idea of a cleanser that didn't foam was an entirely foreign concept. Before I got into higher end skincare, I just used Neutrogena and Clean and Clear cleansers. And they stripped my face of every natural oil that I had. I'm so glad I've been introduced to nice products since then.
Anyways, I was relying entirely on gel cleansers. My favorite was my Clinique cleanser (Liquid Facial Soap). I used it in conjunction with my Clarisonic. But then I got bored and I had some money sitting around, so I bought ALL the skincare. This one one of the face washes that I was drawn to, but I didn't really understand how it worked without foaming. I know, I can be dense sometimes.
So I got a sample of it from my local Sephora, and honestly, the second that I smelled it, I knew it was over. I needed to own it. Like with most products that don't have an immediately obvious scent, I can't tell you what in the heck this smells like. But it smells delicious. Earthy and clay-like, the smell is almost edible. I probably shouldn't eat this, though, so I can't really tell you what it tastes like.
I've said it about REN before and I'll say it again. I love REN packaging. Love, love, love. Even the boxes that the products come in are beautiful. The first time I opened a REN box was when I bought this cleanser, and this beautiful, flow-y, sort of flowery inner packaging appeared. True love.
If you're interested in the ingredients, here they are! What strikes me is that the first ingredient is chamomile, so this is definitely a soothing wash (something I can definitely attest to).
One thing that people love about REN is that it's "clean" skincare. It doesn't contain any sulfates, parabens, or synthetic fragrance, etc. I think it's pretty cool, but it isn't a deal breaker for me. But it does help to explain the high price we pay for REN (in addition to it being a British brand--I feel like they hike up prices when they send things overseas--think Soap and Glory, a British drugstore brand that we pay Sephora prices for).
Anyways, the Clearcalm 3 Clay Cleanser has a thick, creamy consistency. It has a slight brown-grey color to it. As I've said, it doesn't foam, but it definitely leaves my skin feeling clean and more soothed. Knowing that I have this product on my side makes me feel a lot better about my skin acting up.
I will give one criticism, although I don't think it even counts as a criticism. I wouldn't use it to remove makeup. That just isn't the function that it's meant to do. Women complain about it, but there's a simple solution. Take off your makeup before using this, or use this as your morning cleanser. Personally, I never wash my face with makeup on. I either use a makeup removing wipe or I use a cleansing balm (the one I really like lately is Julep's new Bare Face Cleansing Oil). I think that expecting your face wash to be able to do everything is just not realistic. Your face wash can remove makeup, or combat acne, or brighten your skin, or exfoliate. But it can't do everything at once. It's sort of like mascara. Mascaras that focus on one thing (lengthening, volumizing, water-proofing) are the most effective. Expecting one mascara to do everything under the sun is just going to leave you disappointed.
Now that I've waxed poetic on mascara uses, this REN cleanser retails for $32 for 5.1 oz. I love it. I'll recommend it to anyone asking what face wash they should use for acne prone skin. I even used it with my Clarisonic the other night! It felt strange, because there was no foam/anything even remotely like foam involved. But after I washed the clay cleanser off, I can honestly say that my face felt more clean and smooth and soft than it does any time I use a foaming gel cleanser. I'm a convert to the Clarisonic with clay cleanser!
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