Cleansers are one skincare product that I just can't settle on. Whenever I think I find the perfect cleanser for my skin, a new one emerges on the market that makes me question my entire life and go purchase it. I'm a cleanser whore. It's true.
So when Derma E contacted me and offered to send me a box of their best-selling goodies for review, I couldn't pass up the offer to try out their activated charcoal cleanser!
Aww, yeeeh.
Derma E is an all natural, vegan, environmentally-friendly brand of skin care that focuses on the antioxidant theory of aging. Derma E facial care products are formulated with active levels of scientifically proven antioxidants such as Astaxanthin, Pycnogenol, C-Ester (essentially, Vitamin C) and Vitamin E. Derme E utilizes a ton of vitamins and botanicals to address a wide variety of skin conditions such as blemishes, age spots, and scarring. All of Derma E's products are fragrance-free, paraben/phtalate-free, GMO-free, non-comedogenic, gluten-free, and cruelty-free, and are void of mineral oil and dyes. Another cool thing about Derma E is they volunteer for and support humanitarian organizations, animal welfare, and land conservation programs, and a percentage of all of their product sales go toward The Paraguay Project, a non-profit program to aid the disadvantaged people, rain forest, and land of Paraguay.
This purifying gel cleanser claims to lather away sweat, dirt, oil, and toxin buildup on the skin for a refreshed, glowing complexion. One thing that intrigued me about this cleanser is that its main ingredient is activated charcoal, which is known to deep cleanse and detoxify the skin. If you're skeptical about this whole "detoxification" business, don't worry, I was too. Our bodies have natural ways to filter out toxins, both inside our bodies and out. However, I've been using skincare products with activated charcoal for years, and while I can't 100% back the detoxification properties of activated charcoal scientifically, I do know that my skin loves it. There's something about charcoal (be it cleansers, masks, what have you) that just leaves my skin feeling refreshed and deeply cleansed without feeling dried out.
Activated charcoal is weird looking, and it might feel strange to rub black stuff all over your face at first, but it has a multitude of good-for-your-skin benefits whose praises cannot be sung loudly enough. A lifesaver for those with oily skin and overactive sebaceous glands, activated charcoal has been known to minimize the appearance of pores and eliminate blackheads. Dirt/sweat binds to the activated charcoal on a cellular level, and the charcoal pulls the impurities to the surface of the skin to make washing it away much, much easier. It also does the same with oil, which is very helpful for those looking for a remedy for oily skin. I love to use activated charcoal cleansers along with a mild physical exfoliant to clear away dead skin buildup and experience an even deeper clean. Activated charcoals absorbs 100 to 200 times its weight in impurities, making it an oh-so-excellent natural ingredient in skincare.
Activated charcoal can also help those who suffer from acne; the slightly abrasive nature of charcoal can provide just the right amount of exfoliation needed to clear out oil/sebum stuck in pores that can encourage/exacerbate breakouts. It can even remedy certain scalp conditions such as dandruff and itchy flaky scalp, and can rid your hair of toxins by pulling dirt and oil to the surface as it does to skin, all the while providing some sick volume. The benefits of activated charcoal are seemingly endless!
After using the Derme E Purifying Gel cleanser for about a month now, I can safely and accurately say that it has become one of my go to cleansers for the hot, sticky summer weather. During summer months, my skin tends to suffer from terrible buildup, my pores look huge, my skin is dull and discolored, and blackheads claim my entire t-zone as their territory. However, I find that using this cleanser 3-4 times a week, coupled with some mild physical exfoliation in the form of a gentle facial scrub, has really helped eliminate a lot of blackheads and congestion, making my skin appear more brightened/refreshed. I use just a dime sized amount in conjunction with a konjac sponge or facial cleansing brush, and thoroughly massage the cleanser deep into my pores to break up all the built up sebum, dirt, and dead skin. This cleanser lathers well and rinses away clean without leaving my face feeling stripped or "squeaky clean".
How it lathers without the use of a sponge/facial cleansing brush. Not bad on its own, but a little help from a cleansing tool wouldn't hurt!
Ingredients:
Aloe Barbidensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Charcoal Powder, Fucus Vesiculosus (Bladderwack) Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida (Wakame, Kimarine) Extract, Epilobium Augustifolium (Canadian Willowherb) Extract, Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (0.1%), Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.The base of this cleanser is aloe leaf juice, which revives the skin by offering refreshing hydration and is one of my favorite skincare ingredients. Another noteworthy ingredient in here is green tea extract, which delivers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to soothe redness and inflammation caused by acne or other irritations to the skin. Because of its short, natural ingredient list, this cleanser would be safe even for those with sensitive/reactive skin types, although it does contain coconut oil derivatives, which can be irritating to those with very sensitive skin. You can view the full Cosdna analysis here.
I tested out its makeup removing capabilities as well with a variety of products (waterproof eyeliner, waterproof mascara, lip tint, lip stain, lip stick, and pencil liner). It removed almost everything except for some traces of the eyeliner and lipstick/tint, but it took a fair bit of scrubbing (definitely not something you want to do to your face), so I recommend cleansing first with an oil cleanser/balm to remove any traces of makeup first, so that the cleanser can get deep down into your pores to bring any dirt/impurities to the surface.
The Derma E Purifying Gel Cleanser retails for an average of $15, and you can find it on Derma E's website ($15.50), Amazon ($12.40), Ulta ($15.50), and Birchbox ($15.50). You can also shop the rest of the Derma E line here. I've been truly loving this cleanser ever since it landed on my doorstep; it takes care of any sebum buildup/blackhead issues I experience (which I experience a lot during the warm summer months) without leaving my skin parched or over-exfoliated. For those with dry/sensitive skin, I do recommend limiting use of this cleanser to twice a week to avoid stripping the skin, but for those with oily/combination skin, even daily use should be fine. I did a little digging, and you can even purchase activated charcoal capsules online (here they are on Amazon, for example) that you can crush up and add to any cleanser you might be using at the moment, and you can even add it to your shampoo for some charcoal-y hair care as well! Activated charcoal is fast becoming one of those ingredients that I just love having in my skincare, and if you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out!
This post is part of the ABSee link party! Week 2 is all about ingredients.
Check out the party, catch up on blog posts, and submit your own ingredient spotlight post over at Peepingpomeranian's site! Submissions close Friday, June 24th at 12pm EST.
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