Product Review: Glamglow Thirstycleanse™ Daily Hydrating Cleanser

Do you have a favorite facial cleanser? Or do you like to try different ones just to see what's out there, maybe in hope of finding the perfect one? I'm pretty picky when it comes to facial cleansers (but that probably doesn't surprise you, right?). I'm guessing that most of us want our cleanser to suit our skin type (obviously), be reasonably priced, and readily available. Beyond that, our needs and wants will vary.

I have mature, combination skin that is sensitive and still prone to breakouts. I can't use anything that contains glycolic or lactic acid, and fragrance can be a problem. My cleanser doesn't have to remove my makeup because I use Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water to take off my makeup prior to cleansing.


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A few months ago, I received a deluxe sample of Glamglow's Thirstycleanse™ Daily Hydrating Cleanser - it was either in one of the Sephora Play! boxes or a Sephora Rouge reward, I can't remember now. It said that it was good for normal, combination, and dry skin, so I checked out the ingredients.


Ingredients:
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Kaolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract, Propanediol, Montmorillonite, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Powder, Allantoin, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Fragrance (Parfum), Coumarin, Phenoxyethanol, Mica

The only possible issue I could see was the fragrance, which was listed near the end of the ingredient list, so I decided to give it a try.


This cleanser has an interesting texture. It's thick and almost slippery, like a mask (but it's not to be used as a mask) - which is probably why it's called "Mud to Foam™". It's a light yellowish-tan in color, and has (what I think is) a lovely scent. Even though I enjoyed the scent, I was a bit worried that it was so strong, because that usually means there is a lot of fragrance added to the product.

The instructions for this cleanser say to apply one to two pumps to hands, add water, and vigorously rub hands together to create foaming lather. Then you apply it to your face, massaging it over your skin, adding more water to increase the foam. If you're envisioning thick, luxurious foam - don't. I found this cleanser to be low-foaming, and I'm okay with that. My regular cleanser is a low-foaming cleanser, and I like it that way because ingredients that make foam also dry your skin. A lot of people equate the amount of foam with the degree of cleansing - which is not necessarily true. I used this cleanser with a konjac sponge, which gave me a little more foam than using just my hands, but it still wasn't a lot of foam. However, I still felt my face was clean.

After rinsing, my skin felt very soft and smooth. Even softer than it normally feels after using the konjac sponge (you can read my review here). Since I only had a 0.5 oz sample, I wasn't able to use the cleanser long-term, but I didn't have any issues with irritation or breakouts while I did use it. The added fragrance didn't seem to be a problem. The scent to me is mostly coconut with a hint of something I can't quite put my finger on - definitely tropical - slightly sweet, maybe fruity or a sweeter floral.

Overall, I really liked it. For me, the main drawback would be the price - 5 oz. is $39. I'm not sure how long that would last, but it seems pretty pricey. Maybe if I didn't use it on a daily basis, but as a hydrating "treat" for my face, I could justify the price a bit more.

Have you tried any of the Glamglow cleansers? What did you think?