SKINCARE | Deciem Hylamide High Efficiency Face Cleaner Review

It's about time I talk about Deciem again! Skincare reviews are both my favourite and most hated posts as even something as basic as a cleanser needs a bit more research than a coloured cosmetic product like a lipstick or eyeshadow. There is also something about what you apply to your skin that gives us all cause to have a look at the ingredients. We know that in the short time that Canadian company Deciem has been in our lives, they have changed, evolved and reinvented the way we look at the skincare industry and ingredients. They are doing things that no other company has done and I believe will continue to surprise us with pricing that is crazy (The Ordinary!) and uncommon ingredients. 

Before I get into the rest of my Deciem stash (it's EXTENSIVE), let's begin with one of their newer cleansers, the Hylamide High Efficiency Face Cleaner* (120mL/$21.00CDN), a clear micro-emulsion of oils, esters and water-compatible skin cleaners (notice it's cleaner NOT CLEANSER?) that act like an oil cleanser, but rinse off easily like a water cleanser. I have used true oil cleansers made of rosehip oil or sunflower oil and they definitely don't emulsify the same way as "hybrid" oil cleansers. These cleansers require a face cloth for removal as water and oil don't mix.

When it comes to cleansers, I'm not too picky about the ingredients because I am just going to wash it off anyway, but what I do look for is that it actually cleans my skin without drying it out. I am a double cleanser so this particular "cleaner" is always my first step. Initially, I didn't find this cleanser to be all that different than the other oil cleansers I was using, but now that I am almost finished the bottle I definitely have observations that I initially did not notice!

Ingredients: Isoamyl Laurate (hint: anything with "ate" is an ester are derivatives of inorganic or organic acids), Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Isoamyl Cocoate, Pongamia Pinnata (karanja) Seed Oil, Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (tomato) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

The first thing is the scent. Deciem products generally don't have a lot of scent and if you look at the ingredients list, you will not find the words "phthalates" or "fragrance". What you smell is what you get so I would describe this cleaner as having a somewhat "inert" scent. Though Deciem has never marketed themselves as a green beauty brand, seeing plant oils in what I deem more to be a "technical" brand sits true to my own skincare routine as I believe green beauty and science go very well together!

Texture and consistency were just like water and when water is added, turns this cleaner milky white. This is safe to use on the eyes and if you do have makeup on, start with dry skin and massage the cleaner around to first emulsify your makeup and then add water to rinse off. The second observation I made about this cleaner is that it IS actually highly efficient! I have one luxury oil cleanser that works similarly to this one, but because it contains mineral oil, takes just a little bit longer to rinse off with water. This cleaner needs less than 5 splashes and my face is clean (extra splashes for heavier eye makeup not included!). It also doesn't leave my skin feeling quite as oily as the thicker oil cleansers that require a cloth to remove. It seems to have taken the best qualities of all cleansers and transformed itself into this little gem of a cleanser!  

Final verdict: I'm glad I gave this cleanser a chance because at this point it's hard to be impressed by a cleanser. There aren't a lot of ways to revolutionize the cleanser formula, so if you are using one that works for you whether it'd be cream, oil or gel, stick with it, but if you are looking for a change especially if you are currently using a luxury oil cleanser, this is a price point you should look into. I think the ingredients are more targeted in purpose in this cleanser than what I was using before and have already purchased a second bottle!

Purchase DECIEM at www.deciem.com and www.sephora.ca