I think I’ve reviewed ONE cleanser on Cosmetic Proof before so I historically haven’t been their biggest fan. It’s only recently that I have delved deeper into the skincare rabbit hole and come to appreciate a good cleanser. Most of us now are almost hyper-aware of what we put into and onto our bodies and there is something about the FACE that makes us all extra careful. Maybe because it’s the first thing people look at. I love both organic and non-organic brands, but the most important thing is to look beyond the branding and focus on actual ingredients and efficacy.
Consonant Skincare is proudly Canadian and based out of Toronto, Ontario. They are also “99.5 - 100% natural, and as organic as possible using certified organic ingredients”. The words “organic” and “natural” get thrown around a lot so read here for more info and how Consonant uses these terms as I found it to be very informative. The Organic Foaming Face Wash ($18.00 CDN) is my first foray into Consonant and not only is it award-winning, but it is a true 3-in-1 product meaning that it is a: cleanser, toner and makeup remover (even eye makeup!). It also promises to hydrate and nourish skin, eliminate uneven skin tone and prevent blemishes.
I love the concept of a 3-in-1 because I personally don’t see the need for toner (for my skin type), but for those of you that do like it and could do with one less step this is a great option as this cleanser does not upset the pH balance of your skin. It is also a truly amazing all over makeup remover! Not only does it effectively remove face makeup, but it doesn’t burn or leave that weird oily film on your eyeballs when you use it on your eyes! I used it to remove waterproof liquid black eyeliner and it took it all off in one session with no problems!
You will need about 1.5 pumps, maybe more if you’ve got some intense eye makeup going on, to adequately clean your face. There isn’t much of a scent as fragrance can be irritating to sensitive skin. Also, there is something satisfying about seeing a lot of foam action.
Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Water and Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Niacinamide, Calophyllum Tacamahaca, Melaleuca Alternifolia, Allantoin, Algae*, Camellia Sinensis*, Salix Alba*, Panax Ginseng Root Extract*, Zingiber Officinale*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Vitis Vinifera*, Comfrey, Chamomilla Recutita*, Symphytum Officinale*, Cucumis Sativa*, Vaccinium Myrtillus*, Saccharum Officinarum, Acer Saccharum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis, Citrus Medica Limonum, Citric Acid.
*certified organic oils and extracts
You can see from just a rough glance at the ingredients that the list looks “herbal” and that the majority of the ingredients are plant-based. It looks like I’m about to ingest a detox tea or something, but here are my favourite ingredients (although I could have dissected the entire list because everything looks pretty good!)
Decyl Glucoside is not something I see very often in skincare products I use mainly because it is a very mild detergent used in baby shampoo or in products for sensitive skin. It is also plant-derived (corn starch and coconut) and is biodegradable (Wikipedia, January 2015).
Cocamidopropyl Betaine has a number of uses, but for this cleanser, I believe it is used as a “foam booster” and is derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine (Wikipedia, January 2015). I was wondering where all that foam came from…
Water and Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a radish-derived antimicrobial agent. This prevents the cleanser from going bad. Talk about a natural preservative! The shelf-life is still a year which I found to be quite impressive (The Herbarie, January 2015).
Niacinamide is the dark spot fader and also treats the hyperpigmentation from acne scars. It also increases ceramide and fatty acid levels in the skin which prevents water loss generally giving skin an overall more healthy appearance (Paula’s Choice, January 2015).
Melaleuca Alternifolia is the fancy term for tea tree oil which acts to fight blemishes while allantoin and Chamomilla recutita act to sooth any redness or irritation (Wikipedia, January 2015).
Final Verdict: I have dry skin so even when a cleanser is supposed to be hydrating, I still feel tightness in my skin. With this cleanser, it was more around my eyes which meant that I needed to put moisturizer on right away. My face did feel VERY clean though and like I said, face and eye makeup were removed in one fell swoop. The price of this cleanser is not that bad for 125mL of product although if you’re using it twice a day you might find it disappearing quite quickly so I really just use it at the end of the day when there is “more to remove”. I love that this is such an effective cleanser with such healthy ingredients because I find that when products are too “natural”, efficacy can be lacking. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this face wash worked while simultaneously being so gentle and would totally recommend it for any skin type.
Consonant Skincare can be purchased on the Consonant website or at a retailer close to you.
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