Waking up and winding down with the comforting A’kin Rose & Geranium Pure Facial Creamy Cleanser & Toner

You know what sucks about running out of one of your favourite facial cleansers? Opening up a new one and finding that it sucks more than running out of your favourite cleanser! I persevered for a while, trying first the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser (too stripping for something that’s supposed to be gentle) and then a sample of a Perricone MD Nutritive Cleanser (feels and smells weird and was also too drying). Neither hit that sweet spot.

So, I dug around my skincare cupboard, in the hopes of finding something that my skin would like. Isn’t Murphy’s Law “wonderful”? I found any number of serums and oils and creams and cleansing balms… but just ONE facial cleanser! One! How was that possible?!

But I was thankful for this one, because from the first contact with my skin, I knew I had gotten third time lucky with the A’kin Rose & Geranium Pure Facial Creamy Cleanser & Toner.

A’kin by Purist, is a brand of organic skincare that hails from Australia. I’d tried their hair products many years ago, but was left singularly unimpressed, which was why I stayed away from their facial products. But my recent positive experience with their Cellular serum convinced me to give their cleanser a try. I can’t remember where this bottle came from anymore – I might have bought it, or it might have been gifted, so because I can’t remember, there’s my disclosure right there 😛

First off, the packaging is rather large, coming in at a weighty 225 ml, which I thought was very generously sized for a facial cleanser. It dispenses through a hole at the bottle with a flip-top cover, and let me be the first to say that I dislike this.

The reason you see, is because if you don’t flip the cap all the way back, it will trap the residual product which will then result in an unholy mess of the dispensing area. But if you do, I have a real fear that it might snap off one day. Also, I find it easiest to squirt it while holding it at 90° to your palm, depressing it slightly so only a dollop of product is released. This way, the product goes straight down, and doesn’t smear everywhere.

Needless to say, I’m not impressed by the packaging and I’d have preferred if this came in a tube with a dispensing system that’s easier to control, or maybe better still, in a pump bottle.

Yet, I could find it in my heart to forgive the sucky packaging, because the product itself is very nice. There is a calming scent of roses and geranium, which isn’t too strong. You know me and my (low) tolerance for scented products, but this has a fairly fresh scent that isn’t displeasing to the nose and is comforting in the morning.

The texture is a rather thick lotion-cream. Runny enough not to be a cream, yet thick enough not to be a lotion. This does not foam up, so if you are used to a foaming cleanser then you will not like this. I don’t know how this will fare for those with oilier skins, but if you have drier skin then this one is wonderful!

I usually squeeze out a dollop in my palm, apply it all over my face, and then rinse it off. Despite being a cream based product, this cleanser rinses off quite easily, without leaving an oily or greasy film on the skin. In some ways, it is rather similar to the Antipodes Hallelujah cleanser in terms of texture.

What is interesting, is that after you rinse it off, I find that this leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth and comfortable. A’kin says that this is a cleanser and toner, and that you can apply your serum and moisturiser straight on after that. I don’t, of course, preferring to go through my usual routine. But I can understand why some people might want to do that. It does feel like you’ve had a hydrating toner boost to the skin.

While I use this one in the morning (because I’d run out of my regular morning cleanser), you can quite easily use this as your second cleanse in the evening, because it’s so gentle. I read on the box that they say you can use this to remove makeup, but I haven’t tried it myself. I don’t think it’s strong enough to remove waterproof makeup though. I’d prefer to use this as my second cleanse, after a proper removal process. In fact, I think I might shift it to my evening cleanse, because the cleanser I’m using for the evening just doesn’t cut it for me – let me tell you about that another time 😛

IN A NUTSHELL

The A’kin Rose & Geranium Pure Facial Creamy Cleanser & Toner is a cream cleanser that rinses off quite easily with water, or you can remove it with a wash cloth if that’s your preference. I find that it rinses off quite easily, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth and hydrated. I’d recommend this one for a morning cleanse because it’s fairly gentle, or for a second cleanse in the evening. The scent of roses and geranium is noticeable but not cloying nor too strong. The only fly in the ointment is the packaging which I think is sucky. But I’d suck it up because what’s in there is pretty good.

PROS: Affordable, Creamy texture feels very comfortable on skin, Rinses off easily with water, Leaves skin feeling smooth and soft immediately after use, Comforting scent of fresh roses and geranium

CONS: Packaging could be improved upon

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone with dry or sensitive skin, Anyone living where the weather is cold and/or dry, Anyone who prefers using natural or organic products

PRICE: RM99 | AU$27.99  for 225ml

AVAILABILITY: TNS Skinlabs stores and online, Zalora, Priceline (Australia)

If you’re interested, here is the ingredient list.

Have you tried this cream cleanser and do you like it? Do you use cream cleansers?

I used to be all about foaming gel cleansers, but I’ve recently switched to cream based cleansers, and it comforts my drier skin so much better! I know there is a big movement against foaming cleansers because it’s too stripping (and in many ways I’d agree) but when your skin feels super oily and greasy in our heat and humidity, I don’t deny, that’s probably what you’d want to use. Agree? 😀

Paris B