I dabble a lot in cult skincare brands, as many of you realise, and one that keeps popping up at me over the years is the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. I resisted the temptation however, as I’d stopped using a cleansing gel for my skin for a while (too drying for dry skin).
However, a couple of months ago, I met the owner of local cult beauty website, Caliata (if you love cult brands, it’s a wonderful local resource!), and she kindly gifted me with a bottle, because it was one of her favourite products, and she was so excited to share it with me, I had to give it a go. Incidentally, I love talking to people who love their beauty products. Their passion is infectious!
The aesthetics of the packaging is stunning, with its crisp, white bottle, and a large, wide, pump. The down side of course, is that you can’t see how much you have left. That might be both a good thing or a bad thing for you. Good, because you don’t have to feel so bad about watching the levels drop; and bad, because you don’t know when you should replenish! LOL 😀
I have hummed and hawed over this product for a couple of months, and I’ve finally just made up my mind about it.
I’m almost afraid to tell you that yes, it does live up to its hype and no, don’t shy away from it just because it says that it’s a “cleansing gel” because it is unlike any cleansing gel you’ve ever used!
The product pumps out of the bottle a grapefruit pink, that comes as quite a surprise. The texture feels like a thick gel-balm, but on contact with your skin, it starts to melt, and turns into a texture approximating a rather thick oil cleanser. It isn’t runny, so for me, it feels just like using a balm.
In a way, I wish they didn’t call it a cleansing gel, because I’d hardly consider it a “gel”, and it is more like a runny balm. I love it, and I love massaging it over my skin at the end of the day, breathing in the light rosy scent that makes me think of turkish delight. I actually do like eating turkish delight! And it has absolutely nothing to do with Narnia 😛
On contact with water, like an oil cleanser, it will start to emulsify. Add warm water gradually, and massage to emulsify as you go. However, unlike an oil cleanser, the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel does not leave your skin feeling stripped.
In fact, it seems to leave a bit of a residue on skin that feels a little slippery. I’m not quite a fan of that if I’m to be honest. It isn’t uncomfortable, but I do follow up with a second cleanse, or use a wash cloth to remove. For me therefore, the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel operates as my first cleanse. Sometimes, I don’t do a second cleanse, and just go straight to my acid toner.
I have also used it to remove light makeup, and I can vouch for its efficacy at removing everything quite easily. I just massage it all over. However, I don’t recommend it for a makeup remover, as truthfully, it’s expensive. To use it as a makeup remover cum first cleanse, you need at least 3-4 pumps of product. On regular days, I use 2 for best results. 1 pump dispenses too little I find, and it tugs on my skin. 2 pumps gives me enough to spread over my face, and massage it is comfortably.
And I love the massaging, because it gives a lovely slip on the skin and feels so gentle, it did not even irritate my irritated skin. Oskia does say that the Renaissance Cleansing Gel is jam-packed with lots of vitamins (A, C, E) and good ingredients, to not only cleanse your skin but also treats and improves your skin at the same time, leaving you with clearer, more illuminated skin.
Dare I say that it might be the case? I have been using the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel quite exclusively for the past month, and my skin does seem to be a little brighter. I hesitate to attribute it exclusively to this product, but I have been on a very basic and simple regimen for a few weeks, due to my skin experiencing some issues a while ago, so I’ve kept a lot of actives out of my routine. Either way, I have to say that I really like this cleanser and it is a wonderful luxury at the end of the day, in the shower.
IN A NUTSHELL
The Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel is in fact, a balmy thick gel cleanser that turns to an oil texture on contact with the skin. It emulsifies on contact with water, so it is recommended to use it directly on dry skin, as you would an oil cleanser. I do find that it leaves a little residue after washing off, so use a face cloth, or follow up with a second cleanse if it feels better. I love the scent, which reminds me of turkish delight sweets, and the delicate grapefruit pink colour is a nice surprise each time you use it. I use about 2 pumps for maximum results, and with regular use (once a day in the evenings) I find that it not only cleanses my skin well and removes light makeup, it also seems to help my skin look brighter and clearer. It is quite a luxury, but I’d repurchase!
PROS: Not drying, Feels gentle on skin, Thick balm-gel texture makes massaging into skin a pleasure, Removes light makeup, Emulsifies on contact with water, Light scent of roses
CONS: Pricey, Packaging makes it hard to see how much is left, Leaves a residue on skin that may bug some people
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who uses cleansing balms and wants a more portable option
PRICE: RM195 | £29.50 for 100ml
WHERE TO BUY: Caliata (MY), Cult Beauty, Space NK, Net-a-Porter
Here is the ingredient list for the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Balm.
Would this replace my cleansing balms? Well, not really. It’s too much of a luxury, if I’m to be honest, and the residue it leaves doesn’t quite sit well with me. Also, it’s not exactly a great makeup remover, just works for very light makeup. But I like how it feels, so it’s one of those I’d keep on the side, as a luxury treat for my face every now and again. But I’d still do a cleansing balm at other times.
Have you tried this cult favourite Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel?
Often, cult or hyped products can fall flat for me. But this one lived up to its promises. I do like it. But it’ll be a luxury treat for my skin. Does this intrigue you? 😀
Paris B
Hey Paris, it is your long lost stranger fan here. Thanks for sharing this review. I have been lurking Cult Beauty but never checked out my wishlist cart because 1) pricey 2) skepticism that the products are really good 3) long delivery duration. Thanking my lucky stars for your reviews and sharing it as truthful and neutral as always. Thanks for sharing Caliata too. So refreshing to see those Cult Beauty brands in MYR! I have been trying to bring down the cost of my skincare items and trying pharmacy brands. So far so good. Nonetheless, I am glad that you liked this cleanser.
Hi there stranger! LOL 😀 Thanks for dropping by! Actually Cult Beauty is one of the better websites to shop at, speaking personally coz I used to shop there a lot! Some stars, some duds. They do stock the products with a lot of hype and which are very expensive so there are many I daren’t drop money on. I do appreciate a local source of these cult products, because the customs charges are so unpredictable, and can really add on additional cost to what is already an expensive item. I’m all for keeping within your personal budget though, so if a pharmacy brand works for you and your wallet, I don’t see anything wrong in using it. There’s no need to use expensive items all the time. Some maybe better and have more effective ingredients, but truthfully, not everyone may need it 🙂 I hope you’ve been well Jennifer! 😀
I would like to try it too °?·?
I think it’s a decent cleanser 🙂
This is blogger Lily’s favourite. I was tempted to buy this on Cult Beauty when I bought my other stuff last month but the price was too expensive for a daily cleanser. Reading your review now, I am glad I did not get it as it would have been more suitable as a cleansing balm instead of a cleanser. Thanks for the review 🙂
LOL yup my favourite. I’ve gone through bottles of it and I’m still repurchasing! After the VAT deduction, it’s not as pricey 🙂
Oh you’re right, it is her favourite cleanser 🙂 And you are also right about it being too expensive for a daily cleanser. I personally think so too. Because I use different cleansers day and night, it will go further, but doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s pricey 🙂
You had me at “smells like turkish delight”.
It absolutely does! Every time I use it, I think “mmm… turkish delight…” haha! Even has the same rosy colour
It sounds really lovely! Its already been on my radar due to the unique gel to oil consistency! Your review helps as I trust your nose and know now its not overly fragrant. I find some cult brands are too focused on aromatherapy over skincare sometimes.
Hi Lu! Yes, the formula is very interesting and I think it’s what makes it special and non drying! It definitely isn’t too fragranced, though you will still have to appreciate the scent of roses to enjoy it 😀 I tend to agree with you on scent in products – I personally prefer an earthier scent because I feel more balanced with it as opposed to a floral scent. But for some reason, cult brands tend to favour florals don’t they? And sometimes, it serves no real purpose except to smell good!
I had this for quite some time, and only use it as a treatment cleanser. It’s good and expensive too so gotta use it sparingly haha! BTW, CultBeauty price is much more friendlier than our local website.
Back to the cleanser, i found it best to use in the morning. I need about 4 pumps to clean my face. The scent is lovely and skin feels clean (not the squeaky clean type of clean) and refreshed after wash!
I hear ya on it being expensive Bryan >.< And yes, Cult Beauty is friendlier in price too. I guess the local site serves those who'd rather not have to wait weeks and have to bear potential customs fees. I know of many who're like this, who'd rather put their trust in "resellers". I never understood that to be honest, since I prefer to buy directly from the webstore myself! LOL I haven't tried using it in the morning, but I actually find it quite "strong" since it removes my makeup quite effectively so for that reason I keep it for evening use. It would be a delight to use in the morning though, with that refreshing scent! 😀
I am currently using a much much cheaper cleanser in the PM, surprisingly this super foaming cleanser does not make skin feeling dry and tight, all I get is squeaky clean and refreshing scent of green tea. It’s NEOGEN Green Tea Real Fresh Foam Cleanser, it selling for RM42 on 11th Street 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Bryan. Isn’t it great to find a product that works that doesn’t break the bank? 😀
Hi, I’ve been using this for about a week because its hype and cult favorite, but i dont really like the residue film of it. I dont use any washcloth to remove it so yeah perhaps it supposed to be removed with washcloth? Do you always use washcloth to remove any cleanser? Thank you!
Hi Fauzia, I use a washcloth usually with a cleansing balm, or my first cleanse. I’ve written about it here. With this one, because of the residue, I find that a cloth helps. Or follow up with a second cleanser to make it feel more comfortable. That residue is one thing I don’t like about this cleanser 🙁