I'm always a bit skeptical when something claims to eliminate excess sebum, simply because in my experience it's never really worked. Though I must say this product was pleasantly surprising - I found that my skin remained relatively matte throughout the day, especially on my nose.
Gel cleansers are my go to typically, as I find anything else is not as effective on me. Foaming cleansers dry my skin out and aren't great for makeup removal, likewise cream cleansers are great for makeup removal on me and they tend to make my skin oilier. So the concept of a cleanser that was both a gel and foaming one at that was quite intriguing. My past experience with foaming cleansers did leave me with somewhat low expectations, but this product ticked all the boxes for what I look for in a cleanser.
• it smelt nice - it has a faint scent which is quite sweet smelling. I can't quite pinpoint the exact smell. • you can be frugal with it - a little does go along way with this and even though it's a decent sized product, for someone like me who cleanses twice when washing their face (2 cleanses twice a day = 4), this quickly adds up. So knowing a product is going to last makes it worthwhile. • aesthetically pleasing - the packaging isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's simple yet eye catching, especially the shade of blue used. It's also opaque at the top and gradually becomes transparent which is real handy in being able to see how much is left in the tube. • affordable - even though I was sent this as a trial product, I'd happily repurchase. It's RRP at $27.99 and it may seem hefty at first, but it's a 200ml product that even with frequent use, will still last a decent amount of time. I've used mine religiously for almost 2 weeks now (that's 54 washes) and have only used about 2 centimetres of product. • effectiveness - initially there were some breakouts, which is to be expected when trying something new and your skin needs to adjust. Since then, I've noticed that my skin stays matte for at least 12 hours, with my usual products I'm shiny by lunch. My skin is also smoother and I have noticed a difference in texture - legitimately my skin has never felt softer. I also have issues with hyperpigmentation and some mild acne scarring and I've seen that these aren't as noticeable, so I hope that over a long period of time they will fade. • gentle on my skin - like aforementioned, I've not had great results with foaming cleansers, so the fact that this didn't dry my skin out and made my skin feel parched was a plus. I have a VERY dry patch of skin on my left eye that haunts me persistently and I didn't find this aggravated it or accentuated it at all.
Although 2 weeks isn't an awfully long time to devote to a product before giving an opinion, I'd gladly say that within this 2 weeks that this product had proved it's potential and worth. I'd be more than willing to add this to my daily regime and can definitely see this becoming a go to product.
I've really enjoyed trialling the Effaclar Foaming Gel cleanser.
I like the packaging (blue tube, not white as pictured) which is simple and no frills, but not in a cheap way - it's clean, elegant, very functional, easy to use, and feels very sturdy. It has a mild scent, fairly floral with chemical undertones. I'm not a fan of any scent in facial products so it's a mark against it for me, but it's subtle enough that I can stand it.
I really love the consistency - a little product goes a long way and it lathers up to a lovely rich foam. Applying the product feels great - the dense foam feels smooth and buttery being massaged into the skin.
It leaves skin feeling very clean and soft, although I find it quite drying. Although my skin is oily, if I dry it out too much it will overcompensate by producing even more oil, so I definitely need to pair this cleanser with a rich moisturiser to balance it.
All in all, I'm happy with it - it's lovely to use and is a very effective cleanser.
Tips: Leaves skin feeling a little stripped and dry, so be sure to pair it with a rich moisturiser.