Five fab facial washes
Splash Away Foaming Cleanser - Estée Lauder, £14.99
Star rating: ****
There are two types of cleansers - the old fashioned soap and water girls and the creamy cleanser types. I'm a facial wash girl and like to lather the daily grime off my face. Splash Away is a light soap cleanser that leaves your face feeling squeaky clean without a hint of dryness or tightness. It lathers up nicely and is easy to rinse off. Moisturiser soaked in a treat after cleansing. After a week, my T-zone had definitely tightened. You only need a pea-size amount per wash, making the tube good valued despite it's rather extravagant price tag.
iVillage verdict: Highly recommended
Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleansing Wash, £4.25
Star rating: ***
Call it laziness but I'm a real fan of face cleansers I can use in the shower and this comes in an easy to squeeze tube making it very user-friendly. This product contains salicylic acid which gives it a slightly medicinal smell but it does give your skin a really deep clean. The cleanser feels quite thick and luxurious on the face and rinses off easily. I found my skin felt slightly tingly after rinsing which must be due to the salicylic acid but it did feel really clean and after using for a week my skin felt really smooth and soft. I wouldn't recommend this product if you have very sensitive skin as the acid could be drying and irritating but if you're after a deeper more thorough cleanser give this a go.
iVillage verdict: Great for a thorough cleanse
Ultra calming cleanser, Dermalogica, £18.60
Star rating: *****
Although this isn't strictly a facial wash, it's the next best things for skins that don't like soap-based cleansers. Fragrance-free and packaged in a simple clear plastic bottle with a handy pump, this cleanser made my fussy skin feel fab. None of that dried-out, tight-skin feeling I usually get from facial washes. Instead my skin was refreshed and smooth - even glowing. As dermalogica recommend, I used this cleanser like a facial wash, applying it to my skin, leaving it for a minute or two and then washing it off with water. This is a pleasingly minimalist product, and despite its hefty price tag, one bottle will last you for a long long time - plus it'll pamper your sensitive skin, leaving you with a peachy glow.
iVillage verdict: Great for delicate skin
Nivea Visage Gentle Face Wash Gel, £3.99
Star rating: ****
Although I like Nivea as a brand, I wasn't immediately hopeful about this product. The packaging was a bit cheap and the product looked a bit dull. However I was pleasantly surprised when I started using it. It cleansed my skin really well, removed all my make-up including mascara, and left my skin looking and feeling clean but not tight. On the downside, it has a slightly gloopy consistency which takes a lot of splashing to wash off. I love my regular cleanser too much to replace entirely, but I'll definately buy one of these to keep in my gym bag - it's excellent value for money.
iVillage verdict: Bargain buy
Marks and Spencer, Formula Gentle Foaming Cleanser, £4
Star rating: **
Looking a bit like something your nan would use, the M&S facial wash is a scarily chemical blue colour. It's a liquid that turns into foam on squirting, then strangely turns back into liquid as you wash your face with it. It's heavily perfumed (think nan, again), but washes off easily without leaving any greasy residue. After using it for about a week, I haven't noticed any nasty side-effects, but I'm not convinced it's getting my skin totally clean. I
wasn't blown away by this and probably wouldn't buy it.
iVillage verdict: Would make a great pressie for your nan!
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