This bottle screams “non-toxic” louder than a wellness influencer at an Erewhon. But the first ingredient? Water. Cool, cool — that’s in everything.
The real problem? “Clean” isn’t regulated. Anyone can slap it on a bottle. This one does, then loads up on fragrance that does nothing for your skin barrier.
It’s a gel-to-milk cleanser that claims to dissolve makeup, balance pH, and “nourish” with honey. $34 for 5 oz — Sephora exclusive. I bought it because the texture looked like liquid gold in the ads.
Jelly-to-milk texture
Turns from a thick gel to a milky rinse in 15 seconds — satisfying, but feels more like a show than a wash.
Honey complex
They push Manuka honey, but it’s way down the ingredient list. More like a whisper than a shout.
Low-foam formula
No suds. Feels like you’re rubbing lotion on your face. Some people love that. I felt like I was missing something.
Photo: kevin laminto / Unsplash
They talk up honey and aloe. But the real headliner is cocamidopropyl betaine — a surfactant that can be stripping for dry skin. There’s also fragrance (limonene, linalool) which is just fancy for “potential irritation.”
- Manuka Honey: 3 ingredients down, mostly for the label appeal
- Aloe Vera: Soothes on paper, but barely enough to feel
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Cleans well, but dry skin will side-eye this
- Fragrance (Limonene): Smells lovely, skin barrier says ‘why tho’
Photo: Chalo Garcia / Unsplash
First pump: a thick, amber jelly that slides like warm syrup. Rinses off without residue — but my face felt tight within 60 seconds. Not a good sign.
Two weeks in: my oily T-zone was fine. But my cheeks? Pissed. Red, a little flaky. The fragrance that smelled so good? Probably the culprit.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
Makeup melted off fine — even stubborn mascara. But my pores looked the same, and my moisture barrier threw a small tantrum. Not a disaster. Just not the glow-up the bottle promises.
Photo: sarah b / Unsplash
It’s a pretty bottle with a pretty price tag — but the formula is mid at best. Clean beauty marketing without clean skin results.