The Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is one of those beauty guru’s cult-favorite skincare products that you need to try if you’re a beauty blogger yourself. So, is it really holy grail material?
I already talked about Fresh here with the super cute SUGAR Lip Treatments I bought in the US last September. When I was there, I also bought a travel size of the Soy Face Cleanser and I was lucky enough to receive a second one as a gift (well, lucky, err, let’s say that considering the astronomical amount of money I gave to Sephora US and Sephora Canada, I think this one was well-deserved tongue )
I was able to use it for almost two months (the travel size lasts for a long time, it’s really an economical product!). So when I finished it, I literally ran to buy the full size!
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, presentation:
What the brand says about it:
“Soy Face Cleanser for all skin types is an extra-gentle gel cleanser that instantly whisks away everyday impurities and makeup-even mascara-without stripping the skin of essential moisture. The multi-tasking formula also works to tone, soothe, and soften the skin for a radiant, healthy-looking complexion.”
It’s a facial cleanser that you can use daily, ideally morning and evening (I only use it in the evening). It cleans the skin very gently without being too harsh (it doesn’t foam too much) (reminder: the more it foams, the more it contains harsh cleansing agents) and it also has a moisturizing and soothing effect.
It leaves the skin clean, super soft and with a very pleasant fresh feeling (the reason is probably the cucumber it contains).
It’s suitable for all skin types, including the most sensitive ones. It can even be used on the fragile area around the eyes.
The brand also claims it’s a good makeup remover. Personally, I start with a cleansing oil (the Boscia one) to remove my makeup, so the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser serves as a cleansing product. This is mainly because I’m not sure how good it is at removing as much makeup as I use. Honestly, I don’t know if I would recommend it as a makeup remover unless you wear a super light makeup (and I also use a daily sunscreen that requires being removed with an oil based product).
It retails for $38 (its size: 150ml).
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, my test and thoughts:
– Packaging:
It’s a squeezy plastic tube.
Rather practical and easy to carry (it also exists in travel size format). It’s very easy to use even if it doesn’t have a pump.
– Texture:
It’s a whitish gel, quite gooey (it’s even a little sticky), very weird at first sight. I use it most of the time with my Clarisonic brush, and it works well with it. But used without accessory, it’s a bit disconcerting at first as if the texture is “elastic”. You don’t need a lot, otherwise, it’s quite difficult to rinse.
– Scent:
A strange scent, like a kind of sweetened milk cucumber (yes, it’s a very specific description lol). I admit that I don’t adore it but I don’t mind it either. It’s tolerable.
– Formula:
Here is the ingredients list:
Water, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Benzoic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Pentylene Glycol, Caramel, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol.
A quite natural composition (without being completely natural, Fresh is not an organic brand), with very mild cleansing ingredients (the coco-glucoside in particular, is one of the mildest cleansing agents on the market) and others more moisturizing ingredients. It’s sulfate-free (they’re quite aggressive cleansing agents) and synthetic perfume-free.
The key ingredients are:
– soy proteins rich in amino acids to balance the skin,
– moisturizing glycerin,
– moisturizing aloe vera juice,
– soothing and moisturizing rose water,
– calming cucumber extract,
– nourishing borage seed oil.
– How I use it:
I apply it in the evening, after rinsing my cleansing oil, on wet skin. I use it on my wet Clarisonic brush and it produces a very light foam. I don’t use too much, the equivalent of a hazelnut and it’s enough for my whole face and neck.
If I use it without my Clarisonic, I massage it lightly in circular movements on my moistened face.
In both cases, I then rinse it with lukewarm water and voilà! smile
– Result:
A feeling of fresh, clean skin and above all very comfortable. It’s difficult to know if the cleanser alone has any effect on the brightness of my complexion because at the moment I use an exfoliating product every night (which I will talk about in an upcoming review). ;)
Honestly, I haven’t really seen any particular results on my imperfections, but it was not necessarily my priority when I bought this product. I just wanted a soft product that cleans my skin without stripping it and in this case, the Fresh Soy Cleanser does the job perfectly! smile
I also feel like my skin is less dehydrated, it doesn’t feel tight after I rinse it and that is an excellent point!
– Value for money:
It’s not cheap, without being as expensive as the Tata Harper cleanser that I loved, but that I could never convince myself to repurchase (its price is just too much). The Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is more “reasonable” in pricing.
It has a capacity of 150 ml, and it lasts me about three months (I use it once a day becauseI use another cleanser in the morning).
It retails for $38, and it also exists in travel size format (with a capacity of 50 ml, therefore about one month of use if like me, you use it once a day) for $15.
In summary:
[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]
It’s an excellent product that is very pleasant to use and leaves my skin well cleaned and comfortable, which I appreciate very much. It deserves its good reputation, and I’ll definitely repurchase! smile
The Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is available on the brand website and on sephora.com for $38.
And you, have you tried Fresh Soy Face Cleanser? What did you think of it?
Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com
Ekta Bhojwani wrote
Something about this (smell/texture) didn’t agree with me but I LOVE Glossier’s Milky Gel Cleanser. I think it’s a similar formula but it works a lot better for me. You should try that next!
Bonnie Garner wrote
Yes, true, the Fresh one really has a weird texture and a strange smell lol, I totally get that you don’t like it. But its composition is great, full of natural ingredients and that’s mainly the reason why I love it. (and it’s efficient! :) )
I never tried any of the Glossier products because I’m usually not a fan of their compositions. It seems like it’s a brand which is a lot about marketing and cool packaging, but their products are far from natural. Maybe I’m wrong, but reading at their ingredient list, I’m not sure I want to try them ;)
Stacey wrote
You know what beauty product I love, essential oils from Basilica Botanica. I’m an avid user but once I found these oils I have not switched brands ever since. Trust me on this one. I got mine via Amazon Prime, so convenient!
Bonnie Garner wrote
Thank you Stacey for the recommendations! :)