Hi, this is my review of 2 products from the Burt's Bees Intense Hydration line: the cream cleanser and night cream.
I will review one at a time, then give my overall opinion of both as a system.
Cream Cleanser
This is a very thick, rich feeling cleanser. It does not foam, staying a true cream while you apply it and rub it around your face.
I've been using this both morning and evening. In the morning it feels good as it is very moisturizing. It is winter here in Canada so my skin is very dry so I need a rich cleanser. The scent is pleasant, I can't put my finger on what it is specifically...it has an herbal note to it for sure. Maybe it's the clary sage oil...I'm not sure. It does not leave a greasy residue but definitely a moisturized feel to the skin. I then use my typical day cream and apply my makeup. There have been no dry patchy areas on my skin since I started using this in early December.
Now, the evening is where I find this cleanser falls a little short. It says on the tube: "...this formula is scientifically proven to remove dirt, oil, and makeup while leaving skin feeling soft, supple, and hydrated." so I put it to the test. For makeup I use a foundation, powder, blush, and concealer. I wet my face, and used a nickel sized amount of cleanser and massaged it all over my face. I rinsed it off and then used some toner on a cotton round and there was a fair amount of makeup on the round. It definitely removed some, but my face did not feel "clean" until after I used the toner. I find this to be the case with any cream cleanser that doesn't foam (that I have tried.) so I wasn't entirely surprised. It does say to either use your fingers or a washcloth to apply but I find a washcloth leaves my face a little irritated feeling so I don't use that method.
Night Cream
This is also a very thick cream product. It comes in a glass jar which makes it have a more luxe feel. Scent is pleasant, very similar to the cleanser. After using the cleanser and my own toner (Clinique #2), I use a small grape sized amount of cream and apply it to my face and neck. At first it feels very rich and seems like it's going to go on easily. However, this cream seems to "set" very quickly, like within seconds of applying it, so you have to be very quick to make sure it is spread out evenly or else it becomes almost 'tacky' feeling. I read the ingredients and noticed one that stands out. Corn starch. I wondered what the benefit to this was and I think it is included to help make the night cream not greasy feeling. I don't mind it but I find this leaves a mask like feel to my face and neck which does not go away. It's tolerable but not the most comfortable feeling.
The big question is: do these products do their job of providing moisturization to my winter dry skin? Yes. I have not experienced any flaking or dry patches since using these products.
Final score for the cleanser is 3/5 because it did not remove all of my makeup.
Final score for the cream is 4/5 because it is very moisturizing but leaves a slight 'masky' feel on my face.
Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: BzzAgent sent me the 2 full sized products for free, in exchange for my review and opinion.
