Consumer Reports Takes on Facial Cleansers
I happened to pick up a copy of the September issue of Consumer Reports for the first time ever, and had a read-through. Talk about brutal!! I LOVE IT!
Free from the shackles of advertising (except for a few tiny ads from small companies), the journalists are at liberty to rip into America’s consumer goods. Or give them credit if it’s due.
I stumbled upon an article on facial cleansers that I thought you’d all be interested in — what’s hot, what’s not. What I liked about their rating system was that it was based on a blind test of each product. This is crucial as we as consumers are often subject to the effects of advertising and PR without even consciously realizing it.
Want to know what the results were?
The more expensive products were the top performers. Interesting, huh? Kind of kills my theory that companies try to price things higher to make you think they’re better when they’re no different from the cheaper stuff.
Anyway, the winner in the Creams/Foams/Liquids category was (drumroll please): La Prairie’s Foam Cleanser ($70 for a 4oz tube). Estee Lauder’s Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser ($19 for a 4.2 fl. oz. tube) came in second. Rounding out the list was Lancome Mousse Clarte Self-Foaming Mousse Cleanser at #3, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser at #4, and Clean & Clear Oxygenating Fizzing Cleanser at #5.
In the Pads/Wipes category, Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Wipes won, following by Olay Daily Facials, Hydrating, Normal to Dry.
The total losers of the bunch? Pond’s Cold Cream which panelists felt left a greasy residue on the skin and was the hardest to remove. And Biore Pore Perfect Daily Deep Pore Cleansing Cloths which left panelists with the most pimples. Turns out they found some irritants in the ingredients that could lead to breakouts.
Keep in mind that this test wasn’t comprehensive. They only tested nine products, and ranked them within these choices. Sadly, I would have liked to see how my personal favorites, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, fared in the test.
I actually haven’t tried any of the products that were tested. Have any of you? Do you agree/disagree with the results?
August 20th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I like Pond’s Cold Cream; it’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my skin! I’m also interested to know how they would rate Cetaphil.
August 20th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I can’t say whether I agree or disagree with these results but I wouldn’t let it dissuade you from your belief that “companies try to price things higher to make you think they’re better when they’re no different from the cheaper stuff”. Having worked for different companies, I know this to actually be true in many cases.
One point about Consumer Reports. Some years ago they did a comparison of shampoos. There was a couple of products in the list that I was intimately familiar with (I worked on the formulas). I knew that the only difference between the formulas was the fragrance, color, and name. There is no reason the two products should’ve scored differently. However, they did. It’s made me question CR studies ever since.
August 21st, 2007 at 10:17 am
Personally, I love ponds cold cream. It may feel greasy, but I have a pretty good hunch they didn’t use it right. You have to rub it in for several minutes, and take it off with a hot washcloth. It leaves your skin super-nice~! And bonus, it’s the only thing I don’t seem to be allergic to.
Also I’d say it’s more of a makeup remover than an actual cleanser, per se.
You guys should have tried putting a lush cleanser into the mix, i’d like to see how coalface & the like would’ve fared.
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:09 am
I haven’t tried any of the products listed, but Purpose and Cetaphil are my fave cleansers, too! Wonderfully gentle on the skin, good make-up removers and cheap!