Product Review: Bare Minerals Purifying Facial Cleanser

What is the most important ingredient to having a great makeup look?  Is it the foundation? The brand of makeup? Having all the right tools?  While some of these are good and/or necessary, they pale in comparison to proper skincare.  What good is it to spend hundreds of dollars on makeup and not have a skincare routine to keep the skin in its best condition?  That would be like a painter spending tons of money on the best quality paints and brushes, only to paint on an oily old rag.  It would be pointless.

When you have dry, sensitive skin like I do, skincare becomes a bigger challenge.  There are many good products on the market that I cannot use because they are heavily fragranced or have harsh chemicals in them that cause me to break out.  So when I find something that works and is gentle on my skin, it makes my heart happy.

I began using Olay's Age Defying Classic Cleanser because I needed something that would exfoliate after removing my makeup.  It's gentle even though it has micro-beads; they're barely noticeable when I wash my face but I can tell the difference in how clean my face is.  Then in February I got my order from Bare Minerals that included a bottle of their Purifying Facial Cleanser.  The first time I tried it I used two pumps of cleanser and it was too much.  The next time I used just one pump, and it left my face clean and fresh, without any irritation.  This stuff is gold!  I literally used it to wash the makeup off my eyes, and my eyes didn't get irritated from it.  It was a dream come true!

Probably my one issue with this product is the price.  Since I got it as part of a set I did save money, but the regular price for 6 fl. oz. of product is $20.  That's a lot to dish out for a facial cleanser.  But here's the thing: I got this bottle on February 19.  I use it everyday at least once a day, and it's still over a quarter of the bottle full.  Since that time I've repurchased the Olay Age Defying Classic Cleanser twice, even though I use it less than the Purifying Facial Cleanser (I only use it when I'm exfoliating; if I don't wear makeup one day I don't need to exfoliate), and it brings 6.78 fl. oz., more than the Bare Minerals product.  At almost $5 a bottle, the Olay is definitely cheaper to purchase, but when you see how fast it's used up and how far the Bare Minerals product goes, it's easy to see that the Purifying Facial Cleanser is a better buy.  It's what I've learned with some of the drugstore brands versus the high-end products: since you use less of the high-end brands, they're often not as expensive as they seem.  And if the product works really well for your skin, it's probably worth the splurge.  In my case, spending a little more on cleanser is absolutely worth it.

So, here are my pros and cons for the Purifying Facial Cleanser.  Pros: cleans well without any irritation, takes off makeup and dirt without leaving skin feeling stripped, a little goes a long way.  Cons: the initial price to purchase is high, but the product is cost effective since it lasts so long.  Would I buy it again?  I already have - Bare Escentuals had a skincare sale and I snatched up another bottle.  This has become a standard for me!

What about the Olay Age Defying Classic Cleanser?  It also does a good job of cleaning my face without causing irritation.  It does leave my skin feeling very dry; since I have dry skin my face always feels dry after I wash it, but some cleansers make it feel more so.  This is one of them.  And while the initial price of the product is very inexpensive, it has to be repurchased more frequently because it runs out so fast.  I've continued to purchase this because it does exfoliate well, but if I had to choose only one, it would be the Purifying Facial Cleanser.  It just can't be beat.

Have you tried either cleanser?  What are your thoughts?  I'd love to know!