Burt's Bees Orange Essence Cleanser

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I picked up this cleanser on a whim.  First off, I should disclose that I was not in any sort of need for a new cleanser...no, I've been using what I consider to be my holy grail of facial cleansers for a year and a half, now...but something about the small Burt's Bees display called to me.  I haven't really used any facial care from this brand in years...and even then, I had only really tried a sample/travel kit...and to be quite honest, not much of it worked out well for me.  I really have no excuse for this purchase.  However, I'm really glad I gave in to this particular flight of fancy.

Upon arriving home with my purchase, I removed the seal from the well-packaged tube of cleanser (I LOVE when a product has a seal to protect from contamination) and squeezed a small dollop out onto the palm of my hand...probably about a nickel-sized amount.  Now, this is when I was caught off guard...it was an oil-based cleanser. I had read the ingredients before buying, but for some reason none of it screamed to me that this was a non-foaming oil cleanser.  Not that this is a bad thing at all...I rather like oil cleansers and prefer something without lather. The texture and consistency was that of a very thick gel.  Upon massaging it onto my dry face, it seemed to almost melt right in...and it seemed to have a bit of a warming sensation as I worked it around....very lovely.  The fragrance was of bright, fresh oranges..not that fake and sickeningly sweet orange scent, but like a freshly peeled orange with the hints of bitterness of the peel mixing with the sweet aroma of the juice inside. At this point, I was in heaven.  When it came time to rinse, having had experience with oil-based cleansers, I just knew I was going to need to get a face cloth wet with hot, hot water and wipe it cleanly off of my face.  However, I decided to add a bit of water first just for kicks and to thin it out a bit to make the removal easier.  Now, this is when I was really in for a shocker:  it actually rinsed right off!  How amazing is that? I've never used a balm or oil cleanser before that actually rinsed so cleanly away.  Of course, I was sure this was too good to be true, so I still followed up with a wet cloth and then finished off with my usual toner, night treatment gel, and moisturizer.  I was left feeling clean, sufficiently moisturized, and so, so soft...

I have since been using this regularly as my night-time cleanser, and after a long and stressful day, it's just the ticket to relaxation and freshening up...I really can't say enough how lucky I was to find this and to have had such a wonderful experience with it thus far.  I have not experienced any negative reactions (and my skin is very reactive) or any breakouts since using this.  If anything, my face actually seems more clarified...with that youthful translucence that I have not had in years.  I would have to recommend this to anyone with normal or combination to dry complexions.  Give the oil cleansers a try! I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised.  If that isn't enough to sell you, it's good to know that this cleanser is 100% natural.

FROM THE LABEL:

Our award-winning facial cleanser gently removes all traces of dirt, oil, makeup and pollutants while moisturizing and conditioning the skin.  This gentle and moisturizing cleanser is especially effective on sensitive and normal-to-dry complexions.

INGREDIENTS:

vegetable glycerin, olive oil, orange oil, oat flour, lanolin, oat oil, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, vegetable oil & beta carotene, tocopherol (vitamin E), quillaja extract, rosemary leaf oil

WHO MIGHT LIKE THIS:

Anyone with normal to combination or dry/sensitive skin, anyone looking for extra moisturization from their cleanser, anyone who likes all-natural skincare products

WHO MIGHT NOT LIKE THIS:

Those with oilier skin might not like the layer of moisture this cleanser leaves behind, anyone who likes a lathering or foaming facial cleanser, anyone that likes the "squeaky clean" feeling after cleansing


PRICE PAID:
$7.99 at my local grocery store.  You can buy it here for $8.00.