I’m like a moth to a flame when it comes to trying out new products. And this is especially the case when it comes to facial cleansers because I seem to always be on the hunt for one that removes all my makeup without leaving my skin as tight as hipster jeans.

Naturally, I tried drugstore brands like Cetaphil, Spectro, Neutrogena, and Clean & Clear because they regularly go on sale and they’re easy to find.

All of these did cleanse my skin, but y’know that dry, tight feeling your face gets when a cleanser strips your skin of its natural oils? That’s what I got, and I don’t even have dry skin to begin with!

When Sephora had their Beauty Insider sale a few weeks ago, I pounced at the chance to try the Purity Made Simple cleanser. It was touted as being gentle yet strong enough to remove even eye makeup, and other people claimed it didn’t leave their skin parched.

So I put it to the test. And I didn’t let my wallet hold me back, either. As much as I crave scoring a real deal, I know that healthy, clean skin is worth the investment. You can skimp on a lot of things, but you shouldn’t skimp on skincare.

Had my skin agreed with a cheaper cleanser, well, I’d be happy! However, turns out my skin favors a little luxury.

 

Philosophy Purity Cleanser Pictures

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Gentle 

√ Tones

√ Cleans pores & eliminates makeup build-up

√ Lightly hydrates skin

X Melts away eye makeup

Key Notes

• Name: Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser
• Amount: 709.7 mL (24 oz.)
• What I Paid: Approximately $40 CAD (I bought this for 15% off during Sephora’s Beauty Insider Sale – Retails for around $47 CAD)
• Available Sizes: 3 oz., 4 oz. (I think this is a QVC exclusive size), 8 oz., 16 oz., 24 oz. (Sephora exclusive size) & 32 oz. (QVC exclusive size)
• Where to Buy: Philosophy website, Sephora website, Sephora stores & QVC website

Philosophy Purity Cleanser Review

I’ve been using the Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser for 20 days straight morning and night religiously with my Clarisonic Mia that I previously reviewed. After giving it a fair trial, I thought it was time to share my experience with you.

Fragrance

The Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser is fragrance-free, however, just because they don’t put any perfume in it doesn’t mean it has no smell. There is a scent, and it’s nice and light.

It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it smells like since I haven’t smelled anything like it before…especially not in a cleanser. I’d describe it as sweet, but not like cotton candy. It’s an earthy kind of sweetness that definitely is very clean and delicate.

Consistency

The Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser is muted custard in color and very milky. It’s so liquidy and doesn’t foam at all.

I know that a lot of times we associate how well something cleans based on its ability to lather, but that’s not accurate. The ingredients that create the lather many times are actually harsh ingredients. And since the Philosophy facial cleanser is supposed to be mild on skin, it makes sense to me that it doesn’t foam. Doesn’t bother me at all since I used to use Spectro facial cleansers, and they didn’t lather, either.

How I Use It

First, I wet my face with water and then squeeze about the size of a quarter into the palm of my hand. I apply the product onto my face and then let the Clarisonic Mia do its thing.

The Philosophy facial cleanser suggests that you use it for 60 seconds, which is perfect because the Clarisonic Mia has a 60-second timer built right in.

Afterwards, I rinse and then gently pat my face with a damp washcloth.

Does My Face Feel Dry or Tight After Cleansing?

No! It actually feels soft and supple, as if I’m wearing an ultra-light moisturizer except that there’s no residue. My skin truly feels clean and fresh.

Did It Irritate My Skin or Cause Acne?

No! My skin is sensitive, but it wasn’t at all irritated by this product. Even when I used it around my eye, it didn’t sting. And after using this cleanser for 20 days, I didn’t get any acne, either. So I believe it is gentle like they claim.

Makeup Removal Effectiveness

On any typical day, I wear face and eye primer, eye shadow, eyeliner, and mineral foundation.

The Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser removed all traces of makeup and dirt on my face easily, however it completely failed at removing eye makeup whether or not it was waterproof.

I wanted it to ‘melt away’ eye makeup like they claim, but it never worked. I tried different methods like wetting my eyes with water first or using the cleanser on a cotton round first. Didn’t help. I always had to turn to my trusty Clean & Clear Soothing Eye Makeup Remover to get the job done.

Price

This is the most expensive facial cleanser I’ve ever bought. And even with my 15% off discount, I winced when the cashier rang it up.

I don’t think any cleanser should cost this much, but I’ll continue to buy it as long as I can afford it and as long as I don’t find a cheaper alternative that’s as effective. Because of the heavy price, I deducted a few points off the Final Verdict score.

If you’re thinking about buying this, you may not want to go gung-ho like me and buy the 24 oz. bottle. (I know, I took a huge risk…but it paid off!) They offer travel-sized bottles so you won’t have to shell out as much just to try it out.

Packaging

The bottle features a minimalist design, which Philosophy products are known for. There’s text on the front, which is supposed to be thought-provoking, but I usually just think it’s self-indulgent on their part.

The bottle has a no-nonsense flip cap, but it would be nice if it came with a pump instead like the QVC-exclusive 32 oz. bottle does.

I appreciate that this product comes with a safety seal so you know that no one has been contaminating the product. A lot of drugstore facial cleansers don’t have this feature and sometimes it grosses me out when I think too much about it.

Pros Gentle cleanser that deep cleans pores & eliminates makeup build-up Leaves skin feeling & looking healthy (doesn’t strip skin of moisture) No perfume added (fragrance-free formula, but there is a scent you can smell & it’s light) Has a safety seal to prevent product contamination

Cons Ridiculously expensive for a facial cleanser Doesn’t foam or lather (but this isn’t a con for me)

Final Verdict: 7.5/10

The Philosophy Purity One Step Facial Cleanser leaves your face feeling and looking clean. But don’t rely on it as a 2-in-1 cleanser to also remove your eye makeup because it just doesn’t work well with eye makeup.

If you are able to splurge on skincare, I recommend trying this because it doesn’t strip your skin or leave it tight and dry. Plus it smells calming and is very gentle.

What’s your favorite skincare product? Have you ever shelled out a lot for a facial cleanser? Which Philosophy products do you recommend?