I am very pleased with this product....my skin is very reactive to temperature and has also gotten a lot drier than it used to be in the last few years. I read about this cleanser and thought, well, I'd at least try it. I'm glad I did. I do wear makeup each day, so when I come home, I apply a little of this gel-like cleanser straight to my face, let it sit for a few minutes so it emulsifies, and then tissue off. Voila. Thats my whole makeup-removal and cleansing routine. My skin is much calmer and much clearer than it used to be. I like this very much and would absolutely repurchase.

This is the only thing I have used to clean my face with for the past 9 months, except for an occasional wash with a Dove beauty bar. Last December I just decided that I was really sick of trying new things on my face, because it gets irritated and breaks out so easily. So, I just started using Albolene at night with a hot washcloth, and nothing else. My skin is the best it has ever been. For me, leaving my skin alone is definitely the best thing. I will keep using this forever.

I never seen anything like this. You put it on your face and tissue it off and ur makeup is gone. This is my new HG makeup remover and cleaner!!

Here's my take. I really like this product.

I use this product for my nighttime routine. I first splash my face with tepid water, and then massage a quarter size of Albolene into my skin. I then take a warm, wet washcloth and place it over my entire face and then GENTLY remove the cleanser. My skin looks better right then. I follow that with my normal cleansing using Purpose liquid facial cleanser. My skin looks great! I wait about 5 minutes and then put on Alpha Hydrox 10% Glycolic AHA Anti-Wrinkle cream.

Those three items clean, moisturize, and gently exfoliate and the great thing is they do it ECONOMICALLY! For under $30, I can buy all of these products which last for at least 3 months versus some product with a price that is inflated because of massive advertising costs.

I'm right there with Mary Ellen. For over TWENTY years I've tried various and sundry quick get it off stuff, and this Abolene is freaking amazing. Actually, I know a woman who is 93 and swears by it and she does NOT look 93 (www.friedaslife.com). It does everything at once and with ease. PLUS serves as a moisturizer as a fringe benny :)

Thanks to rgdollmom54, who must have gotten tired of reading my mascara reviews that always contain a line in which I complain about trying to get it off! Holy meltdown, Batman! Just put a little of this on your lashes, wait a few seconds, rub gently (the consistency of this allows you to rub lightly, which is all you need, without irritating your eyes/pulling the skin), and voila! No more mascara! No more anything wherever you use it--eyes, lips, whole face. And although it's very emollient, it leaves almost no residue behind. And it's dirt cheap! This will probably be the only makeup remover I ever rebuy.

Update 6/16/09: this is great for removing waterproof sunscreen! I apply a small amount (it goes a long way), massage in, wipe off, and wash with my regular cleanser (DDF Sensitive Skin). No residue *at all.* Keeps my pores unclogged and my skin looking great.

If you are looking for a cleanser that will make your skin feel squeaky-clean, then stop reading because Albolene will not be the one for you. This is a great makeup remover and helps keep your skin moisturized, but may leave a greasy "film" that some people don't like.


Now, Albolene doesn't look like your normal cleanser. Instead, it looks like a giant jar of white Vaseline, but it is so much better! I love this stuff for 3 main reasons:


1. It takes off all of my makeup and waterproof sunscreen -
I use a tiny spatula to scoop out a bit of Albolene and spread/massage over my dry face. (It looks solid in the jar, but once it hits your skin, your body temperature melts it into a spreadable consistency.) Then, I remove with clean tissues and if I'm wearing heavy makeup that day, I'll cleanse a second time with Albolene just to make sure I'm getting everything off. I usually follow up with some Cetaphil gentle cleanser and hop in the shower, but this isn't necessary. I love that Albolene just removes every bit of makeup!


2. It does not leave my skin feeling stripped -
I used to struggle with finding a good moisturizer because it seemed like each one I used couldn't get rid of my dry skin flakes. But I started thinking that maybe moisturizers weren't the problem, maybe my cleanser was just too harsh? And I was right. After switching over from foaming cleansers to Albolene, I had far less trouble finding a good moisturizer. I also like that Albolene removes my makeup and waterproof anything without making my skin feel stripped like from emulsifiers in cleansing oils.


3. It does not break me out! -
Now, I have incredibly acne-prone, clog-prone skin and when I first read about Albolene on the skin care board and bought some, I thought, "no way am I putting any of that on my skin because that's just breakout city waiting to happen!" But I'm glad I gave it a chance because it not only removes/cleanses/moisturizes my skin all at the same time, it also doesn't strip my skin. Some days, especially in the winter, when I'm feeling particularly dry, I'll even slab on a thick layer of this stuff to make a "moisturizing mask" and go to bed with it on. Note: I don't think Albolene will help "clear" your skin and if you are sensitive to mineral oil, one of its main ingredients, then you should steer clear of this product.


I only use Albolene on days I wear makeup. On days I go makeup free, Cetaphil is enough to make my skin feel refreshed. Also, I believe there are 3 kinds of Albolene out on the market. One is fragranced and two are fragrance free, one with vitamin-E and the other without. I use the fragrance-free one without vitamin E because anything with vitamin-E gives me a rash.


It also costs around $13 for a jar of Albolene, but sometimes you can find it on sale for a little less at Walgreens. It lasts a long time, so it is totally worth the money and I'm always paranoid that the product is going to get discontinued so I stock up whenever I can.


For those who think that Albolene is the same as Vaseline, you will be completely surprised. I love Vaseline and put some on my heels and knees before going to bed, but it's too goopy and hard to spread. Albolene is much easier to work with and take off and for that, I'm willing to pay the extra money.


So basically, if you have dry skin and want a non-stripping makeup remover, then this is a great product. If your skin is easily irritated, you might think twice about this product because you have to use clothes/tissues to remove it and the friction from the removal process might be too harsh. If don't like feeling a layer of "film", then this product may also not be for you. However, for my extremely dry and acne prone skin, this stuff is a life-safer!


UPDATE: Okay, so I'm not sure if you guys know about this, but you can actually use Albolene as an exfoliant. On their website, they say to apply some Albolene (preferably after you shower), let it sit for 5 minutes, and then use an index card to scrape it off. However, instead of using an index card... I use..... a tongue scraper! Haha! Sorry if that is weird, but a tongue scraper provides the perfect edge for scraping/cleaning out my pores without disintegrating from the oil like an index card would. It actually works for me because when I scrape and wipe on a tissue paper, I can see the gunk from my skin on the tissue. Of course, don't scrape/scratch your skin if you have any active acne or if your skin is sensitive!

I LOVE this cleanser so much.

Prior to using this, I had been using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash. It was my HG cleanser for my mild acne. Then I began getting awful hormonal and mysterious breakouts. I tried taking Retin-A to clear it up, and my skin went NUTS! It was SO dry and peeling and awful that I gave up on Retin-A for awhile and lived with my acne :(.

A few months later, I was so fed up with the acne that I decided to try Retin-A again. It was around this time that I heard about Albolene. I began using them both at roughly the same time. Guess what? No peeling this time!! Albolene allows my skin to retain its moisture (the mineral oil, which I was previously opposed to, acts as a barrier and seals the natural moisture of my skin in, rather than stripping it.), allowing me to use Retin-A safely!

It removes ALL of my makeup. My foundation is virtually liquified- it's kind of gross, really. I put Albolene on my wet or dry face, wait a few minutes, then remove it in a circular motion with a hot, damp washcloth. In one swoop, my makeup is all gone and I am left with moisturized skin!

takes everything off, scent-free better than ponds!

For some reason I strayed from this and recently came back to it. I think I strayed because it is a pain to wash out of your washcloths. This removes all makeup and grease from my very oily skin. I start out by massaging about a dime size all over my face. I then remove with a warm washcloth and follow with Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser.

This does not strip my skin at all. In fact, it seems to melt dry flaky patches right of my face. My face is so soft and supple after using. My oily clog-prone skin really likes this.