Avalon Organics Botanicals • Therapeutic Lavender Facial Wash • Cleansers

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starsdotu on 4/24/2012 11:33:00 AM more reviews by starsdotu

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This didn't work too well with my skin. It broke me out :( My face does feel really refresh and clean afterwards. Unfortunately my skin is just too sensitive.

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MissK4012 on 11/30/2011 4:07:00 PM more reviews by MissK4012

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I have only been using this cleanser for about a month, but am really liking it.
First the bad:
I couldn't give this cleanser 5 lippies, simply because it is marketed for sensitive skin and I don't think it would be a good idea if your skin truly is sensitive. It is a bit drying and contains lavender essential oil - most people I have heard of with sensitive skin really can't use most EO's and lavender is an especially astringent one. This would probably sting badly if your skin is sensitive to any of the ingredients. For me, it's fine - my skin is highly sensitive to most chemical ingredients and all comedogenic ingredients but NOT to most EO's or plant products, not thin and not physically sensitive.
That being said, we move on to the good:
I purchased this hoping for a light, gel cleanser that would take off all my makeup at night, not dry me out or break me out, and figured the lavender would be an added bonus since it is anti-microbial and might help clear up my existing acne.
Makeup removal is awesome with this product - I can even take off my eye makeup with it (don't try this if you are sensitive to EO's!!!) and nothing at all comes off on the cotton ball when I apply my toner after cleansing.
There is some noticeable drying action, but nothing too much for my skin, so I just apply my usual toner and moisturizer after and it's fine.
My skin has definitely cleared up noticeably. I don't know if this is the anti-microbial action of the ingredients, or simply the fact that I am finally going to bed completely free of makeup, but either way it's working great!
It also smells wonderful (real lavender rather than you're typical lavender-like synthetic fragrance) and leaves my face soft and very refreshed looking.
OVERALL: If you're not sure how you react to lavender, licorice or essential oils in general you should definitely patch test first. If you're skin is dry and/or highly reactive to strongly astringent products you should probably just avoid this altogether. If, however, you're like me and you have combination/acne-prone/anti-chemical skin that gets either oily or dry depending of how you treat it and you need a quick, easy way to take off all your makeup (and your eyes are not sensitive to soaps in general) then this cleanser is something you should try.
***UPDATE*** I had been using this only at night to wash off makeup before bed, but I ran out of my usual AM cleanser and was being too lazy to make more so I started using this cleanser both morning and night. BAD IDEA! Within days my face was cracking and peeling it was so dry, then to compensate for the dryness my face started producing more oil, resulting in cystic acne all over my chin and cheeks (where I don't normally break out at all). I will keep using this at night - as I have switched back to just once a day it's helping my skin look beautiful again but will definitely never use it so often again. This definitely really drives the NOT-REALLY-FOR-SENSITIVE-SKIN thing home though. Do not use this if your skin dries out easily. It says it's for normal to oily but I would avoid it if I had normal, rather than oily skin.
Yet another UPDATE: Down one lippie and changed to would NOT buy again. Having used this at night for another couple weeks I find that my face is breaking out worse again. I think it's just too harsh for me, or maybe one of the oils isn't compatible with my skin. Also, the dehydration lines on my forehead and fine lines around my eyes are getting more and more noticeable and defined. I am using this up as a brush cleanser (it works pretty fantastic for that) but won't be buying again and am really disappointed that this would be labeled for sensitive skin - especially now that it's been too harshly drying AND caused some breakouts.

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Musoukakitty on 11/12/2011 6:19:00 PM more reviews by Musoukakitty

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

This face wash in my opinion is more for normal to oily skin, or acne skin. Its the only thing besides Oxy that has ever helped my acne and I love it...its just a tad too expensive. Overall I think currently I would pick it over Oxy just because my skin is alot drier than it was as a teenager.

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peggym on 7/16/2011 11:10:00 PM more reviews by peggym

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I was excited to try something natural and organic without SLS. So I headed to Wholefoods and decided to give this one a try because it said for sensitive skin and it was on sale too. Just after a couple washes, I noticed my skin felt dry and my cheeks were developing red dry patches. During the day my skin was peeling like never before especially around my mouth and chin areas. I now have to use it as a body wash and so far that is ok. I'm sticking with my Clearasil wash and it has reduced all the redness caused by this cleanser.

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Katie411 on 3/15/2011 4:52:00 AM more reviews by Katie411

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I tried this when I was trying to use more 'natural' products and it was a big mistake. It stang my face and generally was not a good cleanser for my skin type. I'm wondering if I'm actually reactive to lavender, so it might not just be the cleansers fault. It was very drying and simply did not suit my skin.

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janacoke on 1/2/2011 7:51:00 PM more reviews by janacoke

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I was really excited to get this- It has natural ingrentents, organic, and no parabens. As an added bonus it's suppose to be for sensitive skin. WRONG! I used this for 3 months and in that time, I broke out with whiteheads on my chin and checks. At first I thought it was my foundation (MUFE) . But once I switched to a plain old Cetephil anti-bac soap bar, my skin started to clear up. Since I have majorly sensitive skin and allergy issues, I think the natural ingredents were a little too natural for my hyper sensitive face.

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Klervie on 12/31/2010 1:15:00 PM more reviews by Klervie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have been using this cleanser on and off for about 6 years. I really really like it. The pump is great, the smell is great, the ingredients are great and i LOVE that it is not tested on animals. About a month ago I got a Clarisonic Mia and I use it with this Cleansing Gel and it is AMAZING! I will not ever switch from this product again.

I have heard that people are discouraged from using the Avalon Organics Lavender line because it feels as though it is burning your skin but that his just the lavender. Lavender is a antibacterial/antifungal just like Tea Tree Oil. And I assure you that the warm sensation does not last long and as you continue to use it it stops completely.

My face is clearer, softer (with help from my Clarisonic) and more even toned than ever! It stays beautiful and radiant ALL DAY!

For a all natural product I highly recommend this, will continue to buy it (along with the whole line, the enzyme exfoliator is excellent as well) and it is gentle enough to use everyday when ever you need to without all of the harsh and toxic chemicals other products use.

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Prissbella on 8/10/2010 9:09:00 AM more reviews by Prissbella

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a great cleanser for a great price. It smells lovely cleans really well and best of all is organic. I've used this on and off for many years and continue to purchase it. I use this in combo with jojoba oil and alternating works like a dream for me. I have sensitive break out prone skin. This does not break me out. I love using different skincare lines, but have found the less I do the better my skin is. This cleanser and a simple moisturizer keeps me clear.

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teanut on 3/6/2010 5:30:00 PM more reviews by teanut

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight   Eyes: Brown    

I have sensitive dry skin, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this product was able to remove make-up and keep my face moisturized. Specifically, it did very well in removing my waterproof mascara. The lavender scent remained strong in the months I've been using it, and I liked the convenience of using the pump dispenser. **EDIT** I recently found a thick creamy concealer which provided good coverage, and it did not come off with this Facial Wash. Bumping this rating down to 3.

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Nanders19 on 8/6/2009 3:52:00 PM more reviews by Nanders19

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Aww I hate this soap! It made me break out in a rash all over my face, and neck! This soap gets a grade F!!!

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kwiley on 6/29/2009 4:59:00 PM more reviews by kwiley

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This product gave my oily/sensitive skin a very large rash that lasted for days. I loved the smell & really hoped it would work well for my skin! Too bad :(

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Skytenshi on 6/24/2009 11:12:00 PM more reviews by Skytenshi

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this cleanser after reading the reviews on MUA about its cleaning properties. Having read that lavender is anti-bacterial, I wanted to try this cleanser on my acne prone and oily skin. If I don't wash my face with the right products, my chin will break out with white heads.


Unfortunately, this product didn't help prevent the breakouts on my chin. To this date, the only product that really works for me is the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for Oily Skin (read my review on this). I always go back to this after I've strayed off to other products that don't work for me. I've made up my mind to really stick with what works for me now.


So I'm now using this lavender cleanser as a hand soap instead.

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leajade1013 on 2/12/2009 12:19:00 AM more reviews by leajade1013

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This leaves my skin feeling soft and thoroughly clean. Not overly drying at all and does not make my skin breakout. Organic natural skincare is the best way to go! I just switched to Alba Sea Mineral cleanser so we'll see how that stands up to this. Overall this is a great cleanser and I will definitely be purchasing this product again.

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Lola_Love on 1/3/2009 11:18:00 AM more reviews by Lola_Love

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This, along with Lush's Coalface, is my holy grail facial cleanser. I have PCOS, which can cause some nasty acne, and this cleanser keeps 98% of my acne at bay. It is gentle, removes makeup, and never leaves my skin feeling dry. I don't even use a moisturizer after this.

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hoadang00 on 11/2/2008 4:57:00 AM more reviews by hoadang00

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I love this cleanser! The lavender smell is relaxing, it's very gentle yet cleans really well and doesn't leave any weird film on my skin. It's a bit drying for my dry/combination skin though, I think I'll switch to the cream cleanser in winter.

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ellewoodsy on 9/22/2008 2:01:00 PM more reviews by ellewoodsy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I have very sensitive, combo, acne prone skin. It is very hard to find a wash that doesn't make me break out. I use the whole line it is awesome. I threw away all my benzyl peroxide and now only use organic products. I will advise you during my first week little tiny bumps appeared after washing but went down after a few hours. After a week or two I had no irriatation. Use with toner and moisturizer and exfoliator u will not regret it

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sweetbabylace on 8/25/2008 11:00:00 AM more reviews by sweetbabylace

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Yes, I will buy this again!!! I am probably on my 20the bottle right now! This is by far my absolute favorite cleanser of all time. It removes 100% of ur makeup, including mascara. It leaves ur skin feeling exceptionally soft, and is very gentle. I adore this product, and hope that I can purchase it infinitely!!!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* staci01 on 3/20/2008 7:11:00 PM more reviews by staci01

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Other    

I bought this since the Avalon site said that it's for sensitive skin. That may be but it broke my skin out every time I used it. Very sad cause it rinsed away clean and smelled great!

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*TOP REVIEWER* AnnKB on 1/20/2008 8:03:00 AM more reviews by AnnKB

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was after a lavender based cleanser , saw this and decided to try it. The bottle is quite large (200mls) green plastic with a great pump dispenser. I am 40 struggling with acne and hate using things formulated for acne as they can be really harsh on my sometimes-sensitive skin.
I love the smell and the consistency, it lathers very easily so you only need a tiny bit. It cleans thoroughly, initially I felt it overdried my skin but I think I was over-rinsing. It cost me £6.99 in the UK in my local health food shop and is easy to get online. Lots of impressive things in the ingredients lists which seem a shame to rinse off!
update: I am liking this more andmore. skin definitely improved, fewer spots hooray!. will try their toner and enzyme scrub when I run out of my current brands.

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Sowga on 12/4/2006 10:42:00 PM more reviews by Sowga

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

EDIT: had to stop using, as I have become so sensitive to essential oils due to Retin-A use. Bummer, as I loved this cleanser!

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