Unlisted Brand • Albolene cleanser • Cleansers

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TigerBaby on 5/6/2013 1:47:00 AM more reviews by TigerBaby

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Previous "poster" (troll, creeper, WhatEver)....
Enjoy your Self! Obviously, there are no other takers....

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bulbagrrrl on 4/21/2013 4:01:00 AM more reviews by bulbagrrrl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have extremely oily, very acne prone, large pores, easily-flaky-when-over-cleansed, skin! I'm very impressed by this product. I tried using it as instructed - rub in and wipe off with tissue. A lot of oil and makeup came off this way but the thin film left on my face was no good for my oily skin and in 3 days my face was totally clogged.

How I use this now is PM only (light witch hazel cleanser in the AM). Take a dollop size on my finger and rub it all over my face for about 5 minutes. I can feel the blackheads on my nose rise and clear out, the dead skin, makeup, pimple scabs, I can feel it all lifting and blending into the Albolene. It's really gross yet refreshing. I've never used anything that cleans and clears like this stuff. Then I hop in the shower and gently remove with a warm washcloth.

My skin is a little extra oily the next day when using this - similar to when I get a super clean facial - so I may start using this less or blot more. Either way, whether daily or weekly, this is an amazing clean!

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*TOP REVIEWER* DKER on 3/20/2013 1:34:00 PM more reviews by DKER

Age: Unknown   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have a love/hate relationship with this. It will dissolve any sort of waterproof makeup or sunscreen I put on my face very quickly and easily, and it isn't drying. BUT it requires some elbow grease to remove that dissolved stuff, requiring a washcloth, wipes, or something else to be repeatedly rubbed on the skin. For my extremely sensitive, rosacean face....this is the main drawback...the only way to avoid the irritation is to follow up with a foaming cleanser...in which case I don't get any moisturizing or soothing effects.

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ricaalava on 3/10/2013 4:03:00 PM more reviews by ricaalava

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this because my mother-in-law who had beautiful and flawless skin recommended it. After giving birth, my skin became acne prone. My mother-in-law suggested I use very mild products including this. Anyway, I seriously broke out A LOT. It's not the cycstic acne but literally red dots on my entire face. I guess my face can't handle something that's sort of like petroleum jelly. I ended up giving it to her since she uses it to remove her makeup. It can be really good for some but not for me.

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keepitreal on 2/2/2013 3:17:00 PM more reviews by keepitreal

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I enjoy using this when my skin is irritated/fussy. I find that applying it to a slightly damp face and then removing with a warm, wet washcloth to be the best way to use it and then get it all off. Doesn't irritate my skin or break me out and effectively removes all my makeup. I'm just lazy and prefer to use rinse-able cleansers for my regular cleansing needs. Be aware that this contains ceresin which can cause issues for some people. Patch-test for a few days first if you are particularly sensitive/break-out prone.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Cat1104 on 1/29/2013 5:02:00 PM more reviews by Cat1104

Age: Unknown   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Skin type: sensitive, oily but dehydrated, very clog-prone. My skin loses water and gets dried out very easily.
Oil-based cleansers tend to strip the moisture from my skin or clog my pores. This one looked promising. It has a small ingredient list, and the ingredients are generally considered non-comedogenic. Since this one doesn't have an emulsifier, I thought it could work for me by helping to seal in moisture if I didn't wash off the residue. I tried leaving the residue and washing it off. Either way, I broke out. Maybe I irritated my skin by over-washing; this is VERY hard to remove. When I didn't wash off the residue, perhaps it was too occlusive, causing my oily skin to clog itself... or maybe my skin just hates something in this (probably the mineral oil or ceresin).

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indianagirl on 1/4/2013 9:33:00 PM more reviews by indianagirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I really love Albolene for removing makeup! Nothing else seems to remove so much makeup so quickly. The tub, while a bit unsanitary, does last forever and is relatively cheap. It has never irritated or burned by sensitive face, and really does help moisturize. However, I have had to experiment to find my perfect application technique. At first I applied it to my face and wiped it off with a warm rag, but after several weeks I started to get clogged pores and more and more pimples. Now I apply a SMALL nickel size amount (which is really enough for your whole face), wipe it off with a tissue, and then follow with a gentle cream cleanser. It seems like an extra step, but after using this for awhile, nothing else seems to take off makeup so well or so gently. Will definitely repurchase.

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joymelissa on 11/17/2012 2:44:00 PM more reviews by joymelissa

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

Great basic moisturizing cleanser. I was a bit hesitant to try this since it looked like Vaseline & I have cystic acne from time to time. I took a chance since I really needed a moisturizing cleanser in order to continue my anti-aging & anti-acne regime.

I like to use this mostly in the mornings to wash off my Retin-A or Proactiv treatment from the night before. I apply it to damp skin & mix a small amount of water with it, then I apply in circular motions and rinse off with water & a washcloth. I sometimes use a Yes to Cucumbers wipe or Purpose cleanser afterwards if I feel I need it.

Use less than you think you need (about a dime size, or a nickel size at most) if you get acne from time to time because you want the smallest amount possible to stay on your skin after you cleanse so your pores can breathe. The trick is that your skin should feel moisturized afterwards...if it feels greasy after you wash it off you used too much.

I have only used this during the colder months as I am not sure this would be right for my skin in the summertime.

P.S. It is similar to the very expensive Eve Lom cleanser, yet I like Albolene better.

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*TOP REVIEWER* 4eyes on 9/18/2012 11:34:00 PM more reviews by 4eyes

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I tried this because I ran out of my Cerave Foaming and decided to try something new - usually not a good move for me, but hey, sometimes a new thing works. I have very oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin w/ rosacea and some moderate sebaceous hyperplasia (SH). I was reading a blog where so-and-so talks about her struggle w/ oiliness and acne, decides to try an oil cleanser because of the idea that "like dissolves like" and ta-da! Perfect skin. Not quite.

This stuff is not cold cream, which contains water. Texture is like fluffy light petroleum jelly that melts upon application and is much easier to spread than petroleum jelly. Like whipped butter vs butter. Comes in a huge 12 oz. jar, mine cost $11.

I hate jars, and I used a tissue to scoop out a blob for each use.

Ingredients: MO, petrolatum, paraffin, ceresin, beta carotene. That's it.

Kind of a gel consistency mineral oil. No cooling sensation like cold cream. Feels like spreading a liquid plastic film over my face. Suffocatingly greasy feeling. Removes all mu very well. I wiped off w/ tissue and then 1st time used cleanser afterwards. My face felt a bit dry, so next time I tissued and then wiped off well w/ warm, wet face cloth only. However, even w/ cleanser, it felt like the water couldn't get to my skin. like the Albolene was sealing out the water.

1st 2-3 days my face looked very calm, fairly matte, with much reduced redness, and no increased oiliness at all. On the 4th day I notice 2 tiny blackheads, which I am not prone to. On the 5th day I had a few more, and the SH looked fatter and more prominent. On the 6th day I discontinued when the blackheads and the SH got worse. Now I have quite a few clogged pores, blackheads, fat SH's, and the beginnings of a pimple near my nose.

So, the experiment did not work. I will still use it as eye MU remover, and it seems to work nicely as a way to give my face a break once in a while from other cleansers, as it seems to really help w/ irritation.

However, it seems my very oily skin cannot tolerate using this all over more than 2-3x in a row. I will reserve for dry/red flares, very dry weather, and maybe I can use it on body.

If you have dry skin that does not produce a lot of oil this may work very well for you, but for someone whose face pumps out enough oil to make a piece of brown paper bag turn translucent within 3-4 hours of washing, I think it was just too much oil and not enough cleansing, and my skin seems to do better w/ water being able to penetrate it more.

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litgeek on 9/18/2012 3:02:00 PM more reviews by litgeek

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I love this product. I have extremely dry and sensitive skin. I am very pale, if it helps you to know that. I can use very few products on my skin without some kind of irritation reaction. All retinols and AHAs irritate my face. Albolene is a wonder product!! I highly recommend it to people with highly sensitive skin. I smear it on my face and wipe it off with a damp warm was cloth. It has dramatically reduced my skin's feeling of irritation and dryness. I tried some other moisturizers and cleansing oils. Nothing was as good as Albolene. It is just terrific.

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jitterbugdoll on 9/18/2012 1:08:00 PM more reviews by jitterbugdoll

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Albolene became my HG after the formula of Ponds Cold Cream was changed a few years ago. My skin is very sensitive, reactive, and breakout prone, and it loves mineral oil-based products. I used Ponds for many years, and found that it did wonders for my skin. Once the formula changed, however, my skin could no longer tolerate it and I switched to Albolene.

Albolene works very well for me, and I love that it is available in a fragrance-free version. I apply to damp skin, massage in for a few moments, and then remove with a damp washcloth. It removes makeup and sunscreen well, and leaves my face soft and moisturized without leaving a greasy residue. I will continue to repurchase this!

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*TOP REVIEWER* spackle_n_smear on 9/7/2012 5:52:00 PM more reviews by spackle_n_smear

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I used Albolene at one point years ago, but stopped because I believed it really didn't give that really clean feeling I wanted. I was also paranoid that it would clog my pores since it was a petroleum based product. I'm currently using Retin-A and I'm peeling like crazy and soap based cleansers made my skin look and feel worse. I also needed to change to moisturizers that helped hide or keep from exaggerating the peeling. Thanks to an MUA member's recommendation, she got me coming back to Albolene. I got their smaller tub for under $8. You don't need much, usually I take out a dollop the size of a dime, and rub it in. Sometimes I let it sit for a few minutes after massaging it in so it softens all that flaky skin before I take a washcloth dampened with hot water and remove it in circular motions with a bit of pressure. Then I turn the cloth over and lightly remove the excess and then take a shower. Happily my skin isn't irritated. On good days, I don't even need to moisturize -- just sunscreen and finish with some powder. On days that need a little help with hiding flakes, I moisturize then add sunscreen and powder. So far it's been a good routine with the addition of Albolene while I'm on Retin-A. My skin also looks so soft, supple and younger after using it. I have oily skin but not really acne prone anymore, but I haven't broken out with this and my face doesn't look like a grease pit either -- just a nice glow. I highly recommend using it if you battle peeling and irritated skin while on Retin-A. I took one lippie off because I don't get that squeaky clean feeling after I use it, but I'm sure it cleans well enough since I haven't broken out after using it for about a month now.

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purestfeeling on 9/1/2012 3:51:00 PM more reviews by purestfeeling

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Other   Eyes: Green    

I love this stuff. It removes my sunscreen and make-up quickly and easily without drying my skin or causing irritation. I put a dollop on each cheek, my forehead, and my chin and massage them over my skin. I then take a wash cloth, wet it thorougly, then wring it out to the best of my ability before proceeding to wipe my make-up off. With any clean portions of the wash cloth I will then lightly massage my face in circular motions to give some slight physical exfoliation and be sure there's no ss or make-up residue left to cause irritation or breakouts.

This leaves my skin soft and glowing without any need to moisturize afterwards.

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dalala on 8/15/2012 6:30:00 AM more reviews by dalala

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I converted from Ponds cold cream and have been using this product for 2 months and I am loving it! I massage this into my skin, wipe with a cotton pad, and follow up with a foaming cleanser to get rid of the greasy feeling off my face. Since this helps me take off my ELDW, I really think it helps to keep clogged pores from mu at bay. This is very simply formulated with mineral oil and without fragrance, which is a big plus. It has never broken me out.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mmherman on 8/10/2012 4:37:00 PM more reviews by mmherman

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is a big old jar of wonderful goop. It looks like vaseline but behaves like a more fluid version of traditional cold cream.


I've only been using this a few days, but I enjoy it a lot. I bought it because I had recently gotten into using cold cream and the one I am currently using is going to be discontinued. So I decided to search for something new before I ran out. Currently I am using both this and the other cold cream, but I am using the Albolene to remove my full face of makeup at night. It has been doing a great job. There are times that one application will get everything off, but I sometimes have to apply it twice if I have some stubborn mascara or eyeliner, but that second application usually gets everything off. I like to wipe this off with a wet wash cloth and then I follow it up with a swipe of witch hazel. Usually with my cold cream I will add some Olay Original Active Hydarting Beauty Fluid after the witch hazel, but I think this slightly more moisturizing because I don't feel the need to add moisturizer after this all the time.


I will say the first night I used this I woke up with a nice underground zit on my chin, but it seemed to go away quickly and no other zits like it have popped up so far. My review is pretty soon so I will see if my acne-prone skin tolerates this over time. I have admittedly only been using this product for about 3-4 days. I am also on an acne medication and don't know how my face would handle this without medicine. I have put all sorts of oils on my face and usually my face handles mineral oils well so who knows. I won't lie when you look at this stuff at first you can't help but think of greasy acne fest, but so far it hasn't caused that. I think the undergrounder was hormonally related. I will promptly change this review accordingly if anything changes and my opinion becomes decidedly negative.


That being said if you are considering this product I say give it a try. You get a TON of product for the price and it will last for a very long time. It is a nice product if you get sick of the hassle of washing your face in a sink. You will still have messy tissues or wash clothes, but you aren't left with a sopping wet face; searching for a towel. I personally find that wonderfully appealing. :)

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kcj1314 on 6/2/2012 12:25:00 AM more reviews by kcj1314

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

At first I hated this! But I kept using it because of the raving reviews. After learning how to use this I am in love. My face is clearer, softer, plumper...you name it. Oh, it had also been awesome for my eyelashes. They are the longest they have ever been. Here is how I use it...
I get a big glob and rub it between my hands until it liquefies. Then I rub it until I feel like my makeup has melted away. I use any extra for my hands and feet, lips, etc. then I take an old towel and wipe the day off. I try to leave a thin layer of it on my face and more around my eyes and eyelashes.
This is a cheap, affective and multipurpose product. It lasts forever and Has really improved my skin!

Edit: so sad! I think this is clogging my skin. It took a while but I am pretty sure it's the culprit. Bummed out

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*TOP REVIEWER* thebobcat64 on 5/23/2012 2:44:00 AM more reviews by thebobcat64

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This product is amazing. I just reviewed DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil and realized I've never reviewed this. This removes makeup better than any expensive cleansing oil I've tried and also better than Clinique's Take Off the Day Cleansing Balm, which is twice the price for about half the product. This has never caused me any skin issues and is a great gentle cleanser. I highly recommend this for removing makeup.

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XOXkay on 4/23/2012 4:04:00 PM more reviews by XOXkay

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Thank god for this stuff. I will repurchase this for as long as i need something to remove makeup. I always used makeup remover pads which just left my sensitive skin irritated and dry. I use this every night and wipe it off with a warm wash cloth, leaving my skin moisturized and soft. I don't like how unhygienic the tube is, but the product literally melts my makeup off. i love this stuff!

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*TOP REVIEWER* foxysoxy804 on 4/23/2012 1:49:00 PM more reviews by foxysoxy804

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

Price:
12 bucks, which can be expensive for drugstore. You do get a ton of product, though.

Packaging:
A humongous tub of goop. Clunky, unsanitary, impossible to travel with. But again, you do get a lot of product. The lid is a screw on/off cap that I had some difficulty getting off at first--make sure your hands are completely dry, or else the lid won't budge.

REVIEW

My skin type: extremely cloggy, little/no inflammatory acne, combination/dry.

Albolene clogged me literally overnight, within just hours of wear. I am so disappointed, because this product is absolutely wonderful for getting rid of dry patches and keeping skin hydrated sans moisturizer. But seriously, never have I ever had a reaction so instantaneous and so bad to a product...except for pure glycerin moisturizer.

Don't swear off of Albolene if you really are deadset on trying this cleanser. Just please, patch test!

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*TOP REVIEWER* staciarose22 on 3/10/2012 10:42:00 PM more reviews by staciarose22

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Far too expensive for the ingredients. They are cheap ingredients, so it's basically a rip off. Pond's cold cream does the same thing, or original Nivea. I hate to break it to people, but mineral oil and petrolatum are not that good for your skin.
This product consists of mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin (oil), cerosine, and beta carotene.

"The cheapest way to make a moisturising cream is to use Paraffin Oil, also called Mineral Oil, which is derived from petroleum.

Most pharmacy creams use this oil, and add very small amounts of other ingredients for their label. This makes a very inexpensive cream, but not necessarily a product that is good for the skin.

The link between poorly refined mineral oil (Paraffin Oil) and health problems such as eczema is well documented in various peer reviewed studies. For more info click here for a study done by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The following study found that "Analyses of mineral oils used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes reveal the presence of several carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons." Click here for link to the full report.

A cream routinely given to children with eczema may actually cause them more harm than good. A survey of 100 British children treated with aqueous cream (Paraffin Oil and Water) has found it irritated over half of them. Their symptoms ranged from redness and itchiness to burning and stinging, which risk making their condition worse. Writing in The Pharmaceutical Journal, the researchers urged patients and clinicians to be aware of the problem." Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3244814.stm

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