Alba Botanica Coconut Milk Facial Wash

This is a thick cream cleanser that works well on its own but I like to mix 1/2 tsp of baking soda with one pump cleanser in my hand, and use to cleanse and gently exfoliate my face. The two together combine a moisturizing yet effective skin cleanser/polisher. It contains papaya enzymes which has pore purifying properties, is hypoallergenic and doesn't contain parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, or artificial colors. The brand is 100% vegetarian and doesn't test on animals. Even the packaging is made with 100% recycled materials. What's not to love?

Saw this at Tjmaxx and it was $7.99. Moments later, stepped in a Whole Foods store and it was $14.99. So my skin is oily but can signal dry and sensitive at times. This washed off the Estée Lauder Doublewear but did not remove Revlon Colostay. However, there are only a few that can remove the latter anyway. I find this product gentle. It is not all that but it didn't bother my eyes and my skin did not feel like a piece of wood. All and all, I think this product works well for sensitive skins. Some believe that cleansers cannot make a difference but they can. I have tried lots and lots of cleansers and I don't think this is worth $14.99 but is worth $7.99 for sure.

love
-does not make me breakout
-leaves my skin soft
-use as my second wash after i take off my makeup

When I first used this cleanser, I was taken aback at the smell. I really found it almost intolerable. But it was a little expensive, and I liked the ingredients, so I was determined to finish up the bottle.

Over time it has turned out that I like this cleanser quite well, even though I never grew to *love* the smell of it. I don't even bother using it to wash off makeup. Instead, I use it after cold cream makeup removal and in the shower in the morning. As a bonus, the pump bottle makes it handy in the shower.

I had bought this cream cleanser because sudsing cleansers often strip my skin in the shower due to the combination of detergent, high heat, and water. This cleanser is gentle and never dries my skin, but I think it exfoliates mildly and helps keep my skin looking even and soft.

I would not consider this the most all-purpose product, since I don't think it's the best for removing makeup, but I do think it can serve a very useful purpose in a skincare regime if it suits the user's skin.

This product is a good match for my normal to sensitive skin. I used to cleanse my face in the morning and before bed. It cleans well, but does not leave my skin feeling stripped or tight and I can get away with forgetting to moisturize for a day or two. The combination of coconut and mint makes for an odd, but pleasant scent and the fragrance does not cause any allergic reactions.

Since I'm on a low budget, I sometimes cannot regularly repurchase items, so I dilute them with water to make them last longer. This works great for many shampoos and soaps, but this cleanser is so gentle that diluting it reduces its cleansing power and I wind up having to use more than I would like.

PROS:
- Very gentle
- Cleanses well
- Moisturizing
- Pleasant scent

CONS:
- Not the cheapest out there
- Not-so-natural ingredients
- Might be hard to find in some areas
- I wish it came in a larger bottle

I used this product for almost a year and really liked it, but none of the local stores carry it anymore, so I have to find a new cleanser since I don't want to order it online. If I find it again, I will definitely repurchase unless I find something even better.

I fell for the pretty bottle and ingredient list and gave this a try. This product is a little odd - I like it, but I wouldn't repurchase. It's a cream cleanser, so it doesn't lather - just smooths onto your skin. Still it rinses clean and leaves your skin feeling refreshed and thoroughly clean. Unfortunately, it doesn't remove makeup, so if you don't wash your face with something else first, it will leave lots of makeup behind. Pretty much countering that deep pore cleansing claims...Also it tingles - not sure which ingredient causes the tingle or why (there are some acids and lye), but my skin doesn't seem irritated by it. But the sensation is odd at first. It smells really good - tropical and a little gingery. The smell is the best thing about it. Since it wasn't a makeup remover or an acne fighter, I started using it as my midday wash - when I got home from work or school or the gym, but wasn't ready for the full before-bed scrub-down.

Overall, it was just a neutral product for me - nothing bad happened and it didn't compete with anything else I already use.

I don't really care for cream cleansers for my day to day face wash routine but this one's okay. I prefer to use it in the morning for a gentle wash vs. trying to use it at night to remove all your makeup, which it isn't bad at but it doesn't get everything. So at night when i do use this I use this to loosen all my makeup. I use 3 pumps of it, massage it around for a few minutes, then rinse. And that has remove about 70% of my makeup. Then i do it a second time which then removes about 90%. then i do a quick wash of a reg. foamy cleanser to get everything. But when i use it in the mornings it leaves my skin super soft, which helps my makeup to go on smoother. But there are some weird aspects to it. Even though its a cream cleanser for sensitive skin, it has a weird numbing/ slightly burning effect. It doesn't hurt or irritate the skin afterwards but its just happens and its weird lol. Especially when applied to the lips it feels very numbing. Also in the morning after you use this and the use toner there is still residue left behind. So its a weird cream cleanser but i do like it.

i would actually give this product 3.5 because this product isn't bad but for me, it doesn't give me what i was looking for in this cleanser. i have sensitive areas on my cheeks that i think maybe rosacea but i haven't gone to the derm to get it checked out. anyway, those part of my cheeks are constantly red and sensitive. i bought this cleanser because i thought it could help sooth my skin. but as it turns out, it stings my sensitive areas a little, esp after i exfoliate. my redness isn't relieved at all whenever i use this so i won't be repurchasing again. the smell, wasn't what i expected. it's reminds me of fluoride my dentist uses! haha
i'm not sure how well this takes off makeup.
the cleanser is nice cream cleanser and makes my skin smooth.
i have oily skin and i don't find it to make my skin any oilier.
overall, i recommend this for all skin types esp normal and dry skin. for sensitve skin people, this may work for you but i never experienced stinging on my face until i used this product. i used to wash my face with harsher cleansers but those never stung my face.

I like this for applying to my face before stepping in the shower. It's thick enough so it doesn't run down my face or get in my eyes. I love the pump bottle. It's not at all drying and the scent is pleasant enough.

LOVE! Due to using Differin Gel 0.3%, for many many years, my face has become very dry and sensitive. I've used Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser for years but decided to mix it up about 4 months ago when my skin was becoming dull and dryer. After some research, I found this cleanser and I'm very pleased! It's a creamy cleanser (same consistency as Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser ... does not lather up). I use it twice a day along with the Hibiscus Facial Toner and Jasmine & Vitamin E Moisture Cream (both from Alba). Two times a week I also use Pineapple Enzyme Facial Scrub to get rid of dull skin. My dry and acne-prone skin is now clear and moisturized! The only reason I gave it 4 lippies instead of 5 was that it sometimes burns the skin around my eyes (in all fairness, it says to not put product on/around the eyes)! Other than that, it's wonderful! I've repurchased it twice so far and will continue to do so!