Pure+simple Sensitive Skin Face Wash

I received my sample bottle of Pure+simple’s Sensitive Skin Face Wash in my Beauty Board gift bag. I've never tried any of Pure+simple’s products but have always been curious about this Toronto company so I was quite pleased to see it at the Beauty Board and also quite happy that its sample was face wash and not another serum.

The sample Pure+simple gave out was actually a fairly good size ( ). However, I went through it in just a week (usually using it twice-a-day) because I had a hard time judging how much I should be using. This wash is basically colourless, very liquid-y and produces almost no lather or suds.  While none of these are bad traits, I did find that they made it hard to judge how much of this product I should be using.

The lack of lather is actually a very good thing for those of you with truly sensitive skin (which I’ll state now I don’t have). In most cleansers, lather is the result of sodium lauryl sulfate, a chemical that can irritate some people’s skin (and maybe cause other issues, depending on what research you read). This product does away with that and many other common skin care ingredients, and instead uses disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, the mildest cleansing agent available from botanical sources, and “highly effective anti-bacterial” plant phospholipids from fatty acids to create “a thorough but extremely gentle gel face wash for the most sensitive skins.”

Since I don’t actually have sensitive skin, I can’t common on whether or not this is the wash face that sensitive skinned people dream about. However, I can say that if you’re dreaming about a botanical-based, locally made cleanser that does deliver clean, soft, glowing skin, then this is it.

Now, I do need to add that while using this product, a couple of blemishes, including one particularly nasty one, appeared on my forehead. I do not believe that this wash triggered these blemishes; they likely were growing prior to me even receiving this product. The reason why I bring them up is to point out that while this might be a great wash for someone with sensitive skin, it's not, based on my experience, ideal if you have oily skin. This cleanser did nothing to minimize the blemishes or speed up their demise but then that's hardly surprising since this isn't an acne-fighting product.

But while this cleanser might not fight pimples, it does do an above-average job at cleaning out pores so while this wash feels extremely gentle, it does have some muscle. It also did an acceptable, though not extraordinary, job at removing makeup; meaning it has no problem taking off foundation but struggled with heavy mascara and shimmery eye makeup.

At $32.95 for 200 ml, this product is hardly cheap but then quality items rarely are. A bigger issue, in my opinion, is that the only way to get this product is to either order it online (which I hate doing) or to head out to one of Pure+simple four spa locations (three in Toronto, one in Oakville).

Would I buy this product: No but only because this product isn't quite right for my skin care needs. I am though going to take a closer look at what else Pure+simple offers; maybe it has a blemish-fighting wash that will be a better fit for me.

Should you buy this product: If you have sensitive skin, and can either get yourself down to a Pure+simple spa or don’t mind shopping online, then yes, this face wash is for you. I actually think it would also work nicely for anyone with normal or even slightly dry skin.