Review: Neutrogena Deep Clean Energizing Foaming Cleanser

REPURCHASE? MAYBE.

Purchased Neutrogena’s Deep Clean Energizing Foaming Cleanser from our local Watson’s store here in Manila for the price of PhP190 (roughly USD4.5). You get 85 grams of product (about 90 ml). Will I get this again? Maybe but not after I’ve finished all the other cleansers I have lined up. I’m on a facial-cleanser-ban as I have several of different brands (a whole lot!) to finish within 3 years. If this had reached Holy Grail status for me, I would have made an exception to my self-imposed moratorium.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

This product comes in an oversized plastic tube with a flip top cap. Do not be misled. You only get 85 grams of product. I was surprised that after only a couple of uses, I started to see a noticeable “dent” on the tube. That was when I looked closely and realized what I had paid for. 

Product itself is a silky light blue creamy foam that has very few blue beads scattered. These blue beads are what the packaging promises to be “energizing microbeads.” I found them to be anything but energizing. I got mildly irritated with them at times—not skin wise. Firstly, there were so few of them that it just served to be a nuisance. Now you feel them, now you don’t. Secondly, when you did feel them, they were so micro, so smooth, so polished that it made me wonder whether it served any purpose at all. I was thinking that maybe, just maybe the beads would burst and give off energizing whatever but nope. Nothing.  By the way, they do not even dissolve--this got me a bit unsettled. Haven’t clearly figured why it makes me feel like so.

Nonetheless, this product delivered on its promise of leaving my skin “refreshingly clean, soft and smooth” or at least as smooth as it can get.

This foaming facial cleanser is from Neutrogena’s Deep Clean line, a line which has wowed me twice. Its Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment I’ve repurchased again and again and its Oil Free Makeup Removing Wipes, I buy a lot of when I get the chance (I have not spotted it here in Manila).

EXPERIENCE:

I usually squeeze a very short strip of product every use. I like how it lathers up easily into foam, turning opaque white, even with makeup on.  I love that I can open my eyes comfortably. I highly appreciate having the option of keeping my eyes open even after Ive soaped my entire face. Eyes closed in my bathroom (any bathroom for that matter) just freaks me out big time! Heck, my own face in the mirror even freaks me out! Sorry. Anyway. Scent. This has a light fresh scent. Pleasant. I would have probably described this as a no-nonsense, straightforward kind of face wash if it weren’t for those pesky beads! Did I mention that there are so few of them that I can actually count how many there are. On an average, there are 12-15 per use. Darn beads! Moving on. Another thing I liked about this was how consistent it was. Whether or not I worked it in thoroughly or haphazardly (rinsed off after 5 seconds kinda thing) my skin still felt fresh and clean but not dry, taut or stripped. This made a decent makeup remover (even waterproof mascara), too. I found that I just needed 2 cotton rounds (with Bioderma makeup remover) to take the very last traces of makeup. When used with my Clarisonic Mia, I skipped Bioderma altogether.

COOLING TIP:

I noticed that it gave a very slight cooling effect if worked in thoroughly for at least a minute.

PACKAGING:

Aside from the oversized-marketing-gimmickry kind of packaging (I’m open to hearing legit reasons), I love how the product can stand on its flip top cap. Saves counter space. One more thing. The flip top cap can be unscrewed off allowing you to pinch the tube towards itself, squeeeezing out the last bit of product. When I did this, I was able to get an additional week’s use out!