Indie Lee's Cleansers Review. New Favorite?
I got into a pretty nerdy conversation about gentle cleansers with a co-worker, and she highly recommended the ones by Indie Lee. Her skin type also leans a bit oily to combo, and told me I should add it to my list. To my surprise, a few weeks later, she gifted me both the brightening and the purifying face wash! Incredibly kind (seriously, thank you). xx
Both cleansers are incredibly gentle. Which at first, I actually felt it was kinda hard to get used to. What I mean by that, is they don’t really lather like a traditional cleanser, which makes you feel like it’s not working — but it is! Why is it not lathering? They don’t contain sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) in their products; this is the ingredient that makes soaps bubble, foam or lather. Which is actually a good thing! Not so fun fact, did you know that SLS is actually a carcinogenic? With that said, I love supporting brands that are making healthier skincare options, and caters towards more sensitive skin types.
Overall, there are a few things to call out about both products. First, the product gets jammed in the dispenser, so hopefully they make a larger pump, because I found myself constantly cleaning it out. Second, I wanted to preface by saying your face won’t have that squeaky clean feeling to it after you use either product. Which actually isn’t a bad thing: both retain good natural oils and keep your skins balance. Third, while I do love the glass packaging, I actually dropped one of the bottles while in the shower, which created a fun bath time game of… guess if that’s water or glass.
More on the actual product at hand. Basically I loved both products with a few pros/cons to each, check out below! Spoiler alert: My favorite of the two? Hands down the Brightening Cleanser.
Rosehip Cleanser, Soothe & Nourish
Starting at $34
The rosehip cleanser’s active ingredients are: rosehip seed oil (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cell regenerator), seaweed/red algae (basically just gives you good healthy skin), coconut (hydration), glycerin (prevents from drying), vitamin a (anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and brightening), and pentylene glycol (helps other ingredients penetrate the skin).
What I like About it
My skin looked really healthy, and felt balanced (not too dry, not too oily).
Didn’t break out while using the product, recommend if you tend to have a bit of redness in your skin.
Nice light weight gel formula that applied to the skin really nicely. A little goes a long way!
I liked that this cleanser lathered a bit more than the brightening one. Felt more traditional?
Did a good job of removing makeup.
What Don’t I like About it
I already mentioned the issues around packaging.
How to use
Apply to damp skin, massage and rinse. Use with a wet cotton pad to remove eye makeup. Ideally follow with a toner.
Ingredients
Water (Aqua/Eau), Glycerin, Potassium Cocoate, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Hexyl Cinnamal
Brightening Cleanser, Strengthen & Protect
Starting at $34
The Brightening Cleansers active ingredients are: strawberry seed oil, wheat protein (hydration and anti-aging), lycopene (aka tomato, astringent and exfoliation), coconut (hydration), vitamin c (antioxidant and brightening), and potassium sorbate (helps kill bacteria).
What I like About it
I first gotta say that it’s probably one of the best smelling cleansers i’ve ever used. It actually has a nostalgic smell to it, which I still can’t put my finger on what it’s reminding me of! Maybe a gum I used to eat as a kid? Fruit Stripe, is that you? I don’t know…
This cleanser has a light weight gel-like consistency, and I think it decent job removing the dirt and oil from your face (more on this below in the don’t like section).
I felt this product was really gentle on my skin and didn’t have any issues with break outs.
My skin was clear and even in tone when using this product. Not an extreme brightening product, but does help get the job done.
What Don’t I like About it
I don’t think it’s a great cleanser if you want it to remove all of your waterproof makeup. I would highly recommend double cleansing or doing a first pass with micelular water.
Doesn’t lather so it’s hard to tell if you got your whole face (personal problem not product problem).
I already mentioned the issues around packaging.
How to use
Apply to damp skin, massage and rinse. Use with a wet cotton pad to remove eye makeup. Ideally follow with a toner.
Ingredients
Water (Aqua/Eau), Decyl Glucoside (Veg. Oils & Sugar), Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Coco Glucoside (Coconut and Sunflower Oil), Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Xanthan Gum, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Seed Oil, Lycopene (Tomato), Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate
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