I am a scientist at heart.
Even though I am well aware of the limitations they have, I love studies and case reports and all the neat little numbers and diagrams that come with them.
That being said, I do understand that man-made may be scary for some.
But is natural always better? Or, to put it that way: Is natural always safe?
I don’t think so. Natural ingredients are just that: Grown by nature. That makes them neither better nor worse than man-made stuff. Especially when it comes to adverse reactions.
Preamble aside, let´s talk about Organic Surge Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser. I will explain what my point is further down the line.
What Organic Surge claims:
Our natural brightening hot cloth cleanser gently removes dirt and impurities, harnessing the highest quality essential oils and moisturisers to care and clean to fully rejuvenate skin.
Suitable for sensitive skin and for use around the eyes.
Facts:
The product comes with a pump, contains 150 ml and retails for 18,67 € on the website here or in stores. Organic Surge is “Proud to be made in Britain”, not tested on animals, certified organic, natural and suitable for vegetarians as stated on their website.
I need two pumps for my face and neck, it feels creamy and thick and stays that way after application, no melting on the skin in this case. While the texture may be surprising if you are used to balm cleansers, it gives a good amount of grip for a facial massage.
The thing I noticed right away is the very intense rose scent. It isn’t unpleasant, but much stronger than I would have expected.
When it comes to removal, you really need to be thorough with the flannel. I guess it is due to the beeswax and the shea butter, but a quick wipe will leave you with a residue still on your face. It took me a little scrubbing to remove everything, but it did take away any trace of makeup left on my face.
After using it around five times a week as my second cleanse for three months now I still have product left (I cant tell you how much though, there is no way of telling from the packaging). I didn’t try it as a first cleanse/ makeup remover, because despite the claim “safe to use around the eyes” it has a warning: “Avoid contact with eyes” printed on the bottle. And quite frankly, after reading the ingredient list I had no desire to rub it on my eyes anyway.
Favorable ingredients:
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice: Anti-inflammatory, soothing
- Shea Butter: Moisturizing
- Glycerin: Moisturizing
- Cocoa Seed Butter: Rich in fatty acids
- Bees wax: Soothing, antibacterial
- Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil: Balancing sebum production (and mimicking rose scent)
- Cymbopogon Martini Oil: Balancing sebum production
- Orange Peel Oil: Brightening, prevents acne
- Rosa Damascena Flower Oil: Toning, improves texture (and of course the smell!)
Unfavorable Ingredients:
- Benzyl alcohol: skin irritant
- Several essential oils, some with skincare benefits, all of them potentially irritant to the skin
- Fragrance (five different, all from natural origin)
Does it live up to its claims?
Half of them.
It is a natural cleanser that removes dirt and contains a lot of essential oils. But that is part of the problem. I completely disagree on the “Safe for sensitive skin and use around the eyes” part.
In fact, my skin is far from being sensitive, but after a day spend outside in the cold and wind even my skin reacted to all the fragrance and essential oils in there, getting all red and hot, and as mentioned above I would never put anything like that near my eyes!
Will I repurchase?
No.
I feel the cleanser is more suitable for dry skin, and all in all I prefer my balm cleansers.
Who do I recommend it to?
If your skin is dry, but not sensitive, this might be a lovely cleanser for you.
If you love anything rose scented, you will adore the smell.
But if your skin is sensitive, stay away!
Back to the point I wanted to make in my introduction: Even a certified all-natural, all-organic product can be a powerful skin irritant. The fact that all the oils and fragrance are purely natural doesn’t make any difference.
Always remember: The dose makes the poison.
What is your take on natural versus man-made ingredients?
And are you obsessed with anything rose scented?
If you want to read more about skincare, please check out the „Skincare Reviews“ category in the side bar.
This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are honest and my own.