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I have a weird obsession with shaving cream. Weird not only because of the item (I am fully aware that shaving cream is not something to obsess about), but also because I don’t really ever use it. I epilate, I wax, I pluck, but there are very few areas of my body that I actually shave – only my armpits, and whenever I do I just use my shampoo instead of a dedicated cream.
“Why do you tell me this?” I can hear you ask. “I don’t want to know about your body hair! I came here for a review of the pixi Hydrating Milky Cleanser!” But I promise, there is a connection.
Back to my obsession with shaving cream: I don’t need it, but I love it. I have purchased countless bottles over the years, claiming they are for my husband, when in fact they are for me to test the foam. Because I love the firm foam they form (yay for alliterations!), you don’t need to give me bubbles that burst too easily. No, a smooth, firm foam is what I want.
Imagine how surprised I was when I realized that the pixi Hydrating Milky Cleansers gives the best foam ever!
What the pixi Hydrating Milky Cleanser claims
Rich, moisturizing daily cleanser. Soothing cream cleanser with coconut, probiotics & willow bark extract. Suitable for all skin types including very dry.
Important facts
Prize and size
The cleanser comes in the tube packaging typical for pixi cleansers and contains 135 ml (18$ on the website here). I am a huge fan of that packaging as it is easy to store and sturdy enough for traveling without leakage, but it means that to get every last bit of product, you might need to cut it open in the end.
Texture and smell
The pixi Hydrating Milky Cleanser starts as a surprisingly firm cream (think of shaving cream), but lathers up once in contact with water. It is a firm and satisfying lather you get (I know, I am weird), one that lends itself to a good facial massage. After rinsing, your skin will feel very clean.
It smells like fresh milk – not surprising given the name.
How to use the pixi Hydrating Milky Cleanser
This cleanser can be used both morning and night, depending on your skin type. While it does an okay job to remove face makeup, I found it irritating when used around the eyes, so I would suggest using it after makeup removal or as a second cleanse in the evenings.
After rinsing, your skin will feel very clean. So clean that in fact I don’t think it is a good cleanser for people with dry or dehydrated skin. It is a thorough rather than a gentle cleanse.
Ingredients of the pixi Hydrating Milky Cleanser
Favorable ingredients
- Myristic Acid: Surfactant
- Glycerin: Humectant
- Palmitic Acid: Emollient
- Glyceryl Stearate: Fatty acid, naturally occurring in the human body, emollient
- Glyceryl Dibstearate: Emollient
- Stearic Acid: Fatty Acid, mild surfactant
- Jojoba Esters: Emollient
- PEG-100 Stearate: Emollient
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Surfactant, good at lathering
- Panthenol: B 5, humectant, penetrates into deep layers of skin, moisturizing, antiinflammatory
- Bifida Ferment Lysate: potential antioxidant effect, hydrating
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract: Hydrating
- Avena Strigosa Seed Extraxt: contains Avenanthramiede, which are soothing even in low concentrations
- Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract: soothing
- Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract: Antibacterial
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract: Natural source of salicins (related to salicylic acid) and tannins
- Lactobacillus/ Soybean Ferment Extract: Rich in nutrients and antioxidants
- Portulaca Oleracea Extract: Brightening, antioxidant
- Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract: Antixodiant, antibacterial
- Scutelleria Baicalensis Root Extract: Soothing, antixoidant
- Allantoin: Aminoacid, soothing irritated skin
- Butylene Glycol: Humectant, penetration enhancer
Other ingredients
- Potassium Hydroxide: pH adjusting
- Sorbitan Olivate: Emulsifier
- Phenoxyethanol: Preservative
- Hydroxyethylcellulose: Lubricant, thickening
- Sodium Chloride: Table Salt, thickening
- Lecithin: Emulsifier
- Ethylhexylglycerin: Preservative
- Disodium EDTA: Binding Agent
- Potassium Sorbate: Preservative
- Citric Acid: AHA/pH adjuster
Unfavorable Ingredients
- Parfume/ Fragrance
pixi skips SLS as surfactant and instead uses a mixture between Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid and Cocamidopropyl Betaine to clean the skin. While these are supposed to be less drying than SLS, I wouldn’t exactly call this mixture hydrating either. It offers a thorough cleanse and beautiful foam, but despite the added glycerin would not be my first pick for dry skin.
The probiotics, Willow Bark Extract and Coconut Water are present in below 1% of concentration, as are the Panthenol and the other added plant extracts that promise antioxidants and soothing, so I don’t think you get much effect out of those in a rinse off cleanser.
It does contain perfume, which some might want to avoid.
Does it live up to its claims?
No.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a lovely cleanser with a great texture for a thorough cleanse, but if I read “rich and moisturizing”, this is not what I think of.
How does the pixi Hydrating Milky Cleanser compare to…
The pixi Rose Cream Cleanser
Another pixi Cream Cleanser that isn’t what I expected, the pixi Rose Cream Cleanser is a clay cleanser rather than your traditional cream, but a very gentle one indeed. It doesn’t foam up, but is in my opinion better suited to dry skin types than the Hydrating Milky one.
Read my full review of the pixi Rose Cream Cleanser here.
Would I repurchase?
Maybe.
Mainly because I am such a fan of the texture, in terms of cleanse (which is probably the more important thing) it is nice, but nothing special.
Who do I recommend it to?
People with combination oily skin that want a thorough cleanse and enjoy the cream to foam formula. I don’t think it is suited to dry skin.
