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I have been living for many years now with a man that thinks shower gel is adequate skincare to get him through every skin situation possible. Why do I mention that in the beginning of a Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser Review? Well, for years I have been trying to get him into proper skincare, but with no success, until I recently made a new routine for my sister with very good results (More info: The best skincare routine to fight hyperpigmentation starring my sister). After watching the video, he was finally open to let me pick some stuff for his face as well, under two conditions: it would help “not to make him look 140 once he turns 60” and, this one the more important, it wouldn’t feel too much like actual skincare.
Which obviously meant all my cream and oil cleansers were out of question. Good thing I had a few other options to offer, like this one from Youth to the People. But before we start with today’s review, tell me in the comments if you want me to drag him in front of the camera and document his reluctant journey into skincare!
What the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser claims
The powerful, but gentle daily face wash is formulated with cold-pressed antioxidants – kale, spinach, and green tea – to give your skin the ultimate cleanse. It works effectively to prevent buildup in pores, remove makeup, and balance pH without drying or stripping. This is the green juice cleanse for your face.
Facts about the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser
Prize and size
One glass bottle (you can buy a pump separately) contains 237 ml and retails for 36 $ on the website here. I haven’t tried the pump as I find the cleanser to have just the right texture to just pour some into the palms of my hand.
Texture and scent
The reason why I picked this cleanser as the first one to let my husband try is the fact that it reminds me a lot of shower gel, but in a good way. It is a gel, it creates a lovely lightweight lather and the scent is fresh, but not overpowering. (More info: How to pick the right cleanser for your skin type)
How to use the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser
Depending on your preferences, it can be used both morning and night. Texture and scent did make me use it in the mornings preferably, but I also used it at night on no makeup days or as second cleanse. To get the best lather, I poured some into my palms, added water and lathered it up before putting it on my face, but if that is too much of a hassle, applying it to wet skin works almost as good.
While it claims to take off makeup, I did not like it for that purpose. Not that it stings my eyes or anything, it just doesn’t get rid of my mascara as easily as I would have wanted it to.
It is by no means hydrating, but I didn’t find it to be stripping either. My husband claimed that if used after shaving, the skin felt a little tight, so you might not be a fan if your skin is dry or irritated already. (More info: Damaged skin barrier – reason for acne and eczema?)
Ingredients of the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser
so|h, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate emu|surf|vc, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Extract h, Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract 
aox|so, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract so|aox 0 0, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C) aox|sb, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Panthenol (Vitamin B5) so|h 0 0, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) aox 0 0, Decyl Glucoside surf, Sorbitan Laurate emu 1–2 1–2, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate chel, Gluconolactone exf|chel, Calcium Gluconate h, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid buff, Phenoxyethanol pres, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex (Ci 75810) aox|col, Gardenia Jasminoides (Jasmine) Fruit Extract col, Fragrance/Parfum 
perfHover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
Obviously there are a ton of plant extracts here, both from vegetables like Kale and Spinach, but also more floral/ herbal ones like Chamomile and Green Tea. Some of them, like the Green Tea Extract, are well known for their phenolic components and antioxidant properties, while the vegetable ones are certainly more unique and not something I have seen used around a lot. The problem with extracts in general is that you never really know how much of the supposed good stuff you get, and in this case in particular I doubt it will have much impact on the skin as it only stays on for a limited amount of time.
There are gentle foaming surfactants, Glycerin as humectant, Panthenol for soothing and Tetrahexyldecyl Acetate, a Vitamin C derivative. (More info: Everything you need to know about Vitamin C in skincare) Oh, and Gluconolactone, a Polyhydroxy Acid, but again, I don’t think it will have much impact given the short contact with the skin. It also contains fragrance, which was to be expected given it smells so nice. (More info: Everything you need to know about Polyhydroxy Acids in skincare)
Does it live up to its claims?
Yes.
It is a nice refreshing cleanser that contains a bunch of antioxidants and isn’t overly stripping despite lathering up nicely.
How does it compare to…
Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Cleanser
Another gel cleanser with Vitamin C and one of my favorites for summer. Murads offer is less foamy and a tad more expensive, but both work equally well on my face in terms of cleansing and in terms of how my skin feels afterwards.
I think in the end it comes down to which brand you prefer and if you expect any added benefits from the Kale and Spinach extracts.
Read my full review of the Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Cleanser here.
The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser
Another foamy gel cleanser, but the version from The Inkey List feels more gentle and didn’t irritate my husbands skin even when used directly after shaving. While the Youth to the people version contains more plant extracts as antioxindants, The Inkey List claims to work better against hyperpigmentation, but to be honest, as both are wash-off cleansers I don’t think that really makes much of a difference.
You can read my full review of The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser here.
Would I repurchase?
Probably not.
I like it, but like Murads version more, and my husband has settled for another favorite, The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Cleanser (see above).
Whom do I recommend it to?
While this is definitely not a cleanser for very dry or sensitive skin (like, right after shaving for example), I think it is a great option for more oily skin types or for people that aren’t quite ready to let go of that shower gel for the face phase. This cleanser would be in my suggestions both for teenage skin (More info: The best skincare routine for teenagers) and for those in their 20s (More info: The best skincare routine in your 20s).
You can shop this cleanser here or take a look at my current favorite cleansers here.
If you want to get a vote in the next Ask Doctor Anne Topic, Ingredient Spotlight or product I review, don’t forget you can head over to my Patreon account to get more involved!
