Enter Amala's Hydrating Cream Cleanser from stage right...
Amala is a German skincare company that's been on my radar for quite a while. The entire line is certified organic by NATRUE and the company prides itself on cutting no corners when it comes to the quality and purity of ingredients. This focus definitely comes through with the Hydrating Cream Cleanser.
Amala's Hydrating collection is intended to replenish and sustain skin's moisture levels. The entire line is rich in jasmine, renowned for its nourishing, smoothing and antioxidant benefits and the cleanser also contains white clay and papaya, which gently exfoliate to remove impurities and dead skin cells, whilst the jasmine and other ingredients hydrate and strengthen the skin's moisture barrier.
The cleanser has a rich, lotion-like texture and does not foam at all. Instead, it glides across your face, gentling removing any dirt or face makeup. It's a little less effective on mascara and eye liner, though it can be done if you don't mind a little extra rubbing around the eyes. Personally, I prefer to pre-cleanse with an oil to remove any makeup, and follow with Amala's cleanser to deep clean my skin.
After rinsing the cleanser off, my face is left feeling smooth, soft, and hydrated. My skin never feels irritated and I've experienced much less dryness heading into winter than in previous years. In fact, smell is the only area where this product falls short for me. Jasmine is not a favorite scent of mine and at times the cleanser smells overly sweet and cloying. It's not enough to prevent me from using it and enjoying all the other benefits the cleanser has to offer, but it would likely deter me from repurchasing in the future.
The Bottom Line
Amala's Hydrating Cream Cleanser is excellent for dry or sensitive skin, and I think it would also be great for almost anyone during the colder autumn/winter months. Plus, if you're a jasmine lover, I really don't think you can go wrong here!
In terms of price, Amala is definitely a luxury brand, but the ingredients and quality speak for themselves. In fact, once you factor in the amount of product you receive, the price point is not unreasonable. $70 is a lot to spend on a cleanser, no doubt, but the cost-per-ounce of the larger, 8.1 ounce bottle, is only slightly higher than that of my previous favorite cleanser, Weleda's Soothing Almond Cleansing Lotion. It will also last you quite a long time! If you've got the money and enjoy high quality skincare, Amala is definitely a brand worth looking into.
Where to Buy: $48 from Spirit Beauty Lounge, $48/$70 from Amala
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Kaolin, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract*, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Water*, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Xanthan Gum, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Magnesium Stearate, Tocopherol, Silver Sulfate, Fragrance (Parfum)+, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Bud Oil*, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract*, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Extract*, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract*, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract*, Alcohol*, Eugenol+, Limonene+, Linalool+ *Ingredient produced by organic farming
Disclosure: Product provided for review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.
I love the sound of this, I am a big jasmine fan and love sweet scents so actually the thing you didn't like about it sold it to me :) Xx
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how that works! Scent is such a personal thing :)
DeleteSounds perfect for my skin type and jasmine is such a gorgeous scent, love the list of ingredients too! I hadn't come across this brand before but I'll definitely be checking them out now :) x
ReplyDeleteI've really been enjoying it:) If you like jasmine, I'm sure you would love it too!
DeleteYou had me at jasmine.
ReplyDeleteI had had Amala on my mind for a while, too, but haven't found an opportunity to shuffle it into my product rotation. A cleanser seems like a simple step, as I'm not particularly loyal to any one cleanser. I've also looked at one of their mattifying primers, but then I always say "will I really use this" because I am NOT a morning person and tend to slap on my oils and go.
Glad to see this review and will keep Amala at the top of my list. I can smell the jasmine now ... :)
I have a hard time staying loyal to cleansers too. I guess I enjoy trying new things too much, and like you said, cleansers are one of the simplest things to shuffle in! I'm glad to have this in rotation though, especially this time of year :)
DeleteI think the mattifying primer is the first thing that caught my eye from Amala actually, but it's not something I really need now...my skin rarely gets shiny anymore. I hear you on the big morning rush - I bet it would be good for special occasions though!
Ohh it sounds so good, minus the Jasmine scent that I also don't enjoy. I totally hear you on the skin changing from normal oily to normal dry..not getting shiny is great! xo
ReplyDeleteIt is! Still undeniably lovely, but if it smelled different, I would be 120% sold!
DeleteMy skin is drier than it used to be too. But I hate when it wants to get flaky when it starts getting colder weather. I think I need a heavier moisturizer, but sometimes I'm still too used to buying products for oily/combo skin. And I hate the feel of anything heavy on my skin. This cleanser sounds nice, but I always hate to spend too much on a cleanser because I feel like I go through them to fast to justify the price. Cleanser seems like the hardest thing for me to be happy with for some reason. By the time I find one I like, they discontinue it! Still searching for my perfect one.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm the opposite, though with a similar end result! For me, cleansers are the easiest step to be satisfied with, but for that reason, I always want to try something new. I do find creamier cleansers like this one make a big difference - I don't need to slather as much moisture on afterwards, since they aren't stripping the skin. I've been lucky this year, no flakiness so far! I definitely credit it to the switch to cream cleansers and oils (which seem to penetrate deeper than lotion/cream moisturizers.)
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