Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel

I am a soap kind of girl.  I like the foam, I like the lather, and yes, even though I know it is bad for me, I like the squeaky clean feeling.  I find it HARD to like any non-soapy cleanser.  So please read this review in that light. 

Let's start with the package insert.  The tube of cleansing gel came with a really long (interesting description).  Clarins promise to remove all impurities and makeup.  This product combines the benefits of a gel, oil and milk.  (But not SOAP!).  

• It's a melting gel:  On application, thanks to the incredible gliding ability and hold of the gel texture, the skin is veiled in softness and make-up and impurities are instantly dislodged.
• It's an ultra-fine oil:  In a few seconds, the gel melts into an ultra-fine oil which is perfect for massaging into skin.  Impurities are lifted and oily substances dissolved.  Soothing and nourishing Marula oil ensures skin radiance and comfort.
• It's a milky emulsion:  The third stage occurs when rinsing.  On contact with water, the transparent oil becomes a wonderfully fresh, gentle pearly milk which carries away all impurities.  The skin is visibly clean, fresh and matte.  It is supple and velvety-soft to the touch and enveloped in a sense of total well-being.

Instructions:  Morning and/or evening take a small amount of gel and apply to dry skin over the whole face.  Gently massage in for a few seconds to relax the features and lift off make-up.  Then rinse with water.

I really cannot describe this product better than that package insert.  I just cannot identify the gel phase.  I was a bit sceptical when I first opened the tube.  I expected a gel and in stead found an incredibly runny watery, oil.   I usually wet my face, then lather up my soapy gel. So after I wet my face, I read the instructions (Mostly because the very runny liquid confused me) and then had to dry my already wet face.  The instructions said to apply to a dry skin. 

It is basically an oil, not a gel. It feels like rubbing a very smooth, thin oil (think tissue oil) on your face.   It is very thin and smooth and you rub it in nicely.  I have to say I liked that part.  It really goes on very nicely and feels almost like smoothing, moisturising, not cleaning.  After a long day at the beach your skin appreciates this gently oiliness in stead of soap!  And then you wash it off.  This is where I started not liking the product.  When you add water, the gel becomes oily and milky and it feels like there is an oily layer on your skin.  You cannot wash this oily layer off, no matter how hard you try.  You can however rub this oily layer off with a towel. 

It is not this product, it is me.  I am sure if you like soft, gentle cleansers and love cleansing milk you would like this.  I just need to get over my soap thing.

I think it worked very well.  My skin was clean and soft and felt hydrated as well as cleaned.  Once I towelled all the oil off it felt clean. 

So in short.  NOT a soap, but a lovely luxurious product.  Strongly recommended.  It costs R295 for 125 mL and is sold in most large department stores in South Africa.  I think I am going to save what I have left and use it as an eye makeup remover in stead or use it on days when my skin needs some extra loving in stead of cleaning.

I have found a review here and a short endorsement here.