Clean Beauty Awards – Cleanser Nominees

Last year I was lucky enough to be selected as a judge for CertClean’s Clean Beauty Awards and I had a blast trying out a whole bunch of mascaras and face creams that complied with the CertClean standards. CertClean is North America’s leading certification for safer skincare. It isn’t about how organic or natural a product is, but how it is doesn’t contain 1400+ harmful chemicals. As a bit of a refresher, all of the products that I will be talking about today are free from:

• 1.   BHA and BHT
• 2.  Coal Tar Dyes
• 3.  DEA-related ingredients
• 4.  Dibutyl phthalate
• 5.  Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
• 6.  Parabens
• 7.  Parfum (also known as Fragrance)
• 8.  PEG compounds
• 9.  Petrolatum
• 10. Siloxanes
• 11.  Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS)
• 12. Triclosan

And so, this year, I was a judge for the Clean Beauty Awards once again but this time, I got to test out all of these different cleansers and I was pumped about it. I love trying out new cleansers. They seem so simple but I find they often have the largest effect on my skin. I need a cleanser that is going to remove every last bit of my makeup, make my skin feel clean (but not too clean), not leave it feeling dry and help to keep my breakouts at bay. So read on and find out which of these cleansers made the cut!

Aiona Alive Citrus Exfoliating Cleanser ($45USD)

Oh man, this cleanser is the cleanser of my dreams. I’ve tried a lot of cleansers in my lifetime and none of them have ever compared to this one. This is the Aiona Alive E-Citrus Exfoliating Cleanser and it is 85% organic with 100% natural ingredients with live collagen. It gently exfoliates with decyl glucoside, a natural surfactant, while other ingredients such as yellow dock treat acne and psoriasis. Another ingredient in this cleanser, Usnea tincture, has anti-bacterial properties and helps keep the skin free of bacteria and dirt. I am honestly shocked at how quickly my skin has cleared up ever since I switched to this cleanser. My face just feels so clean and fresh after using it!

Osco Pollution Detox Mask ($75CAD)

There’s a special place in my heart for powder masks. I don’t know if it’s because I feel like a lil’ chemist mixing my mask or because I love how when you wet the powder, it gives it such a nice, gentle exfoliating texture. I mix 2-3 teaspoons of the Pollution Detox Mask with 1 teaspoon of water (with the included bamboo spoon) to create a smooth paste and leave on my face for 5-8 minutes. Kaolin clay and colloidal oatmeal helps purify pores by removing pollutants and impurities while bromelaine (a fruit enzyme from pineapple) removes dead skin cells, helps even skin tone and promotes moisture absorption. It also includes the extract of kakadu plum which is rich in antioxidant vitamin C that protects your skin against pollution and ageing. Lastly, lavender essential oil helps to calm the skin!

Biossance Squalane & Antioxidant Cleansing Oil ($40CAD)

I have to admit I’m not often the biggest fan of cleansing oils. But this one… it’s good. Really good. Usually I find that cleansing oils don’t always wash off my skin easily and leave my skin feeling too moisturized and greasy. But this one is way more of a liquidy oil and washes off effortlessly taking all my makeup with it, even the waterproof makeup. It’s formulated with nourishing antioxidants to help boost radiance and sugarcane-derived, sustainable squalane oil to help skin feel refreshed, cushiony-soft, and moisturized. Eight other plant-derived oils and extracts help to clam, soften and nourish the skin.

Birch Babe Gentle Face Scrub ($12CAD)

I’ve been in need of a new face scrub for quite a while now so I was very intrigued to try out this Birch Babe Gentle Face Scrub. It’s a gentle exfoliant with crushed apricot shells. Moisturizing oils like rosehip and shea with kaolin clay and coconut milk also help to nourish damaged skin. Although I love the way this scrub feels on my skin, there is just a one thing that keep it from being perfect. It is impossible to get it out of the tin. It’s quite a hard, dense consistency so trying to scoop it out is no easy task. Plus, I hate the thought of my dirty fingernails contaminating the product every time I try to scoop some out. I could use a spoon but that is just too much effort for me, let’s be honest.

Province Apothecary Moisturizing Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover ($44CAD)

This Moisturizing Cleanser + Makeup Remover is made with purifying oils to keep your pores unclogged and your dry skin replenished. It works on all skin types and maintains the natural pH of your skin, so you don’t need to fear irritation. It contains Avocado Oil which is high in antioxidants, Vitamins A, D, and E and Omega-3 fatty acids which deeply penetrate the skin to fight dryness, dullness, and dehydration, Raspberry Seed Oil which is high in Vitamins A, E, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to smooth and replenish skin’s moisture barrier. In addition, it’s very high in linoleic acid that is a fatty acid found to be lacking in the sebum of acneic skin. It’s nourishing without being too oily for my skin.

Öko Purifying Cleanser ($29USD)

Before we jump into my review on this Öko Purifying Cleanser, there is a huge elephant in the room we have to talk about first. This cleanser is a tiny 3 oz (or 88 ml for us Canadians) and it’s $29USD (almost $40CAD). That is INSANE. Pure insanity. I really can’t imagine this little bottle lasting more than a month or two. And for $40CAD? This might just be the most expensive cleanser I’ve ever used. But rant over. Let’s talk about the actual cleanser now. It’s made with a blend of antioxidants, superfoods, and mineralized seaweed extracts. Spirulina infuses the pores with free-radical fighters including Vitamin E, selenium and tyrosine to keep your skin beautifully youthful while Chlorella contains b vitamins, zinc, and magnesium that work synergistically together to calm skin irritation. Sea Kelp sinks deep into the pores to reduce inflammation and pull out dirt and grime. It’s excellent for problematic skin and will help to target and prevent blemishes in an effective, yet gentle way.

Woodlot Nourishing Cleansing Balm ($40CAD)

There’s something about skincare, especially a cleaning balm, in a glass jar that just makes it so pleasing to use. Is that weird? Yup, okay, noted. This cleansing balm emulsifies with water to transform into a creamy cleanser that effectively cleanses and moisturizes your skin. I found it was great at removing all my makeup and vitamin-rich essential oils, balancing petitgrain, and ultra-moisturizing shea butter helps to leave my skin feeling soft, soothed and revitalised.

Dr Loretta Micro Peel Peptide Pads ($78CAD)

One ingredient that has helped my acne and skin in general time and time again is glycolic acid. I find by using either a glycolic peel or glycolic toner 2 or 3 times a week really helps to keep my breakouts away. These peel pads from Dr Loretta help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, pore size and dark spots. The 10% glycolic acid removes any environmental debris from the skin’s surface and pores thus improving skin’s texture. Algae peptides also help to replenish moisture loss while calming botanical ingredients help soothe skin during this exfoliation. What I really like about these specific peel pads are that the ridges in the actual pad are quite deep so they really help to exfoliate more than your regular acid soaked cotton pad! If you are new to glycolic acid, I would recommend rinsing your skin off after 20 minutes for the first two weeks until your skin gets used to the acid. After that period, I like to apply these pads three to fives times a week at night, after cleansing and before applying my moisturizer. Just remember to use a very good SPF afterwards in the morning!

Isoi Rose Refresh Mask ($48.99USD)

Any skincare product that has rose in it I automatically love. I absolutely love the scent of rose and I always find that my skin reacts really well with the flower. I apply this jelly-like mask to my skin and leave on for about 10 minutes. When I wash it off, it leaves my skin looking so bright and clear. Because of the jelly texture, it also has such a nice cooling texture when applied to the skin and I find that it’s especially great on days when I’m having bad acne flare-ups because it helps to soothe and calm my skin!

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Wow! That was a large amount of cleaners/masks/scrubs/peels to talk about in one post but I hope you all took some notes and found some new products that you want to try out! I really enjoyed trying out all of these Clean Beauty products. As I’ve gotten older, the blog has evolved with me, and I find that I am paying more and more attention to the ingredients that are in my skincare and makeup. It isn’t just about pretty packaging and overhyped products anymore. I want to be using skincare that is truly beneficial for my skin and I’d highly recommend all of you to do the same!

*ftc disclaimer: Products were sent free of charge in order to be judged for the Clean Beauty Awards. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make When I’m Older possible!