My Current Facial Cleanser Duo featuring Garnier and Indie Lee!

 

Day and night cleansing: sorted!

    I truly believe that we should all have at least two cleansers in rotation depending on your skin's condition and needs. I used to only use one cleanser at a time because I make it a habit to use up opened items before opening a new one but using a heavy duty but drying cleanser (to be fair, it was targeted for oily skin types) as my sole all around cleanser was an eye opener. I got it during a time when my skin was oiling up too much and while it did clean my face thoroughly, it was too drying once my skin shifted to a normal-dry skin type. I started looking for a gentler, more moisturizing cleanser to partner with it because, again, I'm using that drying cleanser all up no matter what.  And that's when I started with my two cleansers routine. One gentle cleanser to use in the morning and one that's more heavy duty to remove the day's grime in the evening. So let me show you my current duo!

    My morning cleanser right now is the award-winning Indie Lee Strawberry Seed & Tomato Brightening Cleanser, an anti-oxidant rich cleanser that also doubles (triples??) as a makeup remover AND mask.

Its plant-based formula includes:

Coconut oil (helps in removing skin impurities and makeup)

Strawberry seed oil, hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, and Tomato extracts (where the anti-oxidants in this cleanser come from that help firm up the skin. It also includes Lycopene which serves as a gentle exfoliant that brightens the skin.

    Indie Lee is a clean beauty brand which means their products are cruelty-free and are formulated without "Parabens, Mineral Oil, Sulfate-based Detergents, Synthetic Fragrance, Petroleum-based Ingredients, Phthalates, Phenoxyethanol, Formaldehyde and GMO Ingredients." This cleanser comes in three sizes: 30ml (₱730), 125ml (₱2,800), and 300ml ($68).

This cleanser is so gentle that it really reminds me of Cetaphil's Gentle Cleanser and Celeteque's Hydrating Facial Moisturizer. The Indie Lee Cleanser's gel formula is as lightweight and "clean" as the other two cleansers and similarly, this one doesn't really lather up but it can definitely clean the face off light impurities without the drying feel- which makes it perfect for the morning!  After using it, my skin feels smooth and soft and true to its claims, my skin doesn't feel stripped off its oils.

I know they say that it also works as a makeup remover but it's mainly for removing powders like eyeshadows. I tried it against a waterproof mascara and well, the mascara didn't budge that much. Even though that's the case, I still like using it after my cleansing oil from time to time, especially when my face feels a little too scrubbed and stressed.

Since its formula is gentle, it's also no surprise that it scent is very subtle. If I can describe its scent, it's like a freshly picked strawberry, dew and all. It doesn't smell strong nor artificial, just a hint of a fresh strawberry that won't bother your sinuses and make your head ache. 

Now for my evening cleanser: the Garnier Brightening Foam Facial Cleanser! This is described as a "gentle, easy to rinse foam with the power of Pure Lemon Extract to intensively cleanse and clear dullness." Aside from cleansing, it also helps in brightening dark spots, thanks to its powerhouse ingredient: Vitamin C!

The Vitamin C in its formula is from "Green Sciences", a series of advance scientific activities that produce superior and responsible natural products while also making sure there is overall waste reduction and renewable raw materials.. The Vitamin C here was sourced from corn that apparently corrects uneven skin tone and enhances the skin's natural glow. This paired with its anti-oxidant packed Superfruit lemon will make sure you have clean and bright skin. How cool is that?

This cleanser is suitable to all skin types, is dermatologically tested, cruelty-free, and Halal certified. The 100ml tube retails for ₱199.

I got this cleanser during my last SG trip because I wasn't able to bring one and I cannot survive not washing my face in the evening. Though I was an idiot for not packing a cleanser, I'm glad that led me to this one! Because not only was it cheap (lol S$3.70 baby!!), it solved two problems I had: cleansing and dullness. After several days of not washing my face with a proper cleanser (I refuse to wash my face with bath soap- sorry!), my face needed a deep clean and the Garnier Brightening Foam Cleanser did a wonderful job in removing dirt, oils, and leftover makeup! My face felt so fresh and clean right after and it didn't feel too dry and taut. 

I also noticed that this cleanser is indeed a brightening one because it really lifted and gave life to my very dull looking skin. Using it consistently at night really improved the appearance of my skin and made it look more alive, like I was consistently drinking 8 glasses of water and having 8 hours of sleep haha! Very grateful for this cleanser for shooing the dullness away from my skin! 

A little goes a long way with this cleanser, and it lathers up more than the Indie Lee Cleanser. It has a fresh scent with a whiff of lemon/citrus in it that I really like! This cleanser also doesn't contain any exfoliating beads- it's just a slightly thick and creamy facial cleanser.

And those are my current cleansing duo! I like that both are brightening cleansers (again, brightening not whitening!) that not only clean and keep my skin bouncy and soft, but also make sure to keep dullness at bay. Hopefully this post gets you to try either or both cleansers if ever you're on the lookout for something new! Thanks for reading!