Review: Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel

For proper removal of make-up, especially a full face, I tend to prefer heavy duty full-on cleansers but to give my face a quick clean feeling, after I've exercised or often first thing in the morning in the shower, I tend to prefer facial washes or foaming cleansers.

Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel claims to help to soften and gently cleanse the skin and is free of perfume or colour.  Now I do like nice fragrant scents in my products, but I have to admit that sometimes, my skin can be a little tempermental, and often fragrance free-products work better for me.  

The product is a clear gel, nothing fancy to see here.

It lathers easily and feels very pleasant to use and although it is fragrance-free, there is an underlying soapy scent which lingers a little but its not at all unpleasant.  Simple claim that it contains 'vitimin goodness' and I'm not entirely sure what benefits topical vitamins have on skin, but my skin did certainly did feel clean and soft after using.  I was pleased to note that there was no squeaky clean feel that sometimes persists when using facial washes, as I intensely dislike it when a product leaves my skin feeling stripped of all natural oils, often resulting in my skin being oilier than usual.  My sensitive skin also suffered no additional breakouts whilst using this which is always a plus!

I found this facial wash best after exercise to remove any oils or sweat (ewww!) from the skin.  I also used it in the mornings before applying moisturiser.  I wouldn't however recommend it for removal of makeup and it does mention on the packaging that it is not suitable for use around the eye area as I suspect it may sting a little.

Verdict

For an affordable, everyday facial wash which pretty much does what it says on the tin, the Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel performs well.   I would recommend this primarilly for those who have normal / combination  skin as I think if you have very dry skin, you may be better with a cream cleanser or a facial wash that is especially formulated for your skin type.  

4/5

Price - £3.25

Where to Buy - Boots Superdrug

March Empties

I’ve had a great March using up lots of products, including quite a few full-sized ones too.

The Body Shop Earth Lovers Shower Gel in Pear and Lemongrass (review here) – I liked the idea of this shower gel but the fragrance didn’t wow me and it was far too watery and liquid – the consistency was almost like water!  I wouldn’t rush to repurchase another from this range, purely due to the watery consistency and the fact it was very easy for more to end up down the plughole than on my body!

TiGi Dumb Blonde Shampoo – this is one of my holy grail products and although I like to try other shampoos, this is by far the one I come back to the most.  I finished this bottle and promptly restocked!  I love it as it leaves my hair soft and manageable and prolongs the life of my colour.

Trevor Sorbie Colour Protect Shampoo – this has been lounging in my draw for ages and it was time to use it up!  I think it has now been repackaged, and potentially reformulated, however I wasn’t overly impressed with this mini bottle and I don’t think this would replace my Dumb Blonde!

Lush Three Gold Rings Bubble Bar – this was left over from Christmas but I think they are released every year.  I loved the scent of vanilla / orange oil and it produced monstrous amounts of bubbles (I always just crumble the whole bar in but you could easily get several baths from it).  It did leave a gold stain around the bottom of the bathtub that was horrendous to shift though!  I would possibly repurchase this next year although Lush always brings out new products that I am tempted by!

Neal’s Yard Remedies Seaweed Salt Scrub (review here) – this scrub was sufficiently ‘scrubby’ for me but the scent really put me off and for that reason I wouldn’t repurchase.

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Body Lotion  - a product that does exactly what it says on the tin, providing instant relief to dry, scaly areas.  At the moment I wouldn’t repurchase as I still have a heap of body lotions to work my way through!

Johnsons 24hr Extra Rich Bodywash – I found there was nothing overly remarkable about this product, probably as I prefer scented shower gels and creams.  It did leave my skin nicely hydrated though and those who prefer unscented body washes would probably like this.  However I will not be repurchasing, mainly as there are hundreds of shower gels and creams I have yet to try!

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Concentrated Cream – this is another of my staples.  I love the scent of cocoa butter and this never fails to provide my hands with instant moisturisation.  I already have a back up!

Sure Deodorant – not much to say about this, it does the job!

Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap  - received probably as part of a Bonus Time promotion, I wasn’t overwhelmed by this as I found it quite drying for everyday use.  It was handy to use after a run as it made my face feel very clean, although you do need to use a good moisturiser afterwards and I wouldn’t recommend it for dry skins.  I wouldn’t repurchase but I’m sure a couple more of these will turn up in future Bonus Time free gifts!

Liz Earle Smoothing Eye Serum (review here) – I used this in conjunction with the Liz Earle eye cream and much preferred this serum to the cream.  I used it in the evenings and although I’m not sure it made a visible difference, it did hydrate my eye area overnight.  I would consider repurchasing but I currently have another couple of eye creams to test out.

Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes – I always have a couple of packs of wipes on the go for a quick refresh or often just to remove swatches!  These are a great price and, like other Simple products, do not irritate my skin.  I would repurchase.

What have you managed to use up this month?