Before I start, I have to apologies for these photos - I did take photos of all the products before I started using them but I cannot for the life of me find them! So unfortunately, I will need to use these pictures of products half-used and not looking quite as pretty as they did when I first received them!
Dr Hauschka was a brand that I had been aware of for some time, but I had never tried any of their products. They use natural, organic ingredients, with nutritious plant and mineral extracts that care for and work with your skin.
I was recently sent the Radiant You Face Care kit to test for Beauty Bible. The Kit consists of three products and the largest muslin cloth I have ever seen! Honestly, it was almost the size of my bath towel! I ended up cutting it into several smaller pieces to make it easier to use.
The first product is the Lavender Bath. Packaging, as with all the Dr Hauschka products is clean and simple, easily allowing you to see how much of the product you have remaining.
Each time you begin your 'cleansing ritual', you should fill your washbasin with warm water, adding a couple of drops of the Lavender Bath. You then soak some of the Muslin cloth in the water before wringing it out and holding it to your face for about 20 seconds. This allows your pores to open before the next stage.
I found I quite liked this, although whether I actually needed a bath oil for this step, is debatable. I do enjoy the scent of lavender though and I would purchase a full size of this to use in the bath as it is very concentrated and a small amount goes a long way.
Then it is time for the cleansing cream. Dr Hauschka say that in order to maintain a radiant complexion, you need to use their 'press and roll' method when cleansing. This is to help lift away and remove impurities that dull your skin, whilst ensuring that your skin is not stressed or aggravated and using only gentle movements and pressure.
I'll leave the link to this method here, but suffice to say it did take rather a lot of practice! If you are a self-professed lazy cleanser like me, this will probably be too much hard work for you!
The cream itself was very thick and had small grains contained within it which I felt helped provide a gentle exfoliation. One thing I must point out is that this is not suitable for removing makeup and you will need to use a separate makeup remover before beginning cleansing. After finally getting to grips with the press and roll method, I did find that it seemed to balance my skin slightly. However it never felt completely clean after just one cleanse and I ended up double cleansing most evenings to ensure all the impurities of the day were removed.
I have oily / combination skin, and whilst I found a slight reduction in oiliness around my forehead whilst using this, I did find that my skin broke out a lot around my chin. This may have been part of the 'purging' stage or it may be that my skin didn't agree with it but these blemishes never really went away for the whole month that I was testing the product.
Once rinsed, it is time for the toner. Now I haven't really been a huge fan of toners, finding them often an unnecessary extra step. I love this toner though and it will last ages! After cleansing, Dr Hauschka say that you only need to have a couple of spritzes of the toner and your skin will feel refreshed and cleansed, and I very much agree. It is gentle and leaves my skin feeling soft and balanced, with no pesky dry patches on my cheeks and I can see it being very refreshing on warm days. The slight scent of roses is also very welcoming.
So how do I feel about the Cleansing Ritual as a whole? Well, I can see how Dr Hauschka's gentle holistic approach would work well with your skin, and I very much liked the toner and bath oil (although admittedly more for baths than for steaming my face!). The cleaner itself however just seemed like a lot of hard work for me, especially first thing in the morning when I want something that is quick and effective to use. I also found that the fact that it wasn't effective at removing makeup was a problem as I had to introduce another step for makeup removal into an already, slightly laborious, process.
Verdict
For those of you who love the whole ritual and routine of cleansing your skin, especially if you like using natural products, the Dr Hauschka Cleansing Ritual may be suitable for you. If however, you are constantly short of time and prefer your routine to be quick and effective, then you may prefer to have a look through some of the other products in the range, such as the toner, which could be combined with your existing skincare.
3/5 for me, but that's mainly because I am very lazy!
Price - £39.95
Where to Buy - Dr Hauschka John Lewis
