If you're a cleanser fanatic [1] please don't get offended by what I'm about to say: cleansers aren't all that exciting to me. Don't get me wrong, I can recognise a good cleanser [2] based on how well it removes my makeup and how my skin feel after, but in general, I don't find myself looking forward to using them. (Maybe it's because they come with the added dread of washing your face.) But every once in a while a new face wash comes around that really impresses me, and most recently it was the new Covey Skin First of All Cleanser [3] ($29).
Covey Skin just launched on March 3. It was created model and content creator Emily DiDonato [4] and Google executive Christina Urib [5] with the goal of decluttering your skin-care routine [6]. The brand has three products in total: a cleanser, vitamin C serum, and moisturiser.
The cleanser is really simple and straightforward — it doesn't have any physical exfoliants in it or ingredients that could be potentially irritating or take getting used to it. This is a big deal to me because I use retinol nightly and don't want to use anything harsh. It's formulated with babassu oil, which is found naturally in the skin and strengthens your skin's barrier, and aloe leaf juice for hydration and to soothe.
Aside from being no-nonsense (which is exactly what I want out of a cleanser) the consistency is my favourite thing about it. When I first tested it out I went through the motions of applying it but paused as soon as I did the first pass over my skin. The clear gel has a thick texture that almost feels like it's gripping the skin, kind of like a gel face mask. In my head, I imagined this helped the cleanser pull off all of the dirt and makeup on my skin.
Despite the gooey texture it still lathers into a sudsy face wash when it comes into contact with water and rinses away without leaving any residue behind on you skin. This made my skin feel clean and soft but not too clean in that striped of moisture sort of way. I haven't swapped out my face wash in years (that's not an exaggeration) but the Covey Skin First of All Cleanser [7] ($29) has earned a permanent spot in my medicine cabinet.
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