I recently obtained the Aloe Skincare Kit from The Body, which contains four facial products intended for sensitive skin, namely Calming Facial Cleanser, Calming Toner, Soothing Day Cream and a Soothing Night Cream. I would describe my skin type as T-zone although harsh facial products such as astringent cleansers can cause me considerable irritation, but I don't generally suffer with sensitive skin. However, I particularly liked the idea of this product as I believed it to be gentle and soothing on my skin. I have tried and tested each of the products with this review discussing my experience with using the cleanser.

~~ APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCT ~~

As my transparent plastic bottle was contained within a kit it contains 60 ml of cleanser as opposed to the full sized version that holds 200 ml. The appearance of both sizes are identical where there is a white coloured label displaying a little information in relation to the product together with a green leaf image, which I presume to belong to the aloe vera plant.

~~ USING THE FACIAL CLEANSER ~~

The lid easily flips open to reveal a good sized opening to dispense a small amount of the fairly thick pearly white cleanser with a consistency in between a lotion and a cream. Whilst there is no information contained on the product to suggest that it is fragrance free as with the remainder of the skin care range, I cannot detect any aroma. The cream is soft and cool when it is easily applied to my face and neck and does not cause any uncomfortable sensations such as dryness or tightness. I favour leaving the cleanser on for a few minutes before removing with some cotton wool balls although The Body Shop advise to remove with tissues or rinse with water. What I find a little odd is that The Body Shop does not advise using water when removing with tissues, which subsequently leaves a thin layer of tacky cleanser on my skin. Consequently, I rinse with warm water then cold to tighten the pores. A frustration I found with dispensing the cleanser after only a few uses is that it was attaching itself to the sides of the bottle, which resulted in me having to vigorously hit the base.

I had previously always been sceptical of cream cleansers, as I believed them to be ineffective and chose astringent products, but unfortunately, they caused considerable irritation to my skin. I discovered Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish some time ago, which is a creamy cleansing product that I find extremely favourable, but decided to try The Body Shop range, as it is cheaper. However, I am not convinced that this product is effective enough, as I do not feel it thoroughly cleanses. The reason I say this is because my skin doesn't feel so fresh or look as bright as it does when I've used Liz Earle, but I have to admit that it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. Of course, this is my personal opinion as opposed to me conducting a scientific experiment as to whether it actually removes dirt and impurities, but I cannot advise that I would purchase this product again. Consequently, Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser receives only 3 stars from me.

~~ INGREDIENTS AND OTHER INFORMATION ~~

There is a lengthy list of ingredients contained within this cleanser such as aloe vera gel and unlike the other skin care products in the range, this contains alcohol. The cleanser should be used within 6 months of opening and the bottle can be recycled once empty. The 60 ml bottle will last for approximately three weeks with twice daily usage

~~ PRICE AND AVAILABILITY ~~

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser is available in a 200 ml bottle for £7 or a 60 ml bottle that is contained within the Aloe Skincare Kit where you will also obtain a Calming Toner, Soothing Day Cream and a Soothing Night Cream.

I hope you found my review useful and would thank you for reading.