Acid Face Bath? (Dr. Nick Lowe Purifying Foaming Cleanser)

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	Dr. Nick Lowe Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Date:	10/03/08 (2768 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great for drying out oily skin

Disadvantages: Not too sure how it works and it may be too drying for most

I have naturally oily skin, particularly in the T-zone, and find that many products which claim to clarify the skin have little or no effect on my skin. I also tend to be a bit of a skinflint when it comes to the purchase of toiletries and the thought of paying almost £10 for a product that I've never tried is most abhorrent unless it has come through recommendation. Sometimes, however, I am sent various products to try and these can often open up a world that would otherwise remain hidden to me. One such product was Dr Lowe's Purifying Foaming Cleanser.

Stocked by, amongst others, Boots, Dr Lowe's rang of toiletries is one that I would immediately walk past. Their clinical packaging and high price tags just turn me right off. Not even the claims that Dr Lowe is the UK's leading dermatologist would be enough to make me part with my pennies. More fool me then, as this is really a rather special product.

The cleanser is designed as a daily face wash, to be used morning and night. It's designed as a deep face wash to lift impurities and, rather oddly, claims to have a gentle exfoliating action to "slough away dead skin cells". Now this had me wondering - a foam that can exfoliate? Read on.

The product dispenses from a regular foam pump dispenser and one squirt of the dispenser will get you about a 50p sized blob of white foam. For my face I tend to use 2 such blobs and that's enough product for my face and neck (although I take care to stop before my collarbone).

The first thing that you'll probably notice is how light to foam feels. It's far lighter in weight and consistency than a shaving foam or, indeed, any other foam wash I've come across. The closest thing I can relate it to is a handful of washing up liquid bubbles. You'll still be wondering how this can exfoliate.

The next thing that will strike you is the scent. This is not a pretty product. The clinical looking packaging carries over to the foam which has a clean, yet distinctly clinical scent. It's not clinical in the sense of being chemical, rather it is a clean smell that's neither floral nor fruity. If you've ever used "Witch" products then the smell is not dissimilar to that although there's perhaps more of a cucumber smell to this product as well as the witch hazel scent.

Applying the foam to a dampened face with your fingertips you'll not feel any abrasive or exfoliating sensation. In fact, the foam seams to wash over your face in a similar manner to soap without doing much to the skin at all. I tend to rinse the product off with a flannel although any cloth would do. The product rinses well and it is at this point that you'll realise that you've had more than just an inert foam on your face.

Patting my face dry my skin feel refreshed and slightly taut. Feeling my skin with my finger tips my skin feels markedly softer and incredibly smooth. Blemishes on my skin seem reduced and my skin has a glow about it from first use. If I were to liken the sensation to something else I'd say it felt as though my face had just emerged from a good swimming session with my skin feeling taut yet in a relaxed rather than aggravated way.

I do find that I have to use a good moisturiser when using this product as my cheeks are not as oily as the rest of my face and I find that they dry rather. I also find that, without a moisturiser, after about an hour or so my nose will look a bit shiny, not as a result of oil, but as a result of the taut skin.

There's a bit of me that worries slightly how this product works. With no visible or palpable exfoliators I can only assume that the exfoliating action is down to something in the product, perhaps the mystery "Cranley complex" that's unique to the product line. Each product range from Dr Lowe utilises a different Cranley complex, a blend of ingredients designed to tackle various skin problems. For the anti-blemish range the complex includes Salicylic Acid, Willow Bark and Arnica, all known for their antibacterial and oil reducing qualities. Maybe, therefore, it is an acidic action that I'm feeling - whatever, it works.

My skin has been markedly improved and is less prone to blemishes since using this twice daily over the last month or so. I'm not religious in my use and there'll be some days when I give my skin a break, either through choice or because little one won't give me 5 minutes in the morning. Even so, the benefits are clear.

I'd thoroughly recommend this product for keeping control of oily skin but I'd give a warning that, if your skin is not particularly oily then you might find this product too drying.

Summary: Can you exfoliate with a foam?