WHIP OUT A WIPE (Garnier Synergie Pure Express 3 in 1 Purifying Wipes)

Member Name: coolcam7

Product:	Garnier Synergie Pure Express 3 in 1 Purifying Wipes
Date:	27/08/04 (273 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: effective cleanser, leaves skin soft and fresh

Disadvantages: resealing the packaging

Fresh back from a 5 week safari in Tanzania I thought I?d start reviewing some of the useful products that I took with me. Of course there were some luxuries that I couldn?t completely abandon for that long but in other areas I had to find alternatives. For example taking cleanser, toner and moisturiser on a safari simply isn?t practical, whereas 3-in-1 face wipes are a compact travel-friendly alternative. I spotted a 25 wipe packet when they were on offer in Boots for £2.66, I thought they seemed suitable for my skin (I usually have combination skin) as I?ve tried a few products in the Garnier Synergie Pure range before and been impressed with their effectiveness. In the end my purchase decision was based on the fact that I?d tried the range before so I knew it was effective and the fact that the wipes were cheaper than most of the other alternatives.

*WHAT ARE THEY?*

Garnier Synergie Pure Express 3-in-1 Purifying wipes are face wipes designed for combination or oily skin. They are said to ?cleanse, purify and mattify? in one step so basically they are an alternative to cleanser, toner and moisturiser in a wipe. No water is needed as the face wipes are moist so you simply remove on of the little cloths and use it to clean your face, then dispose of it afterwards. They are not designed to remove make-up though so probably not a good choice after a night out as you?d have to use a separate make-up remover before using the wipe.

*PACKAGING *

Although the packaging of these wipes isn?t anything special, I think the simple design and colour scheme looks neat and as far as a packaging for a packet of face wipes goes the appearance is pretty good. The packaging is predominantly white with pale blue strips at the side and a pale blue labe
l across the front giving the product details; you peel back this label to reveal a hole through which you remove a face wipe. The information on the back of the pack is given in the form of three questions; ?Are Pure Express 3 in 1 purifying wipes right for me??, ?How do they work?? and ?How do I use them?? I like this direct and concise approach to putting across the information because it allows people to find out pretty much everything they can about the wipes, without actually trying them, before they buy which can only be a good thing for the consumer. I do have one complaint about the packaging design but I?ll come to that later.

*APPEARANC E AND SMELL*

The face wipes are like small white cloths, once opened out fully they are just a bit bigger than hand size and they?re slightly stretchy too so they?re plenty big enough for cleaning your face, and I should know seeing as though I used them to wipe the dust of Tanzania off my skin every day! The wipes have a nice soft texture to them, I know this is what you?d expect from a face wipe but I can think of cheap wipes I tried in the past which weren?t as nice as these. The wipes are quite moist and the smell is quite strong, not overpowering at all but I suppose I noticed it more because I?m used to fragrance-free wipes, these ones have quite a distinctive smell, I like it though it?s quite fresh and clean.

*EASE OF USE*

Face wipes themselves couldn?t really be any easier to use but sometimes the design of the packet they come in can make it a lot trickier than it should be. Removing a wipe from this packet is easy; you can simply pinch the edge of a wipe through the hole in the top of the packet. Fortunately the wipes are packed in such a way that only one wipe comes ou
t at a time, I?ve had experiences in the past where you go to grab one and end up with half the packet in your lap so I?m always careful now but didn?t have any problems even near the bottom of the packet. Using the wipe is simple you just wipe if over your face gently avoiding the eye area. The packaging recommends concentrating cleansing on the nose, forehead and chin. In those with combination skin this is the area that tends to need the most cleansing; I can?t say I particularly followed this recommendation though seeing as though I just wanted to get the dust off my face. My one complaint is the resealing of the packet, it?s important to make sure the sticker is stuck down after use to stop the wipes from drying out and this is all very well the first few times but after a while it loses its stickiness and refuses to reseal again. By the end of the packet the blasted thing kept curling back on itself and refusing to remain stuck down so I had to use tape to keep it in place and stop the wipes drying out. This was slightly annoying but I wasn?t really surprised considering I was travelling with them in a rucksack, this would be less of a problem if you only used them at home but I?ve found that eventually all seals of wipes seem to lose their stickiness, perhaps in the future they?ll solve this problem- until then use tape!

*RESULTS*

The face wipes definitely performed well. They were very effective at removing all the dirt from my face and my skin always felt soft and clean afterwards, never tight or dry at all. I didn?t have any spots while using them, though I couldn?t say whether this was actually the effect of the wipes or not. It could have been the sunlight (which neutralises bacteria that cause spots) or even the African dust, which apparently is actually good for skin! The wipes did exactly what I?d hoped for by clean
ing my skin effectively and leaving it feeling clean and fresh so in that respect they lived up to my expectations. The only let down was the resealing sticky label which was slightly annoying when it wouldn?t stick but I found a simple solution to that problem so I?m not particularly bothered by it. The face wipes are pleasant to use and cleanse effectively, I was pleased with the results. After 5 weeks of using these wipes daily my skin is completely clear and looks really healthy (but that?s probably got more to do with the tan!). I don?t think I could have expected anything else from these wipes the only real issue is the resealing problem.

*VALUE FOR MONEY*

The wipes were on offer when I bought them. They full price of the face wipes in Boots when I bought them was 3.99, however as they had a save 1/3 offer on the range they cost me £2.66. For 25 wipes this is a reasonable price. There are some cheaper brands and some more expensive. Similar products for combination/oily skin such as those by Clearasil are more expensive but I?ve never tried their wipes so I can?t really compare them. I think at £2.66 these were definitely a good buy. Wipes are ideal for when you are in a hurry, travelling, going to the gym or anytime when you just want the convenience of using one. I think at just over 10p per wipe these were good value for money. I don?t think I would pay much more than this for any wipes though. Since I arrived home I?ve noticed that Boots have permanently lowered the price to £2.99 which I think is an appropriate price for the product.

*WHERE TO BUY*

I?ve seen this range in lots of shops. Boots and Superdrug both stock it and so do major supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury?s. The price of
the wipes seems to be similar in most shops but they often have offers on the Garnier Synergie Pure range so shop around for the best deal. Make sure you never make the mistake of buying a damaged pack because it is reduced though, supermarkets often sell off packs of face wipes which have been damaged but the wipes are likely to have dried out so you won?t actually be getting a bargain!

*OVERALL*

Overall I was really impressed with the performance of these face wipes and I would recommend them to people with combination/oily skin who want skincare convenience. The wipes were very effective at cleansing and left my skin soft and smooth. The resealing is an issue, as it is with most packs of wipes, but if you are using them at home it probably wouldn?t be such a problem. The wipes are about average price but they perform well and I think they are fairly priced, they are pleasant to use and widely available too. I wouldn?t recommend them to people with dry or sensitive skin because they contain an ingredient designed to fight spots so they would probably be too strong for dry skin and might leave it feeling tight or sore. I was really impressed overall but they have to lose a star for the dodgy resealing sticker.

Thanks for reading!

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