[Review] Nature Republic – Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil

Nature Republic is a k-beauty brand and they describe themselves as being a natural brand. This is evident in their line because they use a lot of natural ingredients in their products. I’ve tried a few skincare products from their Aloe Vera line and haven’t yet been disappointed.

I generally like to try a variety of products from a brand, especially if I have had good experiences with past products, so when I found this chamomile cleansing oil in it’s pretty yellow packaging, I picked it up right away.

Cost

$17 AUD for 200ml, purchased from ebay *

Ingredients

from us.memebox.com

Mineral Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Peg-10 Isostearate, Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobius Flower Water, Cicapfnlyl Carbonate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isohexadecane Tocopheryl Acetate, Bht, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum)

Anthemis Nobius Flower Water is Chamomile and is halfway in the list after Safflower seed oil and one of my favourites, Jojoba seed oil, which is packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

Claims

from us.memebox.com

This refreshing cleansing oil gently removes makeup without leaving a sticky residue behind. Natural chamomile water protects sensitive skin from various harmful materials and stress while providing moisture to skin.

Packaging

It’s packaging is what got my attention. Nature republic’s packaging is generally aesthetically pleasing, green is commonly used. This cleanser is housed in a sturdy plastic bottle with a pump. I love how chamomile flowers are printed on the front, giving it a nice cute touch.

I like how it has a pump but I don’t like how it doesn’t perform so well. I feel like I need to use more pumps and elbow grease to dispense the oil, more on that later.

DR-cleanser-1.jpg
Nature Republic – Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil

Consistency

Its consistency is thin and runny. But not too runny that it is impossible to use, you just need to work fast. It is transparent in colour.

Nature Republic - Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil - when water is added, it turns into a milky consistency
Nature Republic – Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil – runny consistency

Scent

It has a light and natural floral scent, which I don’t mind but it’s definitely there. It doesn’t smell artificial at all and I find it quite soothing. Fragrance is the last ingredient in the list so it’s not too bad.

How to use

I would usually use this at night as my first cleanse to remove my makeup.
If you have used any liquid cleansing oils, the application method is the same.

The instructions on memebox say to dispense 2-3 pumps into dry hands but because the pump doesn’t seem to dispense properly, I end up using 4-5 pumps sometimes. It’s still quite a lot to to use so luckily the bottle is 200ml.

I would then massage it into my face, gently rubbing it in using circular motions as I normally would. Then I would jump into the shower and apply a small amount of water to my hands and continue to massage my face. Adding water emulsifies it and turns it slightly milky but does not foam. I would continue to massage for about 5 more seconds, focussing on the eyes, then I would rinse my whole face in the shower. My skin would feel soft and smooth afterwards, no sticky residue at all.

I always follow with a gel or foam cleanser. I’m using Drunk Elephant’s Beste Jelly Cleanser at the moment which I’m liking but not as much as the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (review here) .

Nature Republic - Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil - when water is added, it turns into a milky consistency
Nature Republic – Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil – when water is added, it turns into a milky consistency

Effectiveness

As a makeup remover and first cleanser, it does a good job. I’ve used other oil cleansers which have been more effective like the Shu uemura Skin Purifier (reviewed) and the Klairs Black Cleansing Oil (reviewed).

I wear Heroine Make mascara and Clio liquid eyeliner (some heavy duty stuff), both which are tough to remove in general. It leaves some residue on my eyes and I generally need to go in with a micellar water and cotton tip to remove the last dregs of it. It removes everything else really well, all the base makeup as well as lipstick, so no complaints there.

Nature Republic - Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil vs Clio Kill Cover Liquid Liner.
Nature Republic – Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil vs Clio Kill Cover Liquid Liner.
Nature Republic - Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil vs Clio Kill Cover Liquid Liner, removes most of it.
Nature Republic – Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil vs Clio Kill Cover Liquid Liner, removes most of it.

Final thoughts

Rating: 3/5 (liked it, will use it up)

I like this cleanser and I would repurchase if they fixed up their pump system. Not sure if I received a faulty one but it takes a few extra pumps to dispense the product so it seems like you would go through the bottle quicker. Having said that, I’ve been using this for around 2 months and I still have a quarter left, which isn’t bad. It’s also cheaper than other well known oils and balms so that’s also a plus.

Have you used this cleanser before? Do you have any recommendations for me to try out?

Please note: links in this post marked with an * are affiliate links. They provide me with a small commission, if you should choose to use them for a purchase, without any extra cost to you 🙂

signature

 

 

 

 

 

[Review] dear, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil

Klairs is a popular korean beauty line who are known for having effective products containing simple and natural ingredients at an affordable price point. Their slogan “Simple But Enough” is evident in their product line. Their products are cruelty free, colorant free, alcohol free, paraben free and artificial fragrances/fragrance free. A fairly young company, since 2009, was acquired by Wish Company in 2012. Wish’s CEO Ryan Soungho Park, has sensitive skin and after trying out their products, that pretty much sealed the deal. Their philosophy of bringing skin care back to basics really resonated with him. He personally curates the products and also owns Wishtrend, where you can find the whole line of Klairs. The story behind Park and the acquisition is quite interesting, if you’re interested to read more about it, you can find some info here.

Now for the actual product review! I’ve been using this cleanser for around three months and it’s nearly becoming an empty. Which is why I thought it was about time to share my thoughts on it.

Cost:

$28 AUD for 150ml, from cyhouse.com.au.

Ingredients:

from www.klairscosmetics.com

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate , Isopropyl Myristate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil , Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil , Tocopheryl Acetate , PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate , Polysorbate 20, Fragrance, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil

The inclusion of “Black” in its name is from the presence of black soybean, blackberry and black sesame ingredients in the oil.

Claims:

from www.klairscosmetics.com

 

The Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil is composed of various vegetable oils helpful for skin care. It’s easily washable texture allows mild yet effective cleansing of dirt and makeup without causing irritation and is the best cleanser to maintain the skin’s moisture even after cleansing.

The Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil is formulated with natural oils extracted from black bean to control sebum production and soothe skin. Black sesame oil provides antioxidants and black currant seed oil provides minerals and vitamins. It’s the best hypo-allergenic formula for sensitive skin

Packaging:

It is a plastic bottle with a pump nozzle which is my favourite type of packaging. It’s simple yet elegant, looks more expensive than it actually is.

Consistency:

It is clear and watery. It is also quite runny so once you pump out some product, I use about two or three pumps, you need to act fast with the application, which I will get into a bit later.

dear, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil
dear, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil

Scent:

Fragrance is present in the ingredients list which is puzzling since Klairs prides themselves on not adding artificial fragrance to their products. There is a light scent which smells natural to me, kinda hard to describe. It’s barely detectable to be honest.

How to use:

I use this cleansing oil as my first step cleanser in the evening or whenever I need to remove a full face of makeup. The steps are the same as any old oil cleanser or balm but if you are new to the double cleanse method, please keep on reading.

As mentioned earlier, I dispense 2-3 pumps into the palm of my hand and apply to my dry face. The texture is so smooth and slippery that you can easily spread it around. I usually massage it around my face for around 10 seconds. You will see the makeup dissolving which is pretty cool. I then hop into the shower where I slowly emulsify it by adding water bit by bit to my hands and using circular motions to massage it around once again. It will begin to turn milky. I do this for another ten or so seconds then I wash it off with warm water.

I usually follow with either my foam or gel cleanser as my second cleanse.

dear, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil
dear, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil

Final thoughts

Rating: 5/5 (loved it!)

Besides this cleansing oil, the only other product that I’ve tried from Klairs was their Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum. I thought it was just ok but memorable since it was my first taste into topical vitamin c.

What differentiates this cleansing oil to other balms and oils I have tried is how easy it is to use. It is super quick to dispense the product and the application is seamless. The oil isn’t greasy or oily at all (despite being an oil) and doesn’t leave a film on my face once I wash it off. The claims around “washable texture” is definitely true here. My skin feels fresh and smooth and most importantly, clean without feeling stripped. Because I usually follow with a second cleanser anyway, I guess it shouldn’t matter but it just makes cleansing a nicer experience 🙂 It also, most importantly, removes makeup extremely well.

Even though Shu Uemura’s oil cleanser, Skin Purifier (which I have tried), is hugely popular, I think this oil really compares to it in terms of effectiveness. In the price department however, Klairs wins hands down. It’s half the price.

I’m a bit over it (and lazy) to use cleansing balms now because you have to open the lid and either need to use a spatula or dig your nails into the balm to get the product. Yes I know it’s better for travel but I would much prefer being convenient at home. You can always transfer some into a smaller travel friendly bottle so its a non issue for me.

So yes, I love it and would definitely repurchase!

Have you tried or interested in trying this cleansing oil? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know 🙂

signature