Ole Henriksen Oil Control cleanser

This cleanser I picked up on my Sephora points. I had never tried anything by Ole Henriksen before, but I knew that I had heard some great things about their products. But when Cassy from Baubles & Knots tried her freebee set, I knew I had to bump it up the ‘to try’ list. I have yet to try the 7 day transformation kit, but I decided to move onto the cleanser sooner rather than later. These are my thoughts.  

Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser

Since this was a freebee, I wasn’t sure how much this was, but I knew Ole Henriksen would not be a cheap brand. On Sephora this comes in two sizes. A smaller size that equals this one and retails for $10. The full size costs $25. That makes this the most expensive cleanser that I have ever tried. I like my cleansers to be a bit more affordable as I don’t have great experience with more expensive skincare brands as they are usually heavily fragranced which my skin does not like.

The Packaging

What I like about this mini size is that they didn’t hold back on the packaging. This tube looks identical to the larger size and it has an easy screw on top which keeps the product nice and secure. However, the packaging isn’t anything jazzy here. It’s just plain, simple and to the point. And for skincare, that is all you need really.

The Ingredients

This cleanser is supposed to be a purifying cleanser that cleanses pores with some oils and acids that should help with any skin problems. It also boasts about a Green Fusion Complex, whatever that may be. The main basis of the product is water and that is easily felt when the product is squeezed out. Next to that there are a bunch of products that don’t really mean much to me. The acids are about 1/4 down the list though.

After a bit of a Google and looking at this ingredient list, I found out that the Green Fusion Complex is actually tea leaf extract. Yes, exactly. Tea leaves as in an extract from the plant that ultimately will give us white, green, or black tea. Granted, Green Fusion Complex sounds cooler, but apparently tea has no proven added benefits to skincare or health.

The Swatch

The product comes out as a clear gel. It emulsifies easily when water is added, but it does not foam up too much. That is usually a good sign: the more a cleanser foams the more astringent it can be on the skin. And my skin does not like that generally.

I generally use cleansers like this in the shower to take off my makeup and this works well on my face, but it has a hard time taking off eye makeup, especially waterproof mascara. I can feel it trying to take it off but I’m always left with panda eyes when I finish my shower.

Additionally, I don’t like how this stings my eyes. It has a very pleasant peppermint scent to it, but I think that that is also why it ultimately stings my eyes. No matter how little residue is left, if just a little bit of this stuff gets anywhere near my eye, this stings and that is just inconvenient for me.

The Conclusion

While I truly wanted to love the Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control cleanser I just don’t. It is not great around the eye area, doesn’t take off all my makeup and it is expensive for what it is. I will definitely go back to some of my favorites and use up my other cleansers before I need to buy a new one. But I know it won’t be this.

What cleanser did not work for you?