Lakmé Gentle & Soft Deep Pore Cleanser Review

Cleansers remove makeup, dirt, oil and dead skin cells. They help to unclog pores and prevent skin conditions such as acne. So cleansing is a very important step in your beauty routine.

I stepped into the store with the intention of buying Himalaya Herbals Deep Cleansing Milk which I had previously used and was very happy with the results (except for when I got a tiny bit of it in my eye by mistake while trying to get some eyeliner off and it stung like hell. In Himalaya's defense, you shouldn't be getting the product in your eyes. In fact, nothing should be put in your eyes unless it's specifically meant for your eyes. Duh!). But the store didn't have the Himalaya cleanser. Instead the salesperson showed me Ayur Deep Pore Cleansing Milk and Lakmé Gentle & Soft Deep Pore Cleanser. The Lakmé cleanser with its seductive packaging instantaneously caught me eye (I know, I should stop making decisions based on packaging, but I just can't help it!). I debated for a bit - the Lakmé cleanser was quite a bit more expensive than what I'd originally planned on buying (The Himalaya cleanser was priced at Rs. 65 for 100 ml) and was also costlier than the Ayur cleanser (Rs. 110 for 550 ml) - but ended up buying the Lakmé cleanser in the end. After all, Lakmé is a better known brand than Ayur, and I couldn't resist the slim lovely bottle. It never hurts to try something new...does it??

What Lakmé Claims: Lakmé Deep Pore Cleanser, formulated with natural Avocado extracts, gently cleans the skin for all surface impurities. Vitamin E, known for its antioxidant properties, conditions the skin. Skin feels visibly cleansed and purified. It’s suitable for all year round usage. For best results, follow up with Lakmé moisturizer.

Price: Rs. 95 for 60 ml

Shelf Life: 24 months from the date of packing

Ingredients: Aqua, Mineral Oil, Laureth-4, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Perfume, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Butylated Hydroxy Toluene, Propylene Glycol and Persia Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Butyl Paraben, Ethyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Phenoxyethanol, Methyl Paraben.

Though the MRP printed on the bottle I purchased said Rs. 95 (which is what I paid), I came across this very cleanser available online for Rs. 75 for 60 ml. Not knowing the price when I purchased the cleanser, I ended up paying Rs. 20 extra. I do feel a bit cheated, but I suppose they may have raised the price and the bottles being sold online must be from their old stock (Date of packing on my bottle is June 2013).

The cleanser comes in a gorgeous slim asymmetrical white bottle with a light blue-green flip open cap. The bottle is very sturdy, hygienic and travel-friendly. As soon as I flipped open the cap, I got this beautiful amazing fragrance. If they come out with a soap/shampoo/perfume in this fragrance, I will be more than happy to purchase it.

The cleanser is white and creamy, and I needed only a small quantity to use over my entire face. It worked very well to remove all of my makeup. Eye makeup, however, is always difficult to remove (especially the waterproof variety) and this cleanser doesn't make it any easier, especially since it specifically cautions against contact with eyes. I had to use it twice to get my Lakmé Eyeconic Kajal off and follow up with a foaming cleanser after. However, it did eventually get the job done, so I can't really complain. I came across some reviews where people found that contact with eyes resulted in severe burning sensation. However, of all the times I've used this cleanser to remove eye makeup, I experienced extremely slight burning only once. Maybe it's because I'm super careful not to get the product in my eyes or maybe my ultra watery eyes are burn-proof (just a theory). (Tip: Eye makeup can be pretty tricky to remove. I find that using a cotton ear-bud helps. Being extremely thin, it ensures that you get the cleanser very near your eyes but not in them and it also ensures that you get all the makeup off and there are no unreachable corners where the makeup stubbornly remains. It's a little trick that a friend taught me. The Himalaya cleanser bottle cap allowed me to flip open the cap and stick the cotton bud in to get just the right amount of cleanser. However, this Lakmé cleanser's flip open cap, being so tiny, isn't big enough to get the cotton bud in. I tried to get the cover off the bottle a few times but it's pretty tight so that's a bit of a pain.)

 The cleanser is supposed to be for people with normal to dry skin and I have combination to oily skin (though it is the winter, so my skin is more dry than it normally is) but this worked perfectly for me too. True to its claims, my skin did feel visibly cleansed and purified after usage. And though Lakmé says to follow up with a moisturizer, I found this completely unnecessary (again, this maybe due to the fact that I have combination to oily skin). People with dry skin might require to moisturize though.

To summarize:

Pros:

• Gorgeous packaging
• Hygienic, sturdy and travel-friendly bottle
• Amazing fragrance
• Small quantity needed to use on the entire face
• Removes makeup well
• Also works on combination to oily skin
• Skin feel visibly cleansed and purified
• No need for moisturizer after using
• Contains avocado extracts and Vitamin E
• Suitable for use all year round
• Affordably priced
• Good shelf life

Cons

• Different prices on different bottles for the same product
• More expensive compared to other cleansers available in the market
• Contains many chemicals including parabens (Parabens have been linked with allergies, cancer, DNA damage, skin ageing among other things. Their use is not prohibited yet as there is no concrete evidence as to whether parabens actually cause these conditions. Studies so far are only indicative. However, we mustn't take chances, must we?)
• Difficult to remove waterproof makeup
• Mild burning sensation on contact with eyes
• Flip open cap is too tiny to get a cotton bud in; bottle cover doesn't come off easily

My verdict: 9/10

Will I purchase it again? On using this cleanser, my skin felt soft, beautiful and cleansed, which is all that Lakmé really promises. I took a point off for the excessive chemicals and the burning sensation it gives when in contact with eyes, but overall, this is a very good product and I was extremely happy with it. Yes, I will re-purchase (and this time I know the price at which I can get it), and I recommend that you do as well!