Lakmé Clean Up Nourishing Glow Face Wash: Review

Source: www.littlemiss-perfect.com

Some time back, there was this ad on TV - Lakmé Fruit Blast Face Washes. There was just something about those girls crushing juicy fruits, the lyrics; everything about the ad screamed refreshed skin. Did I mention that I love fruits, fruit juices, smoothies etc? When I saw this Lakmé face wash in a chemist, it looked so much like the Lakmé Fruit Blast face wash with Berries, I had to pick it up.

What Lakmé Claims: Salon-like cleanup everyday now at home! With goodness of strawberries, wash away all visible dirt, impurities and pollution. 


Price: Rs. 145 for 100 g 

Shelf Life: 2 years 

Also in the range: Lakmé Cleanup Nourishing Glow Face Scrub and Mask 

Other Variants: Lakmé Cleanup Fresh Fairness and Clear Pores ranges

Lakmé Cleanup Fresh Fairness Range
Source: www.bbeautilicious.com 

Lakmé Cleanup Clear Pores Range
Source: www.beautyfrontline.com 

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerine, Carbomer, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Perfume, Sodium Hydroxide, Microcrystalline Wax Beads White, Microcrystalline Wax Beads Red, Methanol, Propylene Glycol, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Cl 14700, Cl 17200, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butyl Carbamate. 

 The packaging is pretty basic - tube, white flip open cap and travel friendly. The red with the silver band and writing makes it attractive. The face wash is red with a gel like consistency with teeny tiny beads. I don't know what they're there for, they certainly won't exfoliate (or scrub at all). 

I was very impressed with my first wash, mainly because of the amazing fresh fragrance of juicy strawberries. It brought back memories of the ad all over again. I felt refreshed. Sadly though, that's where my happy experience ended. The face wash is labelled nourishing glow. While it cleansed my skin (like any other face wash would), I did not notice any nourishing glow. It does wash away visible impurities, but isn't that what face washes are supposed to do? As for the claims of a Salon-like Cleanup; nothing apart from the fresh fragrance felt salon-like. Granted, you're supposed to follow up with a scrub and a face pack for the entire effect; but as a face wash, I see no reason to pick this up over other available (and cheaper) face washes in the market. It also did nothing at all for my oily skin (again, in Lakmé's defense, they do have the clean up face wash for clear pores meant for oily skin). The Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) made my verdict even more clear. Which is sad because I really wanted to like this product.

What I Liked:

• The travel friendly packaging 
• The gorgeous refreshing fragrance

What put me off:

• The tiny beads - If they're not going to aid the cleanup process, what are they there for? 
• No nourishing glow 
• Cleanup does not feel salon-like 
• Its price when you compare it to cheaper better performing face washes in the market 
• Did nothing for my oily skin
• Doesn't remove makeup at all (face washes are not supposed to but if the cleanup is supposed to be salon-like....) 
• Contains SLS (SLS - an ingredient used in a lot of cleansing cosmetic products - is known to cause skin irritations with prolonged use. It has also been linked to cancer.)

My Verdict: 4/10 (For the beautiful fragrance)

Will I repurchase it? Most certainly not. Given my high expectations, this face wash was all in all a let down (hence the subpar rating). Its nearly summer and I need a face wash that will help control oil, and this face wash is not it (It didn't even keep the oiliness at bay in the winter!). I might try the scrub and face pack; or clear pores variant. But as a face wash, I won't recommend it. It's nothing great for the price.