Garnier has launched some new cleansing products for Spring 2014 (as well as some new skincare that I posted on my Facebook page last week and will be reviewing soon).
The new line is called Clean+ and they have some acne products as well as some for dry skin.
One that particularly intrigued me was the cleansing oil. Cleansing oils have been around a while- I used the DHC one years ago and the high end brands like Josie Maran, Dr. Perricone and Nude have also had them for a while. They don't foam up like other cleansers but instead, they dissolve dirt and makeup from your face and whisk it away without stripping the oils in your skin, hence why they're great if you're dry like I am.
I've actually been using Josie Maran's Argan Cleansing Oil for a while now, because there were no drugstore options. At $32 for a 6oz bottle, I wasn't looking forward to repurchasing it (although I got the most recent one with a birthday Sephora gift card). So I was super excited to see Garnier release one for $8!
So I thought I would compare the two to see if Garnier cleansing oil could be a dupe for Josie Maran's. Read on to find out!
First, how they're alike:
Both come in clear plastic bottles with a pump for easy dispensing. They both say to apply to dry skin with dry hands and massage into your face, then add water to emulsify before rinsing. This makes these hard to use in the shower, because even if my face is dry when I step into the shower, my hands get wet pretty much right away.
How they're different:
Garnier's is 4.2oz for $8 and Josie's is 6oz. for $32...quite a big difference! But, the biggest difference is in the ingredients. Josie's is all natural, while Garnier's is full of mineral and petroleum oils with some natural ones mixed in. This is why there's such a big price gap, as these petroleum oils and filler materials are far cheaper than natural oils. Josie's ingredients aren't listed on the bottle, so here they are:
Argania Spinosa Kernal (Argan) Oil, Polysorbate-20, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).
Here's Garnier's ingredients:
The Garnier version is also much thinner than Josie Maran's. When I pump it into my hand, and apply it to my face, it tends to run and drip, while Josie's is very thick. The thickness really helps when massaging it onto your face, as it stays put while you work it in and emulsify it.
Garnier's has a very mild pleasant scent, similar to soap or shampoo. Josie's has an orange creamcicle scent that I love which actually comes from the Grapefruit peel oil, so it's a natural scent as opposed to Garnier's which says "perfume" in the middle of the ingredient list.
Now, do they work? Yes, both took off my makeup and cleansed my face without drying it out. But I like Josie Maran's cleansing oil a bit more, due to the natural ingredients and thickness of it which makes it easier to work with. However, it is very expensive, so in a pinch, Garnier's will work just fine. I'm really glad that there's now a drugstore option for cleansing oils!
For an all natural dupe of Josie's that uses Soybean, Sweet Almond and Sunflower Seed Oils, check out this one from the Body Shop- Chamomile Silky Cleansing Oil. It's on sale now for $13.50 (reg $18). Shop The Body Shop
I'll add this to my dupes board on Pinterest since it is a dupe for more expensive cleansing oils.
Have you used oils to wash your face, and if so, do you have a favorite?