KORRES – White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser (trial & review)

Let’s be honest here: for the most part, taking off one’s makeup is so NOT fun. While I’ve always done my best to remove all eye makeup before going to bed, I confess that I’ve been less than successful with the face cleansing part – but now that’s all changed thanks to my Korres ‘White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser’. The reason behind this turnaround is simple: this product showed me results as quickly as within 2 days of using it – that’s proof enough for me to change my wicked ways!

*I need to preface things by stating that the photo of the bottle (above) is the original bottle that I was sent for review, which has since been given a facelift, as will be seen later on.

There are several things that have completely won me over in using this cleanser, beginning with the fact that it is made with vegetable-derived soap substitutes that are so incredibly gentle on the skin. The consistency as well, is somewhat alien-like but actually fun to use: feeling cool to the touch, it flows with a medium thick viscosity and bears a rather “slippery” feel, gliding effortlessly across your skin & easily rinsing off at the end with plenty of lukewarm water. According the the company’s fact sheet:

“…the gel with oat proteins rinses off easily, while softening and moisturizing the skin. A combination of oligo-minerals enhances the look of skin energy”

“A natural catalyst composed of trace elements has been selected to provide the valuable “breakfast” for the skin. It is composed of the salts of sodium, magnesium, zinc and manganese salts of Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid (PCA). PCA is a basic ingredient of the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) of the skin, which acts as the essential link between the metabolism of energy, the protein pool and the hydration of the skin”

Known for its well-documented high level of antioxidant properties, white tea differs from other types of tea as it is picked at an earlier phase in its growth cycle and undergoes minimal processing, all resulting in the leaves remaining closer to their natural state. The fresh, pure-smelling “white” and just slightly citrusy scent of this cleanser is enhanced by the inclusion of the white tea extract, and in my opinion, greatly contributes to its general feel-good vibe upon usage.

I should also mention here how much I like this narrow bottle shape, as I find it fits comfortably in the palm of the hand and makes squeezing out the right amount very easy. I was also surprised by how long this one bottle lasted (easily 2 months), as its slender size is rather deceptive and you’d think it would finish rather quickly – it doesn’t, and this was with both myself AND my daughter using it daily. My one complaint was that you needed to completely remove the cap to get to the contents, but that has since been amended with its new flip-top cover. I only wish the company had not changed the bottle colour, going from clear to opaque, as I like to see where I’m at with a product’s usage – taking the guesswork out of wondering when you need to re-stock.

seen in closeup, the concentrated amber look of the product

a more accurate shot of this product’s colour and consistency

the new version of this cleanser in its beige-coloured opaque bottle

totally loving the user friendly flip-top cap on the revamped bottle

convenient fact list

all ingredients clearly indicated

directions printed on box, as well as the bottle

Final thoughts: Upon trying this cleanser out for the first time, I was immediately blown away by how much I enjoyed the “naturally-clean-but-not-skin-stripping” feeling that I was left with, and once this initial bottle was done, let’s just say that I wasted no time in purchasing another. I even convinced my daughter to give it a try and by using this cleanser nightly, her mild acne has all but disappeared! I’ve always hated that stretched-tight feeling left behind with most other cleansers I’ve tried, therefore what really impressed me here was not only the fact that ALL traces of makeup were gently & thoroughly removed, but that my skin felt smooth, soft and hydrated when done. Verdict: my Korres ‘White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser’ is one staple that I refuse to ever be caught without! Available through Sephora and Shopper’s Drugmart/Pharmaprix (in Canada), this product retails for CAD $26.00/200 ml (US $21.00/6.76 fl.oz) and so totally worth every penny (and my new Holy Grail of cleansers)!