After 8 months, I finally finished up this perfect cleanser!
Just like how reading is fundamental, cleansing is a fundamental step for any skincare routine. It helps clear out your pores, remove any makeup, and establish a fresh foundation for your next skincare steps. Some people love to double cleanse; others prefer to single cleanse. To be completely honest, I fall into the latter category of single cleansing because it is just so much simpler since I do not wear heavy makeup or SPF daily. Typically, I use a thick cleanser that removes makeup as well, so it provides double-duty.
So what is this perfection-in-a-bottle named? Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser. A mouthful of a name, for sure! At $38, it is certainly one of the most pricey cleansers I have used [full disclosure: I received this as a PR product last year]. Given that it sells out multiple times a year, it is safe to say that this is a crowd favorite as well.
Why I Like It
Gorgeous lather: When you dispense the product, it is a lovely orange color, which you can use on dry skin to remove makeup much more thoroughly. Adding in a bit of water helps emulsify the product and it becomes a rich, lovely lather. It is truly so bubbly and I am obsessed!
Hydration in a cleanser: One of my biggest concerns with cleansers is stripping. I hate it when my face feels like it is raw or beaten up after a cleanser. That might sound dramatic, but you can also tell when you move your jaw around and feel tightness around your skin. That’s also a non-ideal situation. You want to remove ‘impurities’ from your skin during cleansing but you do not want to damage your skin barrier. And that tightness is suggestive of a compromised skin barrier. It is not ideal.
A squeaky clean: I might be the only person in the world who loves this, but I love it when my skin feels squeaky clean after a cleanse. Like I want it to feel like there is no oil left. There’s a fine line between squeaky clean and stripped skin. But this product toes that line like a proper expert! I never have tightness on my skin; I only feel an amazing cleanse.
I am a self-proclaimed Allies of Skin addict. It’s a real problem.
The Ingredients
Hyaluronic acid: a hydrator, obviously. We all know about this already! Adding it in for your cleanser might feel excessive because it is literally getting washed down the drain. However, having hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture on your face since not all of it is getting washed down the drain. Some of it sticks on your skin, preventing the overly dry feeling that I hate!
Silk amino acids: antioxidant that gives nutrients and a little bit of hydration. Does it need to be from silk? No. Amino acids are the base of any protein or peptide; they are found in every living organism (and even viruses). Does it sound fancy? Absolutely. Does it help command a $38 price tag? Yes, sir!
Safflower and moringa oils: These are going to help with removing the hydrophobic makeup or SPF that is on your face. Because these are oil components, they serve double duty of solubilizing the hydrophobic compounds and also moisturizing your skin. Your skin loves fats and oils, after all. And this is another set of oils that your skin will drink up! Add another point to the tally for not stripping your skin.
Ethylated L-ascorbic acid: Also known as Vitamin C, ethylated L-ascorbic acid is a stabilized form of Vitamin C, meaning that it will not be oxidized as readily as your generic ascorbic acid. And yes, we want to make sure that the Vitamin C is not oxidized, so that it can give the full antioxidant potential.
Lactic acid: A nice AHA to add in for a little exfoliation. We all know the importance of exfoliation—it helps remove the dead skin cells by chemically cleaving their molecular linkages. This helps reveal your healthiest skin below. Lactic acid is a middle-of-the-ingredient-list ingredient, meaning that it is likely not at too high of a percentage. I have used this daily with no sensitivity issues. In contrast, if I use a lactic acid serum nightly, I always have redness, bumps, and sensitivity issues. So I think this is a tolerable, lower percentage that is great for daily use during cleansing. Plus, it is on there for such a shorter amount of time than a serum would be.
The Verdict
Yes, I clearly love this cleanser. If you did not read the title, this is my favorite cleanser ever. Worth $38? Yes. I used The Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser daily for approximately 8 months. You need such a small amount and it really does last forever.
Forever sold out…
Am I buying this again? At the moment, I am not because it is sold out again (of course!) and also because I need to get through so many more cleansers that I have. Will I miss this cleanser? Ab-so-lute-ly!
Do I have a more affordable recommendation? I already talked about how I enjoy using the Otzi Crystal Nova Gentle Makeup Removing Cleanser. I recently received a full size bottle of it and I was SHOCKED. It is a MASSIVE 300 ml/10.14 oz fill size, which is absolutely insane. It is a huge bottle that you get for $25. Is that a good deal? Yes! I find that this cleanser does a really good job of cleansing, but it does fall on the side of more stripping than the Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser does. But to be honest, for the price, can I really be that mad? No, I literally cannot be. It’s a steal, and I truly have no clue how long this cleanser will last. I guess we will see when I post about it!