#SkincareWeek: Do YOU really need it ? The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash Review

Important as they are, not all facewashes manage to leave a lasting impression. That is why I hardly review face washes. Because The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash is pricey & has gained a lot of popularity, I decided to share my experience with the product.

Did you know that it has a rating of 4 on Beautypedia? That’s the highest rating for a product on the site, it is also featured in their Best Skincare page.

The Body Shop Claims ~ Rich, ultra-mild foam rinses away makeup, impurities and daily grime, leaving skin clean, not tight. Dermatologist approved, clinically proven suitable for sensitive skin.

Ingredients ~ Water, Aloe Barbadensis Gel, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Dimethicone Copolyol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Tocopherol

Aloe Barbadensis Gel is aloe vera leaf juice. It can soothe skin and serves as an anti-inflammatory. It is a great ingredient to have in a product targeted for sensitive skin.

The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash Review Price in India

Product vs Price ~

Price : Rs.695 / $10.5

Qty : 125ml / 4.2 oz [one size only]

Shelf Life : 6 months

Availability : thebodyshop.in | Flipkart | Amazon

My experience with The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash

My skin type : Currently, my skin is normal. It gets dry if I’m not regular with moisturizer (these months are cold after all!). I don’t have sensitive skin, however there are some products that give my skin allergic reactions.

Fragrance ~ It has some kind of soapy fragrance, I’m not able to put a finger on what it is though. Maybe its aloe + soap ? I haven’t smelled aloe before so I can’t say for sure :/

Packaging ~ It comes in a large bottle with a pump. Its liquid in the bottle, but when pumped out, all you get is foam. The bottle is not filled up to the brim, if you can see the level of the cleanser in the bottle from the pictures, that's the level its initially at. One pump is good for daytime, at night I use 1-2 pumps depending on the amount of makeup cleanser I’ve used beforehand.

Texture ~ foamy & very lightweight on the skin. Adding water to it makes it even more foamy

Performance ~ True to its claims, The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash doesn’t leave my skin tight. My skin doesn't feel dry or irritated post wash. However, I’m not so sure about the claims of removing makeup, it certainly isn’t good enough alone for getting rid of waterproof makeup. It cleans my face however, it doesn’t do anything about pimples/blemishes or blackheads/whiteheads. I found that I had to use other products to get rid of breakouts (one of them is the Vichy ThermalSpa Water). So in a way, it doesn’t completely clean grime & impurities from my face, otherwise my pores wouldn’t still be clogged!

Comparision to other face washes I’ve used ~

The only other foaming cleanser I’ve used is the Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser which dries out my skin. I used it when my skin was combination so it was okay back then, but now it literally feels like its stripping the skin. Since its not targeted for sensitive skin, its unfair to compare it to TBS Aloe Facial Wash.

The Just Herbs Silksplash Neem-Orange Rehydrant face wash & its pretty similar to TBS Aloe Facial Wash i.e both are gentle, non drying, don’t do anything about pimples & both have a shelf life of 6 months. Silksplash is gel based & it costs Rs.245 while the Aloe Facial Wash is foam based and lighter on the skin & it costs Rs. 695. Just Herbs products have all natural ingredients & Silksplash is SLS-free unlike the TBS Aloe Cleanser. However, Silksplash has very poor packaging, that’s why I haven’t repurchased it.

I haven’t mentioned them on my blog yet, but the Aromamagic White Tea & Chamomile Face Wash & Himalaya Moisturizing Aloe Vera face wash are pretty great too & they are pocket friendly.

I might repurchase The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash for hot months because its easier to use lightweight products on your skin in warmer months, however, I feel that the Aromamagic White Tea & Chamomile Face Wash will do the job well as its also pretty light weight on the skin! However I haven’t used it long enough to testify to that.

Overall Verdict : 4/5

The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash is definitely a good product, but its not exceptionally great for my skin type. I probably would have appreciated it more if I had sensitive skin. The Body Shop products are cruelty free, and this particular product has been made by paying fair price for the best quality aloe (found in Progreso region of Guatemala). The Body Shop also aids the local schools of that region. That’s why their products are slightly expensive so it doesn’t really hurt when you’re paying for them because of the ethical practices of the company. If you have non-sensitive skin like me, you can probably skip this. But if you'd like to, do try the The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Facial Wash, it won’t disappoint you.

#SkincareWeek is a special series - Each day of the week I'll present you with a new skincare product. 7 skincare products carefully tried & tested out for you! Do check back tomorrow for a new product :)