Review (1/5): Weird smell and texture, EXTREMELY DRYING
I usually use the foaming enzyme cleanser by eltamd, and it works well for my combination acne-prone skin. My mom ordered this cleanser (which is a different type--the "deep pore facial cleanser") for me by accident.
I was confused to notice that this cleanser has a strong citrus smell and turns into a slippery, bubbly lather on the face--it reminded me of dish soap, and it was difficult to rinse off.
In my blissful ignorance, I thought, "maybe that's just how this version is, and the cleansing effect should still be comparable to my usual cleanser."
I was very, very wrong.
Now I'm sitting here with a face covered in several pumps of moisturizer and Vaseline in an attempt to quell the horrible peeling, cracking, and dryness that has overtaken my face after no more than 4 days of using this cleanser. My skin shedding off of my face. The skin around my mouth is cracked and starting to turn red. I'm leaving gross streaks of dead skin flakes on my clothes and towels. My skin is so sensitive that my moisturizer alone makes it burn intensely. It's a nightmare.
I don't know if all of Eltamd's deep pore cleansers are like this, or if I got defective bottles, but I would NOT classify this as "not overdrying". I couldn't have gotten a harsher drying effect if I just grabbed a bar of Dial and rubbed it on my face.