Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I asked about cheap moisturizers the other day, but now I'm wondering if any of you guys have any inexpensive facial cleansers you'd recommend. Cheap meaning around/under $10 for 4 oz or more. For normal/combination skin. Any suggestions?

Trader Joe's is your friend for this type of stuff. Also the Yes To line has some vegan options but the fragrance (or something) bothered my skin. I use olive oil + castor oil to clean my skin in the morning...At night I use a cleanser that is vegan from Costco (forgot the brand) - it was like $12 for a huge bottle...

The internets tell me that Cetaphil's ingredients are vegan, so I just buy the store brand Cetaphil from places that don't test, usually Target or CVS. It doesn't break me out, it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight, it's nice and basic and I'm a fan. If you find a store brand that has the pump top, when it's empty hang onto the pump, so far I've found that the pump top seems to be compatible with all the store brand Cetaphil packaging across brands, which is awesome.

Hah, funny you should suggest that because I am totally guilty of hoarding old soap pumps. I actually just culled my collection about half an hour ago. But that is a good suggestion because I know that some of them don't come with a pump.

I just keep my generic Cetaphil pump, and my generic baby wash pump (don't know if it's vegan, but baby wash is the only body soap that doesn't irritate my skin). I have a cheap refillable hand soap pump that I fill with White Rain shampoo from the dollar store, because again, I'm cheap, but for shampoos and conditioners I switch what I use too often for pump hoarding to be useful.

In my honest opinion, you would be better off splurging a little more on a good product that will last you longer. I get a little 4oz bottle of moisturizer for 15.99, but it's vegan, chemical and paraben free, and one bottle lasts me at least 9 months with twice a day use without fail. If something works really well, you don't need to use nearly as much.

The same place has cleansers for the same price. One bottle of cleanser with proper use will last you around 9 months (about the size of a pea, twice a day)

http://terrafirmacosmetics.com/

Wooooortttthhh iiiiiitt.

Well, I'll agree with you that it's pointless to spend any money at all on a product that isn't good, and I don't think $16 for 4 oz is crazily expensive or anything (the one I've been using for years and years costs about that much for a similar amount). But I'm sure there are cheaper options out there that work very well, which is why I'm curious what other people use. Also, I think how long a bottle of cleanser lasts also depends on the consistency of the product and, to be frank, the size of your face! Personally I've found that it takes me about 4-5 months to go through 7oz of my current cleanser.


I love the idea of oil cleansing because it's so basic and fairly inexpensive, but unfortunately my skin has freaked out when I've tried it. And you're not alone with the 'Yes To' line being irritating... I used something from the Blueberry line and my skin broke out badly. Also, I think their blueberry scent kind of smells like mildew blended with buttsweat. The cucumber ones smell better to me. It's nice that they specify which products are/aren't vegan in their FAQ though.

Ugh, Yes To Carrots (I think) broke my skin out worse than anything I've ever used. So disappointed.

The problem I have with less expensive cleansers like Clearasil is the parabens. They are pretty nasty. Doctor Bonners isn't a bad way to go if you're thinking economically, though. You can clean everything with one bottle.

This is going to sound weird, but I use California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo and Bodywash as a face wash, and it's awesome. It's meant as an all purpose cleaner for babies, but it turns out to be a great facial wash for adults too. I have combination skin that is quite sensitive, and it's good at cleaning the greasy areas without drying out the rest of my face. Plus, it's tear free, so it's great for getting eye makeup off as well. It's about $11 for 8.5 oz at Target (in the baby section).

I've been using st ives cleanser. works fine, and it sometimes goes on BOGO, so you can get it for like 4 bucks a pop.

the same for avalon's sea something scrub. BOGOs on that seem to only happen at rite aid.

For me personally, the safe natural good for you cleansers all break me out with incredibly deep painful cystic acne. I also tried oil cleansing with jojoba oil and it seemed like my pores were getting bigger. The research on parabens is inconclusive, so I'd rather use something like Cetaphil that works well for me and for my husband who has issues with really bad dry flaking skin that doesn't respond well to anything else, but has an ingredient that maybe might be possibly unsafe, than something "safe" that irritates my skin.
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/parabens-ar ... oblem.aspx

St. Ives? Like the apricot scrub? That's what I used as a teenager. It's interesting to see which products have lasting power and which ones disappear. This reminds me of how I used to steal my sister's "date night" shampoo, a ridiculously fragrant one called "Outrageous!" that ceased to exist a long time ago. Actually, I just Googled it and apparently it's still sold in Canada? Weird. The bottle's totally different though, and my sister's been married for over a decade so I don't know if she has special romance shampoo anymore. Oh, the joys of tangential thought.


That doesn't sound weird at all! I wouldn't have even thought to try baby wash but it totally makes sense for sensitive skin.

outrageous. i wonder if jem used it.

this is the cleanser i use most of the time http://www.stives.com/Facial-Products/N ... -Cleanser/ i don't think i've ever used the apricot scrub, and if i did, i must not have liked it.
i bet the salicylic acid is what makes my skin mostly happy when i use it.

This was, I believe, Agree in the US. Amirite? ("turn up the volume, with agree!!" anyone who lived in the NY area and listened to Z100 should know what i'm talking about)

Andalou Naturals has a really nice gel cleanser, it's around $8 for 6oz. at white rabbit beauty...iherb has it for $9:) i was using mychelle cleansers & iherb always has them 20% off, this one is similar but you get more for less $$. my boyfriend has a st. ives green tea scrub but i couldn't handle the fragrance.

I have been watching my old childhood shows lately - Jem is on Netflix - yay!

dickinsons witch hazel has face cleansers now! walgreens carries them. we tried the cleansing gel & it's pretty good. they were on sale for $2.99, but i think the regular price is $6-7. some bottles have a rebate card on them, too:)

I do not skimp on toner or moisturizer, but my favorite cleanser is the Kiss My Face olive oil bar. I've never found anything that I like better, and it certainly is cheap!

I have very sensitive skin.

I really like Alba's Sea Lettuce Cleansing Milk- about $10 a bottle (6 oz?). It's really gentle, but the gel version is good too if your skin is a little oilier or not quite as sensitive.

http://www.albabotanica.com/face/cleans ... -milk.html

So I ended up trying the gel version of this one. I like the consistency and the way it makes my skin feel after, though in the winter I think I'd need something more moisturizing (perhaps the milky one?) My only complaint is the smell... it's not terrible, just sort of weird. It's like a cross between "Ocean" scented candles and that really cheap liquid hand soap you sometimes get in office buildings/schools etc. My skin feels nice though!