Philosophy Purity Cleanser: A Fan Favorite is Total Crap!

I know I'm in the minority here and I accept that, because I stand by my belief that Philosophy's Purity cleanser is not the wonderful, amazing, product that everyone worships at the alter of skin care. I admit, I once was blind but now I totally see. Because I used to use this stuff and  I too thought it was pretty great in that it removed waterproof eye makeup like nobodies business. Failing to see the error of my ways at the time, I also looked past the fact that my skin felt tight after I used it. My skin must just be super clean, I rationalized. Until a group of ladies at Sephora helped to open my eyes to the harsh reality: Purity cleanser is just way too harsh.


Having shared with the Sephora girls that I use Purity and I love it was one thing but when I shared with them that I use it on my eye area and to remove my eye make-up, they all gasped in horror and disbelief. No!! You can't use this stuff on your eye area! Use a water-based eye make-up remover instead and save yourself a few of those precious layers of delicate skin! Like a lightbulb went off in my head, I suddenly got it.


IF A CLEANSER IS HARSH ENOUGH TO CUT THROUGH LAYERS OF WATERPROOF MASCARA AND EYELINER, IT IS WAY TOO HARSH FOR THE THIN AND DELICATE SKIN SURROUNDING YOUR EYES!


I felt like a total tourist in the city of skin care. How didn't I put this super obvious bit of info together myself? Oh well, better late than never, I thought.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the word "melt" when talking about my eye area.

So I became curious about what was in this stuff and I came across several comments that echoed this important point by explaining that Purity contains some element that is used in dish detergents. Now, Philosophy claims that its product contains no harsh detergents or skin irritants and this may be true but does that mean it doesn't contain any ingredient whatsoever that is used in a detergent? Probably not.

Here is another tip for you that is useful for any cleansing routine and not just one that involved the skin-stripping Purity cleanser:

IF YOUR SKIN FEELS TIGHT AFTER CLEANSING, IT MEANS THAT YOUR CLEANSER IS TOO HARSH!

Purity is a nightmare for dry skin. Plain and simple. Those with oily skin may be able to get away with using it and loving it, but please, for the love of all things good and pure, do not use it around the eyes or as your eye make-up removing mechanism.

Which brings me to why people are doing cartwheels for this junk: It is a face cleanser that can remove eye makeup. Thus eliminating the need for a separate product for this time consuming and energy depleting task. So, if it wasn't for the fact that it dissolves waterproof mascara in a single bound, would anyone out there love it just as much?

Do yourself a favor when choosing an alternative, use a water-based over an oil-based eye make-up remover. It may not cut through and dissolve it as quickly but it will save your thin skin some grief over the years. Apply the remover, let it dissolve for a minute or so, and then wipe away. Preferably with one of those packages of pre-moistened wipes made by Ponds, Olay, etc. In doing so, you are eliminating any unneccessary tugging at the eye area that can happen when using something dry to wipe off the make-up debris.

Again, this is a review based on my opinion and is not intended to offend any lovers of the product. But give it some thought, especially the point about using something around your eyes that is so potent and so harsh that it can cut right through any eye makeup you are wearing.

I know, I know, you love Purity. It works great with your Clarisonic, right?! So does Cetaphil and its much cheaper and accessible. Personally, I use the Obagi Gentle Face Cleanser that is soap-free. Reason being, I have dry and sensitive skin. Philosophy Purity, with prolonged usage, would have stripped my Epidermis, Dermis, and any other fancy word for skin right down to my skeletal frame.