OSKIA Perfect Cleanser Review (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

As a lot of you may know, although I’m concerned about what I’m putting into my body I’m also concerned about what I’m putting on it. After all, my skin is my largest organ. I’ve been following an ethical and toxic free beauty regime for over a year or so now and I definitely wouldn’t look back. The majority of the time I’m pretty unglamorous – I wash my face and hair with ghassoul clay and fermented rice water. It may sound gross but it really works so well – so much so that I decided to write about my crazy hippie methods in a blog post on natural skincare on a budget. Although I really enjoy my current skincare ritual sometimes all a gal wants is a little extra TLC. I hate to say it but having a packaged product really does make you feel all that more special. As I’d used the OSKIA Perfect Cleanser in the past with amazing results I decided to contact them and ask for a cheeky sample to photograph and review. I wanted to see if it could beat my current skincare routine, and let’s be honest – being a 34-year-old mum of 3 kids I need all the help I can get, especially if it saves me time getting ready in the morning.

About OSKIA

OSKIA Skincare was founded in 2009 by former food journalist Georgie Cleeve after she found out about the wonderful benefits of MSM (methyl sulphonyl methane).  Her father had been marketing the supplement for decades in order to improve the joints of racehorses. After a skiing accident, Georgie injured her knees and knowing of the benefits she decided to take MSM herself. Much to her surprise, the cartilage in her joints healed rapidly but what she was also surprised to see was that her skin, hair, and nails suddenly looked amazing. It was from that experience that OSKIA was born.

The OSKIA Perfect Cleanser is a nutri-active nourishing cleansing balm with MSM, zinc glycine, vitamins A and E, omegas 3, 6 and 9, and prebiotics. It deeply cleanses, decongests, brightens and restores moisture levels leaving a youthful and brighter appearance making it perfect for all skin types including oily, mature, dry, hormonal, and sensitive skins.

All of OSKIA’s products are vegetarian with a large portion of them being vegan, including the Perfect Cleanser. They are totally against animal testing and also do not sell within China. Although OSKIA uses environmentally friendly processes within their factories such as solar panels and eco paints within their offices, they do still use plastic tubes, however, their site does state that they are trying to phase out which I think is fantastic and can’t wait to see happen. On top of all of this amazing stuff, they also support charities such as Great Ormond Street and Coppa Feel, donating 100% of their profits every Black Friday Sale.

What sets OSKIA apart from most organic and natural beauty brands on the market are that they manufacture their products with the sole purpose of ensuring that the nutrients are more bio-available for the skin and it has taken them 10 years to get it right. Their products are designed to penetrate the deeper levels of the skin and work at a cellular level – all of their bio-nutritional formulations are designed by Georgie and her super team of nutritionists, doctors, dermatologists, and skincare experts. What is truly amazing though is that this is all done in OSKIA’s very own factory and lab in Monmouth, Wales.

OSKIA Perfect Cleanser (125ml), £32.50

The OSKIA Perfect Cleanser is a nutri-active nourishing cleansing balm containing MSM, zinc glycine, vitamins A and E, omegas 3, 6 and 9, and prebiotics. It deeply cleanses, decongests, brightens, rejuvenates, and restores moisture levels leaving skin with a youthful and brighter appearance making it perfect for all skin types including oily, mature, dry, hormonal, and sensitive skins. Its consistency is thick so a little goes a really long way. The product is simply massaged into the skin then a little water is added to turn the product into a milk in order to help lift the impurities away.

The Ingredients

You won’t find anything nasty in here, in fact, you’re not likely to find any ingredients that you can’t pronounce either unless they’re written in Latin of course. All of OSKIA’s products are free from gluten, parabens, petrochemicals, PEGs (petroleum-based compounds), silicones, sodium laureth or lauryl sulphate, phthalates, propylene glycol, and artificial colourants, fragrances, and preservatives. Everything on the ingredients list is 100% natural with the addition of some organic beauties, just take a look:

Organic prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, glycerin, Sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil, decyl oleate, glyceryl stearate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, glyceryl dibehenate, tribehenin, glyceryl caprylate, glyceryl behenate, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, coco glucoside, organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, aqua (water), calendula officinalis flower extract, parfum (natural fragrance), citronellol, geraniol, benzyl alcohol, methyl sulphonyl methane (MSM), zinc glycine, inulin, alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, aleurites moluccana (kukui) seed oil, rosa canina (rosehip) seed oil, tocopherol, and dehydroacetic acid.

So as you can see it’s all pretty Kosher. But if we look a little more in-depth into the 8 super nutrients contained within the product it’s clear to see why it performs so well.

• MSM – OSKIA uses the most bio-available source of sulphur across their entire range. MSM increases collagen and elastin production plus it also has excellent anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. It keeps skin strong, supple and porous.
• Zinc-Glycine – helps to support collagen and elastin production, reduce oil secretion and oxidative stress caused by pollution and other modern-day toxins.  The absorption of zinc is increased by combining with glycine, the smallest amino-acid which can penetrate at a deeper cellular level. It also helps to soothe irritation and redness.
• Vitamin A – derived from Rosehip Oil it helps to keep skin healthy and clear whilst combating infection. It also increases cellular synthesis and collagen production thus reducing signs of ageing.
• Vitamin E – is a super antioxidant that helps to combat free-radical damage and moisturise the skin.
• Omegas 3, 6, and 9 – these Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), derived from the kukui nut oil, shea butter, jojoba, and sesame seed oil, boost the lipid (fat) content of the skin and aid the repair of the skin’s barrier function, protecting delicate skin and increasing its hydration. This, in turn, increases the softness and elasticity of the skin.
• Prebiotics – Oligosaccharides protect the skin’s ecosystem of good bacteria by preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

The Verdict

Every nutrient contained within Oskia’s Perfect Cleanser has a benefit and solution for all skin types, and for me, that’s what makes it so perfect. It means that at any time of the month, or at any season I can whip this out and know that whatever is going on with my skin it will help to keep it all in balance. It doesn’t surprise me that OSKIA is doing so well in the mainstream beauty world, especially with having won over 110 major international skincare awards.

If you’re over 30 this cleanser will be a total lifesaver as it doesn’t dry out your skin and keeps it supple and smooth providing a great base for make-up. It is honestly a cleanser that anyone can use no matter what their skin concern is.

I’ve been using the Perfect Cleanser for 2-3 weeks now without using any of my normal clay or mask routines and I have found that my pores are still pretty clear without it all which is really impressive. You can definitely leave the product on a little longer as a mask too before washing off to inject some extra moisture into your skin and if you give it an ice cold rinse after it closes up the pores nicely. The cleanser has a thick smooth texture with slightly smaller granules of solid oils, upon warming it up on the skin it does smooth out and thankfully has a non-greasy formula. You can rinse the product off just with water or you can opt for a muslin cloth for a little bit more of a deep and exfoliating cleansing experience. I definitely find that using a muslin cloth is useful, especially when removing makeup, and I would highly recommend the Aurelia Weekend Muslin Cloths as they’re super soft, hygienic, and really quick and easy to wash and dry so you can use them the next morning. My only slight complaint is that in the cold the balm does seize up and is hard to squeeze out of the tube and in hot weather, you’ll find that the oils separate and gush out but this can easily be remedied by massaging the tube before opening and dispensing.

The Perfect Cleanser smells amazing due to the natural fragrance and geraniol and citronellol – it’s a sort of sweet, citrusy rose combo that’s almost gourmand but certainly not overwhelming or cloying. A little of this magic balm goes a long way and the whole tube would definitely last me at least 3 months meaning that at just roughly 35p a day I’m able to keep my skin healthy, balanced, and clear. It’s definitely a product comparable to high-end cosmetics such as YSL’s Top Secrets Universal Makeup Remover (minus the toxic ingredients of course) and Neal’s Yard Wild Rose Cleansing Balm, however, I genuinely think that it would last longer and the results are definitely far better than Neal’s Yard’s balm which I felt left my skin a tiny bit on the greasy side. The Perfect Cleanser doesn’t leave your skin greasy but it does provide it with ample moisture so if you don’t suffer from dry or sensitive skin you could probably go without moisturiser every now and then. If you’re over 30 this cleanser will be a total lifesaver as it doesn’t dry out your skin and keeps it supple and smooth providing a great base for make-up. It is honestly a cleanser that anyone can use no matter what their skin concern is.

Does this product live up to my regular ghassoul and rice water routine? Well, actually yes it kind of does and if anything it really helps to lock moisture into my skin. So, would I buy it again? Most definitely. Although I can’t afford to buy myself super swanky products I will definitely buy this in the future when I feel like I need a nice treat, especially in the winter time when my skin starts to dry out a little.

Once I’ve got a little more cash I’d love to give OSKIA’s Renaissance Brightlight a try, an intensive pigmentation and dark spot serum, as after having Anya I’ve ended up with a case of hormonally induced melasma which, as of this summer has taken a turn for the worst. Although I sort of like my unique looking melasma patterns across my forehead, sometimes it can make my face look a little dirty and run down so I’d be interested to see what the results would be. Another product I have my eye on is their Adaptive Tan Mist which is a tri-phasic tanning water which provides a quick healthy glow, boosts melanin, and creates a deeper and longer lasting tan. As I have an olive complexion that’s slightly on the warm side but also super pale, I usually look a little on the orange side or again, a bit dirty and washed out whenever I give self-tanners a go. I’ve heard amazing things about this product so it would be amazing to try out. I’ve tested a few organic/natural tanners but yet to find one that works well for my skin.

If you’d like to get your hands on the amazing OSKIA Perfect Cleanser you can pick it up directly from the OSKIA website for £32.50 or from Content Beauty who currently have it on sale at £27.00! If you’ve tried OSKIA products before please do drop a comment below to share your views. Oh, and to keep up to date with my delicious recipes and informative blog posts be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this is NOT a sponsored post. I was sent out OSKIA’s Perfect Cleanser for my own personal use and to write a review if I wished. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.  If you buy anything from the OSKIA website I will not be at any personal gain. However, if you purchase using any of the affiliate links contained with my post via Content Beauty, it won’t cost you any extra, but I will get a small commission to help keep my blog up and running. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact me.