Paul and Joe Beaute Deep Cleansing Milk｜The Culprit For My Skin Acne

My first encounter with Paul & Joe was literally a love at first sight. The elegant packaging along with a hint of lovely sweet scent instantly brought out my inner girly girl. And the products did not disappoint either. Ever since then, I've fallen head over heels with this brand. Unfortunately, like many relationships, I've hit the 7 years itch. I'm having no luck with its products lately, and this really frustrates me. 

I had just finished my stable facial cleanser when I purchased the Paul & Joe Deep Cleansing Milk ($32.00 for 200ml). The product description sounds like the perfect solution for me because I needed something that is gentle for daily usage but is also strong enough to remove makeup. It's said to combine the effects of an oil cleanser with a milk cleanser. Wow! Sounds like a match made in heaven. 

Take a quarter size of the product and spread it over dry skin. The rich and milky texture feels amazing, and the luxurious cleanser immediately melts away on the skin. This would be great for dry or sensitive skin because it's gentle and non-abrasive. Then rinse clean with water. 

Now, let's put the cleanser to test. To evaluate its cleansing power, I had summoned a few makeup items.

The products I used are

1. Tarte EmphasEYES™ Eye Pencil 
2. Almay Intense i-Color™ Liquid Liner 
3. Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash (waterproof) 
4. Maybelline Mineral Power™ Natural Perfecting Concealer 
5. Tarina Tarantino Magic Hour Cream Shadow

And now let's see the result. The cleansing milk is pretty much useless when it comes to eye makeup and waterproof products. It got rid of most of the concealer and cream shadow, but a closer look revealed residues still on my skin. Seeing this disappointing result, I thought may be this cleanser is not meant to handle heavy makeup. So, I tried it out with my almost bare face with tiny bit of foundation and a non-waterproof eyeliner. Unfortunately, the dissatisfying result was the same. But, I'm definitely not giving up. To give this another try,  I used it as a regular face wash, and it still didn't work for me. The cleansing milk leaves an uncomfortable and weird feeling on my skin no matter how many times I tried to wash it away. It's not really an oily feeling but more like this strange film on my face. 

Then the worst nightmare is when I woke up the next morning with 2 large pimples on my face, and I have found the culprit. Half of the ingredients in this product is unacceptable for body care at Whole Foods Market, and along with tons of paraben, this is quite unpleasant.

It's just disheartening to see a brand charges a high price tag but fills the product with cheap fillers and harmful ingredients. So this cleanser is definitely going into my trashcan because its only positive features are the smooth texture and the signature orange scent. But these can not justify slapping on chemical on my skin that does not deliver its promised result and gives no skincare benefits. 

Angela