Seeing as I have just spent far too much money on the Deciem Black Friday sale, I thought it was high time I reviewed something I have been using from their range before I receive my whole new bunch of goodies. Deciem was founded in 2013 in Canada and currently owns 10 brands spanning skincare, haircare, health supplements, makeup, and more. Their focus is to provide products of the highest quality whilst not being defined by price or distribution channels, which has definitely shaken up the norm in the beauty industry. Hylamide is a middle of the range brand from Deciem, falling in between NIOD and The Ordinary in terms of price, focusing on skincare and makeup enhancing products. The High-Efficiency Face Cleanser is the first product that I have tried from the Hylamide range.
The High-Efficiency Face Cleaner promises to cleanse the skin and remove makeup. It also promises to balance the skin, purify pores, and provide surface hydration.
I apply this cleanser to a dry face as a first cleanse to remove makeup. It is a liquid consistency that is very runny and much less viscous than comparable oil cleansers that I have used. It is clear and slightly oily with no discernible scent and feels very close to water on the skin. A five cent piece sized amount is more than sufficient and very easily dissolves all makeup (although I don't wear waterproof mascara so have not tested it on that). It does not leave the skin uncomfortable or dry, and although I always apply a moisturiser after cleansing this cleanser doesn't make me race to rehydrate my skin.
I have never used an oil cleanser that dissolves makeup so easily and quickly! Other balm and oil cleansers that I have used have been a bit thicker and required massage to remove makeup, whereas a quick swipe of this cleanser over the face seems to dissolve makeup instantly. I don't love the feel of this on my skin when I use it, possibly because it dissolves makeup so quickly that my face immediately feels dirty. For this reason, I use this cleanser exclusively to remove makeup and not as a second cleanse on bare skin. I always remove my cleansers with a flannel, however the beauty of this cleanser is that you can remove with water only so it would be great for travelling. I'm guessing someone who loves micellar water to remove makeup would probably enjoy this cleanser because it has a similar feel to a micellar water to me.
This is packaged in a plastic bottle with a screw top nozzle. I like the plastic packaging, mainly because I've knocked one too many cleansers off my bathroom counter with disastrous results. The screw top nozzle I can take or leave. Because this cleanser is so liquid, you have to transfer the product straight to your face otherwise you'll end up with it dripping down your arm, and so more often than not the lid is left open which is not ideal. Some sort of pump packaging would be easier.
The formula is water-, alcohol-, and silicone-free. The full ingredients list includes cetyl ethylhexanoate, peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate, bisabolol, bataua palm oil, Brazil nut oil, Inca nut oil, crambe seed oil, jojoba oil, tomato fruit extract, karanja seed oil, squalane, ethylhexyl stearate, tocopherol, phenoxyethanol, and chlorphenesin.
Price: $29.95 (Deciem website) [$0.25/mL]
Rate: efficacy, no fragrance, plastic packaging
Hate: screw top nozzle packaging, feel on skin
Verdict: I've enjoyed other oil and balm cleansers more than this so probably not a repurchase for me despite how effective it is
