A giveaway and a more in-depth review of the YULI Halcyon Cleanser were both definitely due. I have been raving about it for some time, but it was not love at first use as with other Yuli products. At first I used it a few times a week; then, it became my backup cleanser; and finally, it became a favorite.
The texture is gel-like, but on the thin side and a bit runny. It is so light that it feels like cleansing with water. In contact with water or damp skin it lathers, but just a bit. I don’t want you to imagine a stripping, high-foam cleanser because this is absolutely not that. In fact, it is free of any harsh detergents, sulfates, soap bases, alcohol, and chemical surfactants. Yuli recommends 2-3 pumps onto damp skin, but I am not able to get away with such little product, and I usually use between 5-8 pumps of cleanser for each use. I massage it into the skin, then wet the tips of my fingers and continue to massage it all over my face. Then I leave it on for a few seconds and rinse it off with lukewarm water. It rinses off completely, leaving no residue behind. Afterward, my skin feels deeply cleansed, but not dry and not irritated.
Being a more convenient way to cleanse compared to a cream, oil, or balm cleanser, this is my favorite morning option. No need for wiping with a face towel. It’s quick, easy, and efficient. At night, I usually opt for a cleansing oil if I am wearing makeup, or a cleansing balm if I am in the mood to spend some time massaging my face (or if I have watched some Lisa Eldridge videos and stumbled onto her face massaging routine).
As you would expect from YULI if you are familiar with their products, the formula includes key botanical ingredients, such as:
Papaya and Pineapple Enzymes, to provide gentle exfoliation and refine the texture of the skin. Colloidal Peptides, to create a gentle emulsifying action that removes debris, grime, excess oils. Zeolite Clay, to detoxify the skin. An Herbal infusion of Red Clover, Green Tea Leaf, Red Algae, Chickweed, and Sweet Olive Flower, to provide the skin with antioxidants, vitamins, and phyto-nutrients that calm it, nourish it, and regenerate it.
H. italicum/L. angustifolia hydrosol blend*, herbal infusion of (T.pratense*, C. sinensis*, S. media, Z. officinale*, O. fragans), D-aloe barbadensis,vegetable glycerine, sodium cocoyl isethionate (vegetable source), peptides derived from Amaranth protein, jojoba ester*, Rhodophyta (Red Algae) ferment, G.lucidum (Reishi) tincture*, zeolite, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), vitamin C ester, biodynamic fruit enzymes, petitgrain sur fleurs oil*, bergamot (bergaptene-free) oil*, collidal silver * Organic
As I said, this was one of the few YULI products that I did not immediately like, but to be honest, it’s not that I really did not like it. After a very long time of using cleansing oils, balms, creams, and milks I was simply no longer used to this type of cleanser anymore. I was also a little brain-washed. I thought that a cleansing gel would be stripping, drying, and blah blah blah <insert all the things we hear from others and automatically believe>. I do still prefer cream, balm, and cleansing oils when I wear makeup, especially if I wear more makeup than usual, but this is perfect for morning cleanse and evening second cleanse after makeup removal. For the reference, my skin is combination (oily T-zone, but very delicate overall), and I think that this cleanser could work well for any skin type, as long as your skin agrees with all the ingredients and is not sensitive to any of them.
Available at YÜLI Skincare.