The first product I tried from Apivita was its express mask. In Hong Kong, the Greek company is most famous for its masks. Right now, it offers an exhaustive range of 22 different types of masks. But today, I’m not going to review its masks. Instead, let’s have a peek at its Creamy Face and Eye Foam Cleanser.
First off, a bit of information about Apivita. The company is most well known for its natural and environmentally friendly skincare products. Below is something I scour from its website:
- Each formula contains up to 100% natural concentrations.
- Water is replaced with plant infusions to boost the products’ antioxidant properties.
- Synthetic ingredients such as parabens, propylene glycol, phtalates, and paraffin are not used in its products.
Okay, let’s see what this Apivita foaming cleanser has to offer!
Cleansing Ability
I was told that the cleanser could remove both eyes and face make-up. I was hooked but doubtful, because I was yet to find a make-up cleanser that can fully remove my mascara without dryness. But after trying it the first time, I am truly sold. Its cleansing ability is simply satisfactory. It can remove my waterproof mascara without stripping off the moisture. I experience no drying or irritation after use. Even though some cleanser happens to run into my eyes, I can wash my eyes immediately without any great amount of discomfort. The formula, though mild, works well for both skin and eyes.
Consistency and Packaging
Its consistency is runny, but still a bit stickier than most milk cleansers I’ve ever used. The cream is vanilla in color and has a medium fruity fragrance. Add a few drops of water, and the cream can foam quite well.
This Apivita cleanser is packaged in a semi-transparent brown plastic bottle. Most cleansers I used in the past were packaged in tubes. It’s hard to tell how much is left. With a see-through bottle, it’s easy to tell when you need to repurchase. The top bump also adds another kind of convenience.
Price
Mine is a giveaway, because I bought something else from the store. The retail price is HK$180 (US$24) for 200 ml. I only use it on make-up days, so 200ml can last quite long a time. From this point of view, it’s a deal for me.
Ingredients
The bottle printing says 93% ingredients are natural. It’s also free of SLES, SLS, mineral oil, silicone, and propylene glycol. Moreover, water is replaced by organic green tea infusion, so there is an added benefit of anti-aging, thanks to the antioxidants from green tea.
This is the ingredient list:
Aqua**, Aqua, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Coco-Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Peg-60 Almond Glycerides, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-9, Lavandula Angustifolia* Extract, Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, Propolis, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camelia Sinensis Leaf*, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Propylparaben, Copper Aspartate, Zinc Aspartate, Manganese Aspartate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol
The cleanser’s most highlighted natural ingredients are lavender and olive (as you can see on the front panel of the cleanser), but I only find these ingredients in the middle of the ingredient list. That may sort of lessen the potency of these two ingredients. Propolis, saponaria, and wheat proteins are some of the other skin-nourishing ingredients.
Parabens and Fragrances
However, I also spot parabens and fragrance on the ingredient list. That’s why I don’t understand why its website says it doesn’t contain paraben. (For this, I must say I’m not good at reading ingredient label, so if anything is wrong, feel free to correct me.)
But then they only appear toward the end of the list. Let’s assume that their concentrations aren’t much. However, if you are anything concerned about the safety of the parabens (namely, methylparaben and propylparaben) used in this Apivita cleanser, you may find this quote from Wikipedia helpful:
“There is no evidence that methylparaben or propylparabens are harmful at concentrations typically used in body care or cosmetics. Methylparaben and propylparaben are considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for food and cosmetic antibacterial preservation.”
As for the fragrance, according to Apivita’s website, orange, mandarin, lemon and grapefruit essential oils are used.
Summary
Apivita Creamy Face and Eye Foam Cleanser is a mild cleanser that can remove make-up on eyes and face without irritation or dryness. It uses green tea infusion as a base to promote antioxidant properties. But it also contains parabens. It uses essential oils as fragrance.
This time, it’s love. Although it isn’t 100% naturally formulated, it does do its job nicely and kills two birds with one stone. Even though it contains parabens, I believe its concentration is low, which wouldn’t be a personal concern.
I was about to scream in excitement when I read that it’s able to remove waterproof(!!) mascara without drying but when I moved on to the ingredients list my excitement kind of subsided. I knew it was too good to be true! It’s very misleading to claim that their products don’t have parabens in it but if you study the ingredients list carefully you can find them in your product… Perhaps the cleanser itself is very good but I don’t like to support a company which is obviously just trying to market their products as natural when it isn’t. I also use an eye make up remover that contains methylparaben but then the product is not labeled as natural cosmetics so I’m okay with it.
Yes, it’s true that it markets the product as natural. But you know a product can be “natural” regardless of the percent of natural ingredients in its formula. From that perspective, the company isn’t much far from the rest of the crowd. What seems wrong is just how it handles that part about the use of paraben. So, we really need to learn how to read the ingredient list for our own benefit. It’s a journey I’m enjoying. I think I’m learning every day.