Institut Esthederm is one of those brands I've been intrigued by for years and never got around to trying, until now. In all honesty, I didn't really 'get' how it all worked, but it's been worth delving into and I've discovered a couple of gems in the Osmoclean range.
Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser is unlike any product I've tried before. Applied to dry skin, it's massaged in until the texture thickens, then rinsed off. Sounds strange, but feels surprisingly gorgeous to use. It takes seconds to thicken and feels rich and creamy with the addition of water. I rinse off any excess and remove the majority with a flannel. It's been around for 30 years, and is still made using the original formula, pretty unusual for any beauty product these days. Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser has been described as a vacuum cleaner to remove impurities from the skin, which it somehow does extremely gently, minimising the look of pores.
Lightening Buffing Mask is a 2 in 1 exfoliator and mask to remove dead skin cells on the skin's surface. It doesn't contain any grains, so again it's super gentle. Left on the skin for a few minutes it draws out impurities with Kaolin (the mask element). By massaging it in and rinsing off (the exfoliating element), it leaves skin looking brighter and more refined.
I've been using these a few times a week for a couple of months now and really enjoy both. Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser is great for mornings (not suitable for removing makeup) and the Lightening Buffing Mask is a good alternative to acids or grainy exfoliants; my skin feels noticeably softer and more velvety after using this.
I enjoy the ritual element of these products and while suitable for all skin types, I think they're a particularly good option for sensitive skins.
