La Mav Cleansing Products in this review
I was gifted a few La Mav products a few months ago and have had the opportunity to test these three La Mav Cleansing products for about 4 months. I note that after I was sent these products, La Mav went through a repackaging in Feb 2021 and introduced some new products while discontinuing others.
In full disclosure, I may not have used them every day, but I would estimate that I did use it fairly extensively during that time period and I am comfortable to provide my opinions on these products.
I have sensitive, combination acne-prone skin. La Mav has its own webstore/website and I have linked the products reviewed below.
The products reviewed in this article are:
Sweet Orange Balancing Cleanser (part of the Purify & Clean range) RRPAUD35 for 100ml
Marula Face Cleansing Oil (part of the Gentle & Clean range) NOW called " Marula Oil Cleanser" (same formula) RRPAUD39 for 80ml
Purifying Toner: Pore refining for oily skin ( also part of the Purify & Clean range) NOW discontinued but still available if you look online or in shops. RRPAUD39 for100ml
They are all certified organic, vegan and cruelty-free.
In each formula, there are:
NO Petrochemicals
NO Synthetics
NO Parabens
NO Sodium Benzoate
NO Talc
NO Artificial fragrances
NO Artificial colours
NO EDTA-based agents
NO Polysorbates
NO Sodium lauryl sulphate
NO Ammonium lauryl sulphate
NO Sodium laureth sulphate
NO Ammonium laureth sulphate
NO Polyethylene glycol
NO Ethanolamides
NO GMOs
About La Mav - Organic Skin Science
First, a little about the brand. La Mav is the World's FIRST Certified Organic skincare range infused with scientifically-proven bio-actives. La Mav is an Australian brand. La Mav takes a holistic view of inner and outer beauty. Another interesting thing is that they "hand blend in small batches" - providing for better quality control.
"La Mav Organic Skin Science came into being after years of research, focusing on beautifully blending ancient natural wisdom and modern science. La Mav’s high quality and luxurious skin care is inspired by skin science and delivered through nature, for age-defying results with healthy and safe ingredients. La mav's creator, Tarj Mavi, is a true pioneer in the Australian organic skin care industry.
The entire skin care range is certified organic, certified cruelty free, Australian made and guaranteed to be free from harsh chemicals, fillers, talc, sulphates, GM ingredients, parabens, mineral oils, phthalates and artificial colours and fragrances. The richness of the ingredients used, their impeccable quality, and the care with which the Australian laboratories develop the best possible combinations, ensures visible and lasting effectiveness of products for all skin types.
The 100% plant based products consist of antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids, therapeutic grade herbal extracts, carrier oils and very gentle and soothing Essential Oils that provide a potent, result-driven organic alternative for the repair, rejuvenation and restoration of skin at a cellular level. Passionate about the environment, La Mav source ingredients with respect and integrity, searching the world for the most powerful, clinically-proven Bio-Actives and using eco-friendly packaging.
La Mav is proud to be an accredited Organic Processor of Cosmetics and Skincare with the Organic Food Chain (OFC). The Organic Food Chain is accredited with AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) as an Organic Certification Body."
Review of La Mav's Sweet Orange Balancing Cleanser
This product is an Organic Beauty 2021 Award Winner.
The La Mav Sweet Orange Balancing Cleanser is a cleansing gel. It is meant to be deep cleansing, and indicates that it removes excess sebum, makeup and impurities for fresh luminous skin. It is suitable for all skin types and good for acne prone skin too. It contains ingredients that help with anti-aging.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed the natural scent of this product. It smells like juicy sweet oranges with some herbs in the mix. I found that it was a fairly light cleanser. If I was wearing makeup, I felt like I needed to wash my face twice with this (this is noted in the instructions anyway). I particularly enjoyed using this cleanser in the mornings. My skin felt fresh, and looked brighter.
I also felt that my skin felt smoother and softer after using this. You have to use lukewarm water to rinse this off or use a cleansing cloth. This, I found to be a bit troublesome, but simply because, it takes a while for my hot water to kick in.
When I used it every day, for a few weeks, my skin did look smoother and had less acne.
My skin did not feel "tight" after cleansing. As an anti-acne
In terms of the "balancing" aspect, I did notice, dry spots were less dry throughout the day/night and oily spots less oily for a few hours.
It is formulated with only certified organic ingredients (98% of the ingredients) and natural ingredients.
As for its texture, I've provided photos below.
The bio-active ingredients of the La Mav Sweet Orange Balancing Cleanser are:
For cleansing and exfoliation: a concentrated blend of five nourishing botanical extracts—bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, orange and lemon. —AHA Fruit Acids are naturally rich in lactic, glycolic, citric, malic and tartaric acids, to boost the skin and help to combat the effects of premature ageing; including fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation.
Lactic Acid for moisture and to help stimulate collagen production for a more hydrated and plump appearance.
Papaya Fruit Enzyme exfoliates and moisturises the skin (helps cellular turnover and helping to repair damaged, pigmented skin).
High levels of antioxidants—including vitamin A and vitamin C
Desert Lime Fruit Extract, delivering stable and bioavailable vitamin C. Also a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory benefits
Mountain Pepper Leaf Extract, a native Australian bio-active that boasts incredible purifying, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. It purifies the skin and enhances its natural radiance.76y
Aloe Vera Leaf Juice to calm and sooth the skin
Natural glycerin restores moisture levels.
The full list of ingredients are:
*Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Decyl Glucoside, *Glycerin, *Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, *Tasmannia Lanceolata (Mountain Pepper) Leaf Extract, *Citrus Glauca (Desert Lime) Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aqua, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, *Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, *Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil.
* Australian certified organic ingredients.
It is a light gel.
If you leave it on the skin, it settles into a slightly sticky gel. Not unpleasant. I do this sometimes to see if the formula might be "drying". Definitely not the case here.
It does ever so slightly foam up. If you use one pump, you get a kind of milky jelly texture (see photo above). When I use it with my clarisonic or foreo, I found that it foamed up a bit. I've noted this as some have a preference for foaming cleansers. This is definitely not in that category.
Review of La Mav's Marula Oil Cleanser
The La Mav Marula Oil Cleanser is designed to remove makeup and impurities. It is also meant to be moisturising. From the bio-actives ingredients list below, you can see it is a rather potent blend of lots of oils known for nourishing, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory properties.
My thoughts:
Scent wise, I could smell the citrus oils and the almond oil. It had this slightly sweet almond oil smell as its prevailing scent. You apply this on your dry face (like all oil cleansers) and add a bit of water to work it up to a milky emulsion. It did well to remove foundation and concealer. It took more to remove eye makeup and lip makeup. The texture was a bit thick and I must admit I struggled using this on cooler days (it's all natural ingredients and hence colder days mean thicker oils). On cooler days, it was hard to wash this off with lukewarm water. I had to use really warm water. On days like these, I found that i was better off removing it with a hot face towel. The oil just clung to my face and hands. I had to use the La Mav Sweet Orange Balancing Cleanser ("gel cleanser") to wash it off to a point where I felt my skin was not "oily".
On warmer days, it was slightly easier to wash off, though I found that it was best to use a face cloth soaked in lukewarm water. On some days, it would wash off fairly clean so that I could avoid the gel cleanser step. However, in 10/10 times, I would follow it up with the gel cleanser as I like a double cleanse.
I did do a test, where I used only the Oil Cleanser to see how much makeup was removed, followed with micellar water on a cotton pad. There was a moderate amount of makeup left on the skin that I could see on the cotton pad. The oil cleanser does a good job of breaking down makeup, but I do recommend a double cleanse.
I also did a double cleanse with the Oil Cleanser and the Gel cleanser on days when I did not wear makeup and I liked the combo a lot more. It just left my face feeling so soft and smooth. I didn't use any moisturisers on such such occasions as I felt my skin had all the moisture and nourishment from the combo.
Texture shots are below.
The bio-active ingredients:
Marula Oil contains fatty acids and antioxidants—including vitamins E and C.
Raspberry Seed Oil helps to soothe inflammatory skin conditions. Rich in linoleic acid, essential fatty acids and antioxidants such as vitamin A and vitamin E
Jojoba Oil is a liquid wax that is very similar to our skin’s natural sebum—it penetrates easily and is a natural humectant, helping to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture.
Bergamot Oil and Peru Balm oil cleanses and balances, while stimulating the elimination of dead skin cells.
Camellia and Sweet Almond Oil nourish and condition the skin, helping maintain optimum hydration levels.
Vitamin E helps prevent premature ageing and maintain skin’s youthful glow, firmness and elasticity.
The full list of ingredients:
*Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, *Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, *Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, *Rosa Eglentaria (Rosehip) Seed Oil, *Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, *Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Myroxylon Balsamum Pereirae (Peru Balsam) Balsam Oil, Origanum Majorana (Marjorum) Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract. Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood) Wood Oil.
* Australian certified organic ingredients.
Looks a bit thicker - this was shot when the weather was cooler.
As it warms up on the skin, the oil "loosens" up a bit and you can see it "dripping".
Review of La Mav Purifying Toner
Whilst discontinued, I have seen this still available online/in stores and I quite liked this product so I decided to do a review of it. This was formulated for pore refining for oily skin. It works for oily/combination skin. It is also supposed to help maintain skin's natural ph. Works for dry mature skin as well as congested skin.
This meant to be a duo purpose product. Firstly to tone, and secondly to help maintain skin's natural ph.
My thoughts:
I liked this product! I'm not sure how it compares with its replacement which is now a probiotic toner, but this did wonders for me. Firstly, I loved its refreshing green orange scent. I loved how it made my skin feel cleaner, more refreshed, hydrated and firmer. When I used it continuously for a few weeks, I felt that my skin texture improved, and my pores looked smaller.
I liked to use it by first spritzing it all over my face and neck till it got fairly wet, then I used a cotton pad to wipe it all off.
On days when I used the three products I talk about here, and I did a "michellar water" test, I'm very happy to report that I saw very little makeup/impurities on the micellar water soaked cotton pad. AND THAT MEANS TO ME, that my skin was very clean.
A huge selling point for me was how very fine the toner misted out of the container. I love that nozzle.
Overall, a very refreshing and hydrating product even though it is targeted at refining. On warmer days, I would keep this in the fridge for that extra burst of freshness.
The bio-active ingredients:
Grape Seed and Sugar Cane Extracts act as an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) to purify, exfoliate, and balance pH of the skin.
Aloe Vera Extract and Lavender Water refresh and hydrate dull skin for a healthy glow.
White Tea Extract's powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, help to inhibit the enzymes that break down elastin and collagen.
Bilberry Extract purifies the skin.
The full ingredients list
*Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice; *Glycerin; Polyglyceryl-10 laurate; Aqua, *Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate; Glyceryl Caprylate, Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange) Oil, Saccharum officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, *Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Camellia sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Vitis vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus medica limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, *Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract.
* Australian certified organic ingredients.
I hope you found this very quick review helpful! Drop me an email (tashi@teacupofmakeup.com) or DM me on my Instagram (@teacupofmakeup_bytashijadebell) and let me know what you would like an in-depth review of. I hope you found this review useful. Please do subscribe to my blog so that you get non-obnoxious alerts of new posts. Subscribe by using the box below. Yours Truly with Lots of Love, TeacupOfMakeup. 待会见! 可爱的小茶杯!
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