Teami Gentle Superfood Liquid Cleanser Review
What started out as a company that just sold detox teas has now transformed into a complete skincare and wellness brand. Read my real-life experience with their facewash - Teami Gentle Superfood Cleanser.
The first time I had a breakout I was 12 years old, which means I’ve now been dealing with acne for more than half my life. As painful as that sentence is to my soul, it means that I know thing or two about products that promise results to desperate people like myself, so you can trust that I’m going to tell you the absolute truth.
I first started using Teami products when it was just a tea company, and I was skeptical when they ventured into skincare - mostly because the founder and face of the brand doesn’t seem to have any of my same skincare struggles. Nevertheless, I’m a product junkie so I eventually decided to try out the Green Tea Detox Mask. That one did not disappoint, so I figured there’d be nothing wrong with trying out the cleanser.
My Trial Game is Real
When it comes to skincare, it takes a minimum of 4 weeks to see a difference, and even then it’s only slight (at least for me). To get a real sense of how well (or not) a product is going to work for your skin, you need to give it 3 full months, which is what I did. So I’m going to break down this review by the things that matter most to me:
-the smell/texture
-the ingredients
-the return on my investment (how long the product lasts compared to how much it costs)
-the effectiveness (I realize this should be at the top of the list, but if the first three things don’t check out for me, I won’t stick with whatever it is long enough for it to have a real effect).
Sensory Overload…in a good way!
So the best word to describe the smell is just…clean. It’s very fresh and citrus-y, a combination of lemon, ginger and green apples. It’s not exactly gentle, meaning that it’s not a gentle smell and if you don’t like any of those scents, it might be hard to get past, but I personally love it. It’s like a green smoothie for my face.
The exfoliants in this cleanser are chemical, not physical, so there are no little beads or anything that will give you a “scrubbing” sensation. It feels more like a light gel (think aloe vera) that bubbles up slightly.
What’s in it?
First, it’s worth mentioning that all of the ingredients are vegan, plant-based and cruelty-free. No extra stuff has been added, such as dyes and fragrances, so if that’s important to you (like it is to me and extra delicate skin) then you’ll be happy with this one.
The main ingredient in a lot of facewashes is water, but that’s not the case here. The main, base ingredient is actually aloe leaf juice, which is meant to act as a base moisturizer to keep your skin from being overly dry.
Other awesome ingredients include matcha powder, seaweed and apple extract (which explains the smell), and a hint of turmeric and salicylic acid.
Is it worth the money?
If you’re a Teami subscriber, meaning you get monthly shipments of your favorite products, then it’s $25.59 per bottle. Regular price is $31.99, so you get a small discount. The instructions on the bottle say to use 1-2 pumps, but one pump is a LOT…at least a half dollar size. I just used half a pump each time I washed my face (twice a day) and the bottle lasted about 5 weeks. Is that a whole lot more expensive than a cleanser I can grab at Walmart? Yes. But do I think it’s worth it? Also yes.
Like I mentioned, the other requirements checked out - it smells great and the ingredients are all natural, so now we move on to the question you’re most likely wondering about…
Is it effective?
There is no product on the planet that works miracles, but this one does everything that it promises to do.
I still have acne, but I’ve accepted that it will be with me in one form or another for the rest of my life, so my goal is more to tame it than to cure it. That said, I noticed that this cleanser left my face soft and moisturized. While other cleansers that promise to get rid of acne or control oil leave my face overly dry, this one gave me a beautiful balance.
If your goal is to completely rid your face of acne and you want something that will aggressively take on that battle for you, then this isn’t the right product. But if your goal is to find a gentle cleanser with natural ingredients and no harsh additives, you should definitely give this one a try.
This seems like a good spot to mention that I’m not affiliated with Teami in any way. They don’t pay me, they probably don’t even know I exist, and I don’t make any money off of any of their sales. I just love to pass useful information along.
