The beauty mogul has just launched two cleansers but are they worth the hefty price tag? We test them out
The concept of double cleansing - first using an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup, SPF and the daily grime, followed by a lighter gel cleanser to thoroughly clean the skin - is not a new one but Victoria Beckham Beauty is now joining the double cleansing gang with the launch of a pair of products.
They are the Daily Oil Cleanse and Daily Lactic Acid Gel Cleanser, £100 for both, and they come as a duo grandly called The Cleansing Protocol. Both contain no added fragrance and have fairly short INCI lists (ie the list of ingredients in cosmetics).
Image: Victoria Beckham
The Daily Oil Cleanser contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants from olive fruit oil, camellia seed oil, avocado oil, shea butter and hydrating rice bran oil.
The Lactic Acid Gel Cleanser contains AHA lactic acid which is one of the most gentle exfoliating acids and works on the surface of the skin to refine, purify and brighten. It also promotes the production of ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier. It is suggested that the oil is used morning and night and the lactic acid gel cleanser just at night, after the oil, to deliver gentle exfoliation.
Image: Victoria Beckham
This is not Victoria Beckham’s first foray into skincare. She already has the Power Serum, £116, and the Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer, £60, that she co-created with skincare brand, Augustinus Bader. The cleansers, however, are more of a solo gig although she has collaborated on them with her longtime personal facialist, Melanie Grant. She has been in charge of Mrs Beckham’s skincare regime for several years and seems to have been a key figure in the formulation and ingredient list. Grant calls double cleansing “the foundation of everything” and starts every facial and treatment this way.
The cleansers follow the successful launch of the Victoria Beckham Beauty perfume collection last autumn; a trio of fine fragrances each inspired by a different memory and moment in Victoria’s life. Her personal life has also played a part with the cleansers. Introducing them on Instagram, she talks about her skincare struggles, having suffered from acne since she was young. She says that after having seen specialists and dermatologists she realised, “cleaning your skin correctly really is the key”. She has tried lots of cleansers and they either irritated her skin or dried it out, making it feel and look worse.This is what led her to create her own. "These are the secret weapons that have really helped my skin," she says.
Victoria Beckham Daily Cleansing Protocol: our verdict
Packaging
It’s hard not to judge a product by its packaging and I really liked the tortoiseshell print and VB embossed bottles. They feel weighty and the plastic pump bottles are easy to use and very practical (nobody wants a glass bottle in the bathroom). However, I was surprised they don’t come with a cloth or a muslin to remove the product with. Most expensive cleansers do and I think a bit of VB-branded cleansing merch wouldn’t have gone amiss.
The Daily Oil Cleanser
I needed four squirts to massage all over my face. I used it on my eyes and it didn’t sting. (I notice VB doesn’t use it on her eyes in her Instagram demo which I’m guessing is because she has eyelash extensions.) It turns to a slight milky consistency when water is added and I do think you need to use a cloth to remove it properly. There is no added scent in the products to keep a ‘clean’ ingredient list, which also makes it suitable for more skin types, but I find it hard to get excited about something that doesn’t smell of anything. However, it left my skin feeling soft and plump.
The Daily Lactic Acid Gel Cleanser
A couple of squirts were all that was required and it foams up a bit, you massage it all over and rinse away. Again it left my skin feeling very soft and hydrated however the smell is something I wrestled with - it has a very acidic scent. In her Instagram video VB says she can smell rose and that ‘it smells so good’. That was not my experience and for the price tag and for a product that is being washed down the plughole, that’s slightly jarring.
The big question though is should you buy them? If you have £100 burning a hole in your pocket and you need two new cleansers then, by all means, go ahead. They are nice and will do exactly what you need them to.
However, can I suggest an alternative?
Buy two cheaper cleansers - Cerave SA Smoothing Cleanser, £14.50, is a great lactic acid-based cleanser and the Beauty Pie Japanfusion Pure Transforming Cleanser, £10 is an excellent oil-based one. Then use the change to buy a couple of the Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner, £30, some of the best eyeliners I have ever used. Or the Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer in Golden, £60, which hydrates, gives skin an instant golden glow and leaves a lovely velvety finish.