Rationale Catalyst Cleanser Review Part 2

1 Review

1. 

   sadPup0

   Reply

   Both cleansers are suspended in rosewater(so much for skin identical), now for the formula of the Catalyst cleanser. In my previous review for this cleanser (please find it in my reviews) I stated that Rationale is against foaming detergent cleansers. Now looky here! Just one good thorough look at the ingredient listing for this product reveals Lo and Behold! Detergents! Surfactants! The very thing they are against! Unbelievable! This cleanser absolutely contains detergents/surfactants! (remember these names are used interchangeably).

   The detergents used are Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids(detergent), Decyl Glucoside and Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate. All of these are surfactants/detergents! Albeit gentle ones with mild yet efficient cleansing ability. My point is that this cleanser absolutely contains detergent cleansing agents. So it is very misleading for Rationale to purport the idea that foaming detergent cleansers are harmful, when their own cleanser contains these very ingredients. For someone so dedicated to formulation science and “what works” in skin care, it is very startling to plainly see this glaring contradiction coming from someone so prominent in his field. At the very least Richard Parker and his marketing team could have at least elaborated on the levels of cleansing power among surfactant/detergent ingredients. Not to give a blanket statement and state that all detergent cleansers are a no go zone. Very very foolish. The most gentle water soluble cleansers on the market, and one’s recommended by Dermatologists time and time again happen to be from the drugstore/pharmacy.

   Like the ProCeramide Emulsion Preparatory Cleanser this Catalyst cleanser contains all the usual amino acids, phytosphingosines, ceramides, gluconates, the FSS Fruit Mix I mentioned in my first review of this product along with several irritating essential oils and australian botanic plant extracts. The cleansers texture is that of a light transparent gel and foams (that’s right foams!) gently and cleanses my skin quite well without any dryness or irritation. I personally cannot use essential oils as I find (in particular the citrus kind) that they almost always give me pimples and the residual scarring from the post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is just not worth the risk. However in a rinse off product such as this cleanser I don’t believe it should be a problem and I’ve had no problems with it.

   The pump dispenser is identical to that of the ProCeramide Cleanser and can be easily used, packaging is futuristic style cubism with red clement font. It forms as part of a trio dedicated to problem blemish prone oily skins, the rest of the routine being the Catalyst Serum (step 5 in the essential six regimen) and the Catalyst Gel Creme, both textures and ingredient listings mimicking the formula of the cleanser without their detergent cleansing agents, obviously.

   I will not be repurchasing this cleanser again as I do not believe in spending a lot of money on cleansers, they have to be good quality and well formulated ofcourse but to pay over 15 dollars for a gentle cleanser is ludicrous. A cleanser is only on your skin for a few seconds to a minute and is then rinsed down the drain. Your rinsing money down the drain! A great affordable cleanser as an alternative to this one is QV gentle wash or Terry White Chemist’s own brand 24 skin wash. Both formulas are gentle, well formulated, colour and fragrance free, contain no soap constituents and the synthetic detergent agents they use are indeed gentle and remove a full face of makeup and impurities very well.

   I wish I could post my reviews or leave feedback for Rationale, this however is not possible as there is no way for me to do this on their website, all you see is glowing adulating testimonials that they’ve hand picked and placed on their website, very dishonest in my opinion.