Josie Maran Cleanse and Protect

I've enjoyed the few Josie Maran products I've tried and like that they contain argan oil, so when I saw she had added a cleansing oil and moisturizer with 40+ SPF in the product line, I was excited to try them out.  Even better, I could try deluxe sample sizes in the Cleanse & Protect kit without having to invest in the full size products before knowing if they would work for me.


I'm a fan of cleansing oils, or I should say I'm a fan of DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil, as that's the only one I've used for about 5 years now.  It's my holy grail cleansing oil, hands down.  However, I'm always open to trying new products, because you never know when one will surpass your expectations.  Sadly, Josie Maran's Argan Cleansing Oil wasn't that product for me.  This one is a mixture of five different oils:  sunflower, safflower, argan, grape seed, and olive fruit.  Instructions say to apply over a dry face, then wet face and massage into a rich milk, which is fairly standard for a cleansing oil.  I like to massage the oil around on my face for about 30 seconds prior to wetting.  After rinsing, all traces of makeup and dirt should be gone and your skin should feel clean, non-greasy, and ready for whatever steps your skincare routine calls for.  

The problem here?  This left a greasy residue that rinsing did not get rid of.  It also did not completely remove my eye makeup, in particular my mascara.  I don't use waterproof mascara so that was not the problem, and an oil based cleanser should deal with waterproof mascara anyhow.

I swatched various eye pencils, mascara foundation, blush, and a cream and powder eyeshadow on my hand to give you an idea of how this worked.  After massaging with the oil but not adding water, the foundation, powder eyeshadow, and blush had started to dissolve.  After adding water and massaging some more, the cream shadow and black eye pencil are still present.  Given that I probably rubbed my hands more vigorously than I would my face (particularly my eye area), you begin to see the problem.  This, combined with the greasy residue, makes it a fail for me.  Maybe dry skinned folks will feel differently.

Makeup left after using Argan Cleansing Oil

On the other hand, I liked the Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40+.  My biggest problem with sunscreen is the heavy texture and sheen that they leave behind.  I have oily skin and don't need added shine - I produce plenty on my own.  While the Argan Daily Moisturizer does leave behind a sheen, it mostly dissipates after a few minutes and does not feel heavy on my skin.  I tend to avoid using a separate sunscreen under my makeup because of the heaviness and sheen, but this one may work for me.  I like the high SPF factor and that it contains argan oil, which is supposed to help balance oily skin.  However, if anyone out there knows of a sunscreen that dries matte, please let me know!

Sheen after applying Argain Daily Moisturizer SPF+40

I bought the Josie Maran Cleanse & Protect set at Sephora for $20.