Breakout Banisher Facial Cleanser by bayberry Naturals

Yes, I'm still fighting breakouts and oily skin at my increasingly advanced age.  On one hand, I'm thinking the oil is helping keep the wrinkles at bay.  On the other, my congested pores are no fun to deal with.  Sigh.

Enter bayberrry Naturals Breakout Banisher Facial Cleanser, which I discovered when  Beauty Sage launched.  This cleanser is supposed to deep clean without being harsh, with activated charcoal to remove dirt and oil from pores and organic botanical extracts to brighten and naturally exfoliate the skin.  Since I will gravitate towards products that use natural and organic ingredients, I was excited to give this a try!  Plus, I enjoy trying new product lines, and bayberry Naturals just launched in 2011.

bayberry Naturals Breakout Banisher Facial Cleanser

Here is what I know about charcoal:  among other things, it's used to filter water and to remove remaining toxins after stomach pumping.  So yes, it's got some proven toxin removing capabilities.   Plus, how cool is a blackened cleanser? 

I've been using this for over a month now, and I like it!  The smell is a bit sharp but not unpleasant - I can definitely smell the lavender.  I use a cleansing oil to remove makeup and then the Breakout Banisher, and my skin does not feel stripped or tight afterwards.  I've used about 1/4 of the bottle in a month (I use it at night only, as I've got a different cleanser for my morning routine), so while the bottle is not that large at 4.8 fl oz, it will last me a good 4 months.  In comparison, boscia's Detoxifying Black Cleanser is 5 fl oz and retails for $28 vs. bayberry's 4.6 oz at $16.95.  So that's $5.60 vs. $3.54, making bayberry the less expensive option.  I just finished a deluxe sample size of the boscia cleanser, and between the two I prefer bayberry.  While boscia does have the nifty feature of warming on contact, I find that sensation to be so brief that I doubt it has much effect. 

bayberry on left, boscia on right

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Lavendula angustifolia (Organic Lavender) Distillate, Anthemis nobilis (Organic Roman Chamomile) Distillate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocopolyglucoside Tartrate, Sodium Cocopolyglucoside Citrate, Aspalathus lineans (Organic Rooibos Tea) Extract, Vaccinium myrtillus (Organic Bilberry) Extract, Saccharum officinarum (Organic Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer saccharinum (Organic Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus auranium dulcis (Organic Orange) Extract, Citrus medica limonum (Organic Lemon) Extract, Vaccinium macrocarpon (Organic Cranberry) Extract, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Edta, Hydrolized Wheat Proteins, Activated Charcoal, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, d-Calcium Pantothenate (Pro-Vitamin B5), Dimethlaminoethanol (DMAE), Hydrogen Peroxide, EDTA, Citric Acid

Disclosure:  I bought this.