Product:  Today we are reviewing Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Ageless Daily Exfoliating Cleanser.  Please share your experiences with this product.

Overall Rating = 1.75 Stars – Terrible to Just Okay

Cost: $6.99 for 5oz. ($1.40 per fluid ounce)  Price Category: Inexpensive

Sold By:  Aveeno and retailers everywhere; This product has been discontinued, perhaps due to a controversial ingredient.  There are still retailers with this on their shelves until the last of it is gone.

Container:  Plastic pump bottle with locking pump; Pump screws off

Description:  The Aveeno brand is readily available at retailers everywhere.  I have been using the Aveeno brand for decades and like some of their products.  This is not one of them.  I’m providing this review to shed some light on this cleanser, particularly one of its key ingredients, which I do not recommend or support.

Aveeno states on their website, “Our products feature exclusive ACTIVE NATURALS^® ingredients, carefully selected from nature and uniquely formulated to deliver effective skin and hair care benefits. These ACTIVE NATURALS^® ingredients undergo rigorous scientific testing to prove their safety and efficacy, so it’s no wonder our products are recommended by leading professionals.”

The company states this product, “visibly reduces the signs of aging” “with natural shiitake complex”, “Helps speed up the skin’s natural renewing process”.  There are other lofty claims as well.

Morning Review:  First off, I bought this cleanser by mistake.  I was traveling and needed something so I quickly ran into a drug store and picked up this cleanser.  I did not realize it was not fragrance free as the ingredients were hidden under a back label.  As soon as I pushed the pump for the first time, I sneezed and my nose began running like a faucet.  The amount of fragrance in this cleanser is so excessive it is overwhelming.  This has a very strong floral scent, so much so that you feel as if you’re being smothered by flowers while it is on your face.  I could not rinse this enough to get rid of the scent.  I also found this cleanser to be drying to my skin.

As far as the cleansing components, this is a typical cleanser with water, glycerin to make it feel silky, sodium laureth sulfate (surfactant), etc.  It is the fourth ingredient, polyethylene, that I take issue with.  This cleanser has microplastic beads in it to exfoliate your skin.  While the plastic in itself is not harmful to you, it is very damaging to the marine ecosystem and environment.  In December of 2013 the Marine Pollution Bulletin discussed the impact of these plastics.  During this research, “two national brands of facial cleansers containing polyethylene microbeads were sieved and analyzed using the SEM/EDS system to evaluate their texture and composition” and the damaging effects were discussed.

There are natural substances we can use to exfoliate our faces that don’t pollute our waterways and kill marine life in the process.  Regarding benefits from shiitake, the mushroom complex is the very last ingredient.  There is so little in this product I suspect it is just included for marketing purposes.  The concentration is not high enough to produce any visible change in your skin.  Considering the small amount of time a cleanser is on your skin, even at a higher concentration there would be little benefit.

Morning Rating=   1 Star

Evening Review:  At the end of the day my skin felt dry, tight and itchy.   This cleanser effectively removes most makeup.   My makeup wipes only found small traces of makeup using just my hands.  (Apparently, the beads do work.)  You cannot get this product near your eyes so you will need to use a separate cleanser to remove eye makeup.  This is not a good cleanser to use with a cleansing brush.  The brush, in combination with the microplastic beads, may prove to be too harsh.

Overall Review:  Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Ageless Daily Exfoliating Cleanser is not a good cleanser for anyone, especially those with fragrance allergies and/or other sensitivities. Men definitely would not like this scent.  If you really like stinky products and don’t care about the environment, you may love this.

This cleanser is suitable for the following skin types: (Not for Dry or Sensitive skin)

• All ethnicities;
• All ages;
• Women who like heavy perfumes;
• Oily;
• Consistent;
• Combination.

RATINGS REPORT:

Morning Rating = 1 Star;

Evening Rating = 1 Star;

Average from Other Testers = 1 Star;

Value Rating = 4 Stars;

Overall Rating = 1.75 Stars – Terrible to Just Okay.  (Please review the About 365 Cosmetic Reviews page for the rating info.)

Ingredients:  Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Polyethylene, Lauryl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-4, Methylparaben, Fragrance, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tetrasodium Edta, Algae Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Stem Extract, May Also Contain: Sodium Hydroxide.

Formulated Without:  Oil, Soap.

Important:  Please read our full Disclaimer before using this or any product.