Perricone’s Alpha Lipoic Acid Nutritive Cleanser Review

I usually try to stay far away from new skin products.

I have super sensitive skin and pretty much everything causes me to break out. So I stick with my 10% benzoyl peroxide ( and its oh-so-lovely medicinal scent!), Estee Lauder oil-free moisturizer, clyndamycin cream, and my LightStim treatment (which I’ll explain and review in the beginning of the fall.)

Unfortunately, I left my brand new bottle of face wash at my mother’s Cape house two weeks ago. Not wanting to go out and buy a second wash I rifled through my bathroom and came across a Sephora sample of N.V. Perricone, M.D. Nutritive Cleanser. It didn’t say oil-free but it claims to be safe, effective, and gentle for all skin types.

So I splashed some water on my face and lathered up. It felt amazing. All those great tingly sensations you want from a face wash? Check! It foams up a lot and really quickly for a gel cleanser so you only need a tiny amount for your entire face.

I think this cleanser is primarily an anti-aging product as its infused with DMAE and alphoic lipoic acid. The DMAE helps skin retain elasticity while the ALA resurfaces the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and the size of pores. I don’t really know if the two weeks that I used this cleanser reduced signs of aging in my skin. At 26 I’m (in some ways) lucky enough to still have the skin of a teenager- no lines, wrinkles, or droops in sight. I can say that my pores are definitely smaller and my skin has never been softer. So I think the fancy ingredients do actually work a little.

On the downside I think the chemicals were a little bit too strong because my skin has been very red, a bit drier than usual, and even sort of itchy. But like I said it doesn’t take too much for my skin to get irritated. It also has an awful baby-powder smell that wasn’t too annoying at first but then endlessly lingered on my skin. It made me miss my ER-strength Benzoyl wash!

Overall, I think this is a great product especially if you have a normal skin type or are more concerned with signs of aging and skin tone than blemishes. The price is a bit steep ($38 for just 6 oz) but I used a tiny sample for nearly two weeks so you won’t need to replace it very often, and if it works well for you then its worth it!

For now, its not the product for me on a regular basis but works in a pinch!