I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think the Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash could be my new favourite skincare product from Fresh. Initially, I was a bit confused by the face wash, but I got over that after a few uses. I would compare this face wash to the Fresh Sugar Face Polish that is also made with real strawberry seeds and sugar granules. The only difference between the two is that this face wash dissolves pretty quickly once it comes into contact with water (more on that later).
First impressions
When this face wash first touched my face, it was hard and quite brittle. At first, I thought it would be like this for the whole time (which kind of concerned me because it was so hard and brittle), but then after a few moments, the brittleness disappeared, leaving a completely smooth texture. The whole process is so weird different, it’s like magic. I can’t even describe it. Afterwards, my face is always left feeling suuuuper soft and clean but not stripped.
I’ve also found that it’s surprisingly gentle, which isn’t something you’d expect from an exfoliating face wash (or from instant impressions with the brittle granules). If I compare this to the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, I would say that initially you do really feel the granules working to exfoliate and clean the skin on a deeper level.
The Sugar Strawberry Face Wash doesn’t lather which took some getting used to, as the ones I’ve used in the past have always lathered and foamed. Personally, I don’t think it’s really that big of a deal, but the lack of lather makes me question how well it cleans my face – especially as the wash kind of disintegrates fairly quickly.
What I like
As a massive fan of the Sugar Face Polish, it goes without saying that I love this exfoliating face wash. I love how soft it leaves my skin after rinsing (though not as soft as the Face Polish does FYI), and how small the granules are. Sometimes, granules can be quite big which makes them a bit uncomfortable on the skin, but I like these. I also like how the granules dissolve (more on this later), as it helps you know when to stop massaging and when to start rinsing!
What I dislike
Though I’ve fallen head-first for this dreamy exfoliating face wash, it’s not without its issues. As I’ve shared a couple of times on here, my face can get incredibly spotty, so I need something tough to help cut through the dirt and reduce spots or to at least help my spots vanish in a couple of days. While using this face wash, I’ve noticed that even though it does exfoliate, it’s not quiiiiiiite what my face needs, and doesn’t quite exfoliate my face in the way that I’d like. I find that the granules dissolve way too fast and don’t leave me with enough time to properly exfoliate and massage my face for the sixty seconds that I’m used to. I understand that this is probably supposed to help the product be less irritating and gentler on the face, but for me, it just doesn’t do enough on its own.
Anything else?
Since using this face wash, I’ve gone back and forth, about whether or not I like it, and even though I do have my issues with it, ultimately I do really like. I’ll continue to use this face wash going forward, but will also rebuy the Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser and use that alongside this so that my face can get the deep clean it so badly needs. I think it’s still too early to know if I’ll buy it again when it finishes, but I’ll let you know in my final review in a couple of weeks. Also, before I forget, a little goes a long way so you really only need a pea-sized amount (as pictured above).
Anyway, if you loved the Sugar Face Polish, then you will most definitely love this. The finish is pretty much the same, as is its texture when you put it in your hand. Check out my latest IGTV video to see me use the face wash for the first time.
alice
xo
