May 14, 2008

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash

A while back I promised to review the Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash, and so here it is. I took a while to review because I wanted to try it out a little more, as I had only bought it recently.

An addition to my little arsenal of cleansers, this gel cleanser does seem to help a little with acne and pimples, largely due to its main ingredients - Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa).

I had a short trip to Sabah recently, and this was the cleanser I had brought along to "test drive". Along with my fave Neutrogena scrub.

My skin is particularly difficult when I travel. It makes up its own mind about which climate zone it wants to be in, so I have parts which are as dry as the Sahara (it flakes), and some parts are oil-rich like Saudi.

On top of it, I tend to have extra break-outs, especially on my chin. That part decides to be a volcanic region. Isn't that just so fun.

However, I did notice that on this trip my skin behaved itself relatively well. This gel cleanser cleansed and got rid of all the grime and sweat from the afternoon heat off well. My face felt clean, without feeling stretchy AND there were no pimples popping out during the trip.

Together with the scrub, it managed to take off mild makeup as well, without the need for a makeup remover. Incredible.

After I got back to Kuala Lumpur, I kept using this, alternating with my other (beloved) Himalaya Herbals cream cleanser, and it's also managed to keep my face relatively pimple-free. Except for when it's that time of the month, where NOTHING works.

It doesn't quite help with oil-control though, as it does say that it's for All Skin Types.

For RM21.90, you get a huge 150ml tube, and it's easily available at local drugstores. UK girls can check out Himalaya Herbals Direct - there's a buy-1-get-1-free sale on for selected items.

But similar to the Neem Face Pack, just be sure to sniff it before bringing it home. The herbal scent might be too much for some.

9 comments:

Petra said...

hey syen, i made sure i looked up this review. =p i tried my first in sabah too! which was great since it my face is oilier in sabah than kl.

it was everything you said although i worried it was a tad stripping. alternating it with simple cream cleanser just made me schizophrenic. cetaphil would have been better, but i am still trying to find an alternative since they have no non animal testing policy.

for now, it is this and eucerin cream cleanser for me.

Jd said...

hi! im jd from the philippines and just loving your narratives and reviews. i just want to know, which of the 3 would you recommend best in reference to oily skin (which i have)- Neem Face Wash, Gentle Wash Gel or Wash Cream of Himalay Herbals?
Thanks!
you may want to get in touch thru my blog or email jdamn87@gmail.com thankyou very much.

slgirl said...

Hey! I have recently been getting pimples on my face. my skin is not oily. in fact it is quite dry. a salesman at a cosmetic store suggested this neem face wash. i was a bit reluctant to buy it at first thinking it might make my skin condition worse. but then i just bought it four days ago. it is still too early to actually notice any results i guess. i want to know if it actually helps reduce pimples??

Petra said...

I found the HH face mask to be the most effective - use it about 2x a week, if you've oily/normal or dry skin like mine.

The gel helps in reducing oil, if that's the culprit leading to pimples. But it can be drying if you don't have the usual layer of foundation and gunk in need of effective removal.

The Gentle Wash Cream broke me out - it's gentler than the gel, but requires toner which I dislike when I'm not using foundation. Soapy residue is not good for my skin.

Petra said...

By face mask - it's the mud mask, not the fruit mask that I found effective. Perhaps the fruit mask might work but I've never tried.

slgirl said...

@petra: so u mean the neem face wash does not work :(..... doesn't it help reduce pimples?? my skin is not oily so i do not think the mud mask will work as it is for oily skin.

Petra said...

Hi SLGirl, both the facial wash and mask helped me because they cleared up excess oil. However, there's no reason why you shouldn't give either a try for either product's herbal qualities. However, I understand the concern since you don't have oily skin so yes, if you feel more comfortable using the gel do use that instead.

Neem has been traditionally used to treat acne. Given that it's also used to clean teeth among other things I suspect it has antiseptic qualities that can prevent inflammation and help infected pimples.

Given that our skin types differ I can only recommend that you give it a patch test and see whether your skin clears after a week. Do keep in mind however that I found the cleanser a little drying (which could be due to my stint living by the sea) so if you need to adjust your moisturiser to something more emollient, do.

Good luck with the product if you decide to give it a try.

Petra said...

Btw, when I say patch test - if you're concerned that the gel may break you out, perhaps use the cleanser on one part of your face and see how that works before using it all over your face for a week. I saw my skin start to clear up after a week, but this is also subject to other factors such as weather, stress, diet, alcohol intake, exercise, etc.

slgirl said...

I have been using it for a few days now. My face does appear clear but it's hard to say if it is due to this product alone since i am following some home remedies for clear skin as well. however my major concern in using this face wash is to avoid getting pimples. btw my skin is quite dry, and yes as you said the face wash has dried up my face a bit but as long as it keeps pimples away i can manage the dryness i guess by applying a good moisturizer.