Spring calls for glowing skin! And while a healthy diet, exercise, and lots of water are at the top of my list when it comes to boosting radiance, a good skincare routine doesn’t hurt either – one that keeps pores clear, skin smooth, and moisture locked in.
But that doesn’t mean you have to follow one of those 8-product, comprehensive skincare routines that some beauty editors and celebrities swear by. A few multi-tasking products can do the trick – like an exfoliating cleanser and an anti-aging facial oil.
If you’re on the hunt for an exfoliating cleanser, here’s one that has four benefits in one. And to top it off, it makes for one refreshing, luxurious experience that will elevate your daily skincare routine to a spa-like ritual. Introducing the Odacité Green Ceremony Cleanser…
Odacité Green Ceremony Cleanser
First, a bit of a background on Odacité. This clean, all-natural beauty skincare brand was first conceived by Valérie Grandury, a Paris native now living in Los Angeles. Stemming out of her desire to combine luxury French skincare with green California living, she’s crafted a range of rich, addictive facial potions, all infused with the highest quality plant extracts, cold-pressed virgin oils, and bio active ingredients, providing maximum freshness and potency.
Her Green Ceremony Cleanser is no exception. Inspired by Grandury’s trip to Japan, the cleanser applies to skin the four founding principles of the tea ceremony: purity (by clarifying the skin), respect (by leaving skin fresh and balanced), harmony (by calming skin and reversing free radical damage), and tranquility (by de-stressing through this simple yet luxurious ritual).
Grandury also incorporated a well-known Japanese ingredient – matcha – into the Green Ceremony Cleanser. Matcha is made by removing the stems and veins from tencha and then stone-grinding the rest of the leaf to make a powder. This creates one super-concentrated, antioxidant-rich potion – in fact, matcha has 137 times more antioxidants than regularly brewed green tea!
The one key antioxidant found in matcha is chlorophyll. Not only does chlorophyll give matcha its rich green color and strong herbal scent, it also works wonders for the skin. When applied topically, it removes harmful toxins and fights cell-damaging free radicals, making it an excellent acne-fighter and anti-ager.
In addition to premium grade matcha, there are 7 other ingredients in the cleanser. Each one serves a purpose when it comes to cleansing, exfoliating, detoxifying, and hydrating our skin…
- Baby Foam, a gentle surfactant derived from coconuts, cleanses the skin while keeping the skin’s natural moisture levels intact.
- Honey’s antibacterial and pore cleansing properties help promote a healthy, clear complexion. Honey also stimulates collagen production, plumping skin and minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. And lastly, it helps skin retain moisture, keeping it healthy and hydrated.
- Like Matcha, Spirulina is a powerful detoxifier that’s rich in chlorophyll. It’s also packed with 220 life-essential nutrients that help restore skin health and minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
- Aloe Vera has soothing, moisturizing and hydrating properties.
- Baking Soda + Citric Acid (which helps balance out the alkaline pH of baking soda) work in synergy as a powerful exfoliating agent, unclogging pores, eliminating dead skin cells and removing excess dirt and oil.
Full Ingredients List: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate [Baby Foam], Sodium Bicarbonate [Food Grade Baking Soda], Honey, Fructose & Maltodextrin [Honey] powder, Citric Acid, Camellia Sinensis [Premium Grade Matcha] leaf powder, Spirulina Platensis [Spirulina*] powder, Aloe Barbadensis [Aloe Vera*] powder *organic
Odacité Green Ceremony Cleanser Review
As soon as you open the jar, you’re hit with a strong green, herbal scent from the matcha and spirulina. Though this does take some getting used to, once the nose adjusts, I find it really adds to the whole natural-based, ritualistic ‘experience’. The scent surrounds you as you massage it into the skin, creating very relaxing, aromatherapy-like effect.
Now for the fun part – mixing together and activating all the ingredients. I’ll start by pouring about a scoopful of powder into my hand using the measuring spoon (which they provide with the jar). It says to use a full scoop, but I’ve found that a 1/2 to 3/4 scoop is enough to cover my entire face. Next, I’ll gradually add drops of water into the powder, and swirl every together until it transforms into a rich, frothy foam. That’s when it’s ready to start massaging over the face.
The immediate foaming action helps to deliver those powerful cleansing, detoxifying, and anti-aging ingredients deep into the pores, while on the very surface, the luxurious, rich massage mixed with the scents of matcha and spirulina creates the most grounding, spa-like experience. As the foam dissipates, the formula becomes a little thinner and creamier, and provides an ultra-gentle polish for the skin.
Because the ingredients are quite strong, it’s not recommend that you leave it on your face for more than a minute. I’ll typically spend a 30-40 seconds smoothing it over my face, and then I’ll grab a wet muslin cloth (also included with the jar) and use it to wipe away the cleanser while giving my skin a final, gentle round of exfoliation. Finally, I’ll finish with a few splashes of cool water.
The end result? Smooth, soft, and glowy skin, and a more relaxed and grounded mindset – perfect for both our morning and evening skincare rituals!
I have combination, slightly sensitive skin, and I’m been using the Green Ceremony Cleanser 3x a week for the past few weeks now, interchangeably with my favorite ultra-gentle foaming cleanser. It has been working wonders when it comes to keeping my skin clear and polished, and looking healthy and radiant.
The best part is, all skin types can benefit from this skin-rejuvenating cleanser! For sensitive skin types though, I’d recommend starting slow – use it 1-2x per week and then gradually increase usage up to 3-4x per week, so long as you don’t experience any irritation. I have slightly sensitive skin, and while I will notice some tingling/light stinging when the foam first touches my skin, I haven’t had any issues with redness or irritation.
As for other skin types, according to Odacité’s website, normal/dry/mature skin types can use this up to 3x a week, and oily/combo skin types can use this every other day. Remember, it is a very effective exfoliator, second to a cleanser, so as tempting as it may be to reach for this everyday, you don’t want to over do it!
Available at The Detox Market, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Amazon, Space NK & Cult Beauty
(Or, try a sample through The Detox Market’s sample kits!)
What are your thoughts on Odacité Green Ceremony Cleanser? Have you tried a similar powder-to-foam cleanser?
