OSEA MALIBU: OCEAN CLEANSING MILK REVIEW

By: Skin Care Ox

Written By: Diane Elizabeth K. // First Published: 04/27/2020

OSEA Malibu’s Ocean Cleansing Milk is a highly reviewed product for sensitive skin types—but is this organic face wash really the holy grail for sensitive skin? What about acne-prone skin types? What if you’ve tried other “sensitive skin” cleansers before that haven’t worked? Are the Ocean Cleanser’s ingredients actually safe, organic, and all natural? To answer these questions, we gave our review team this cleanser to try for just over three weeks. During this time, the team researched every ingredient, analyzed hundreds of real customer reviews from around the web, and faithfully used the product as directed to create this comprehensive review.

Overall, this cleanser passed our product review process with flying colors. From an ingredient stand-point, the reason there are so few critical reviews for this cleanser is because it is made with some of the most gentle cleansing ingredients you’ll find anywhere. While it is non-foaming, it does contain a number of surfactants to help break apart dirt, oil, and grime without irritating the skin. It has a silky, lotion-like consistency that spreads like silk across the skin. It rinses off easily, leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated, and (best of all for those with sensitive skin), our sensitive skin team members experienced no sensitivity issues while using this cleanser.

Below, you’ll find a complete summary of our in-depth two week review of OSEA Malibu’s Ocean Cleanser. Our reviews are organized into three categories: The Clean Ingredient Score (is the product made with clean ingredients?), Product Design & Effectiveness Score (does it actually work?), and the Online Customer Review Score (what is everyone else saying?). Combined, this review should provide everything you need to decide if the Ocean Cleanser is right for you. Enjoy!

OSEA MALIBU OCEAN CLEANSING MILK REVIEW

Product Name: Ocean Cleansing Milk

Product Description: A creamy, lotion-like, non-foaming organic face wash designed for sensitive skin types. Size: 5 oz Packaging: Thick frosted glass bottle w/ pump dispenser Consistency: Light creamy lotion Scent: Unscented Samples Available: Yes - Shop OSEA Travel Sizes

Price: 54

Currency: USD

Availability: InStock

Overall
4.73
  • Clean Ingredient Score
  • Product Design & Effectiveness Score
  • Online Customer Review Score

Where to Buy?

CLEAN INGREDIENT SCORE
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The Osea Malibu Ocean Cleansing Milk earned a Clean Ingredient Score of an “A”. This organic face wash is cruelty-free and packed with a mix of natural, organic, GMO free, and vegan ingredients. The cleanser creates a very light lather using very mild surfactants to break apart dirt, oil, and impurities. A few stand out ingredients in this cleanser include the Brand’s signature organic algae extract (gigartina skottsbergii), rose water, DPHP, water lily extract, as well as chamomile and witch hazel. The formula contains 27 ingredients of which six are certified organic: safflower oil, glycerin, organic sea algae extract, sunflower seed oil, lemon peel oil, and chamomile flower extract. The Ocean Cleanser uses two synthetic ingredients: capryloyl glycine and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. Capryloyl glycine is a synthetic amino acid used as a conditioning agent and rated a low concern by the Environmental Working Group. Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is a synthetic and stable form of vitamin C shown to be readily bioavaiable. These ingredients can be found towards the bottom of the ingredient list for the Ocean Cleansing Milk, indicating a low concentration relative to other ingredients on the list.

Clean Ingredient Summary

| VEGAN | NON-GMO | CRUELTY FREE | GLUTEN FREE

Top Clean Ingredients

  • Algae Extract: Chlorophyll containing ocean dwelling organisms. Contains a plethora of potent vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Known for its ability to help skin retain a lot of moisture (an alternative to hyaluronic acid).
  • Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline: A collagen-boosting compound derived from hydrolyzed plant gelatin. It is commonly found in anti-aging cosmetics because it aids in the synthesis of collagen, has antioxidant properties, and protects elastin bonds. .

Preservatives Used:

  • Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate: Natural | EWG Score: 1
  • Citrus Limon/Lemon Peel Oil: Natural | EWG Score: 1
  • Citric Acid: Natural | EWG Score: 1-2

Concerning Ingredients
  • None!
All Ingredients

Ingredients as of: 04/27/2020

water, safflower seed oil*, white water lily extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride Natural | Derived from coconut or palm kernel oil | Emollient | EWG Score: 1 , sorbitan olivate Natural | Surfactant | EWG Score: 1 , glycerin*, decyl glucoside Natural | Mild Non-Ionic Surfactant | EWG Score: 1 , leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate Natural | Preservative | EWG Score 1 , gigartina skottsbergii extract*, sunflower seed oil*, alkyl glucoside Natural | Plant Derived | Sufactant | EWG Score: 1 , glyceryl stearate Natural | Fatty Acid | Emulsifier | Surfactant | EWG Score: 1 , cetearyl alcohol Natural | Fatty Alcohol | Emollient | Texture Enhancer | Stabilizer | EWG Score: 1 , stearic acid Natural | Long Chain Fatty Acid | Fragrance | Surfactant | Emulsifier | EWG Score: 1 , dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline Natural | Protects & Supports Collagen | EWG Score 1 , sodium lauroyl oat amino acids Natural | Cleansing Agent | Skin Conditioning | EWG Score: 1 , lemon peel oil*, hydroxyethylcellulose Natural | Derived from Cellulose | Thickener | Binder | EWG Score: 1 , xanthan gum Natural | Binder | Stabilizer | EWG Score: 1 , citric acid Natural | Preservative | EWG Score 1-2 , sodium palmitoyl proline Natural | Skin Conditioning | EWG Score: 1 , capryloyl glycine Synthetic | Amino Acid | Conditioning Agent | EWG Score: 1 , undecylenoyl glycine Natural or Synthetic | Conditioning Agent | EWG Score: 1 , cassie flower wax, rose flower wax, witch hazel leaf extract, chamomile flower extract*, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate Synthetic | Stable Vitamin C | EWG Score: 1

PRODUCT DESIGN & EFFECTIVENESS
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OSEA Malibu’s Ocean Cleansing Milk has earned a “A+” for  our Product Design & Effectiveness score. We trialed this cleanser for a little over three weeks and focused on our reviewers with sensitized skin. The Ocean Cleansing Milk claims to be powerful enough to “melt away” makeup and dirt while also being gentle enough for sensitive skin types. After our trial, our reviewers concluded that the Ocean Cleansing Milk did indeed meet those claims. First and foremost, the cleanser is truly fragrance free. It has a very (and I mean very) light scent from a small amount of lemon peel oil. Otherwise, this cleanser is free of harsh essential oils and fragrant ingredients. The consistency of the Ocean Cleansing Milk is like a creamy lightweight lotion with a silky feeling on the skin. This face was is completely non-foaming, so it does indeed feel gentle, hydrating, and soothing on the skin. A little of this cleanser goes a long way for daily use because it breaks up dirt, oil, and makeup with just 1-2 pumps. For heavier makeup removal, you’ll need a few more pumps. After rinsing, this cleanser leaves skin feeling clean and soft–which is surprising for a non-foaming cleanser. Our sensitive skin reviewers listed feedback such as “absolutely no irritation,” “helps my redness,” “gentle!,” and “very hydrating.” A few of our most sensitive skin reviewers have since switched to the Ocean Cleansing Milk as their regular cleanser.

Product Effectiveness Summary

Works Best For: Sensitive Skin of all types

Official Usage Instructions: Apply face cleanser to damp skin to remove makeup, pollutants and impurities, and rinse with warm water. For extra hydration, follow with Hyaluronic Sea Serum. Layer with preferred OSEA facial oil and moisturizer. Use morning + night.

Ease of Use: Easy to incorporate into an existing routine as a cleanser. Can be used as a daily cleanser and as a makeup remover.

Most Notable Results

  • Non-foaming cream formula
  • Non-irritating
  • Creamy, lotion-like consistency
  • Contains no harsh soaps (very light lather)
  • Fragrance free
  • Provides hydration and moisture
  • Softens skin

Claims Not Met

  • None: This product does not make claims of effectiveness that we did not experience.

ONLINE CUSTOMER REVIEW SCORE
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We analyzed 354 customer reviews for the Osea Malibu Ocean Cleansing Milk from 6 different online retailers (including stores like Detox Market, Amazon, Credo, and Follain). Across all retailers, the Ocean Cleansing Milk earned an average customer review of 4.7/5 stars–earning a grade of “A” for our Online Customer Review Score. Overall, customers raved this this cleanser is their new “go to face wash” for their sensitive skin. Many customers across all retailers claimed to have sensitive skin conditions (easily broken out by products, acne-prone skin, persistent redness, easily dried out skin, eczema, etc) and have been on a “long search” to find a facial cleanser that doesn’t cause irritation. The pattern for reviews across all sites appears to be a majority of positive reviews with a few negative reviews mixed in. The critical reviewers claimed that the product didn’t leave their skin feeling “clean” enough, didn’t “remove makeup well,” didn’t “reduce redness,” and some reviewers left notes about the smell of the product (although the product is unscented). See Pros & Cons below for more details.

Customer Review Summary

Reviews last evaluated: 04/27/2020

  • *Credo: 17 Reviews | Average Score: 4.6 Stars
  • *Petit Vour: 15 Reviews | Average Score: 4.3 Stars
  • *Follain: 32 Reviews | Average Score: 4.6 Stars

Pros

  • Non-toxic cleanser made with all natural & organic ingredients
  • Gentle, non-foaming cleanser
  • Does not cause dryness
  • Great for all sensitive types including dry, acne-prone, and combination.
  • Unscented 
  • Non-irritating formula for sensitive skin

Cons

  • Not the best at removing heavy makeup. Need to use more product.
  • Very rarely, customers reported some form of sensitivity (such as a breakout) after using this product.
  • Some reviewers felt that the cleanser did not leave their skin feeling “clean”
ABOUT THE BRAND
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This Product Was Made By...

OSEA MALIBU

website: OSEA Malibu Website | year founded: 1996

OSEA is an organic skin care brand that has been committed to non-toxic skin care for over 20 years. OSEA was the first company to sign the Environmental Working Group’s “Compact for Safe Cosmetics” pledge and has lead the charge ever since. The line is totally plant-based, vegan, and free of synthetic ingredients. Responsibly sourced organic seaweeds are the star ingredients in nearly all of OSEA’s products.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

about-author_diane-elizabeth125

This Article Was Written By...

Diane Elizabeth K., Founder at SkinCareOx.com

Diane Elizabeth founded Skin Care Ox in 2016 after her personal struggle to find truly clean, natural, and organic products. Leveraging her background in biomedical engineering, scientific research + analytics, and entrepreneurship, she created Skin Care Ox to be an easy-to-use resource to find real clean beauty options. Since then, her articles have been read by over 3 Million people and have helped millions choose cleaner alternatives. She currently lives in Colorado with her husband and growing family.
Review Standards & Process

Skin Care Ox product reviews are 100% brand neutral. Skin Care Ox does not accept compensation in exchange for reviews. Additionally, there are no paid advertisements on Skin Care Ox. From time to time, brands will submit products to our team for review. Whether we procure the products ourselves or they are submitted to our team for review---our reviews remain honest and neutral.

Skin Care Ox is primarily funded through affiliate commissions. Meaning, when you purchase a product via a link from our website, we earn a small commission on the sale from the retailer (at no additional cost to you). Skin Care Ox is a member of numerous affiliate networks representing hundreds of cleans beauty brands and retailers. Because of this, no single brand or company has control over our review decisions.

Finally, every product we review undergoes our Research and Review Process. This includes faithfully trialing the products for a minimum of two weeks, rigorously researching each ingredient, and consolidating real user reviews from across the web.

PRODUCT BADGES LEGEND
100% NATURAL

100% NATURAL

The product contains only natural ingredients (non-synthetic or lab created). It does not contain anything artificial or synthetic.

100% ORGANIC

100% ORGANIC

The product has been formulated with 100% organically sourced and/or certified organic ingredients.

GMO FREE

GMO FREE

This product does not contain ingredients which have been genetically modified.

GLUTEN FREE

GLUTEN FREE

All of the ingredients contained in the product are free from gluten, wheat, and ingredients which are commonly contaminated with gluten.

VEGAN

VEGAN

The product is made without animal products or byproducts such as beeswax, honey, milk, eggs, etc.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC

CERTIFIED ORGANIC

The product has received an official organic certification from a third party organization such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA Certified Organic), ECOCERT, Australian Certified Organic, and others.

MORE OSEA MALIBU PRODUCTS

*OSEA Malibu – Blemish Balm Organic Moisturizer ($48)

Acne skin types--say hello to your new favorite moisturizer! We gave this organic moisturizer for acne to five testers with various kinds of acne and blemish prone skin types and they all rated it 10/10. It's ultra-lightweight, making it great for oily skin types, but it is also packed with hydrating organic algae for drier skin. It is also made with a great blend of acne-fighting ingredients like tea tree oil, rosemary, thyme, and juniper essential oil. Truly a must-try for acne skin types!

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