The Product
Kaia Naturals is a Toronto based beauty brand with a focus on providing "fast beauty" with a conscience. Their primary product so far is their Juicy Bamboo Natural Facial Cleansing Cloths, which were designed as a sustainable alternative to the usual cleansing cloth.
Made in small batches, these 100% biodegradable cloths are made of one ingredient: bamboo grass, which makes them super soft and free of any harsh dyes, fragrances and chemicals. Each cloth is soaked in a mixture of honey, vitamins B12, C and E so that they not only cleanse, but nourish and re-balance your skin.
The Guts
These cleansing cloths primarily contain a mixture of:
- Miel (honey) - non-irritating and known for its healing properties, honey is filled with antioxidants and soothes skin
- Sorbitan laurate - cleansing agent
- Sunflower seed oil - emollient
- Hydrolyzed jojoba esters - emollient
Price & Packaging
One pack of 30 cloths costs $19.50 and is available at Holt Renfrews across Canada as well as select spas and boutiques.
In addition to being eco-friendly, what makes these cloths unique is the packaging they come in. Unlike most cleansing cloths which come in a resealable bag, the Kaia cloths come in a little plastic container. I'm definitely thinking to reuse this container afterwards to hold lip pencils or other small items.
Effectiveness
These cloths are designed to be a cleanser, toner and eye makeup remover all in one. I've primarily used these as a makeup remover and can attest its cleansing effectiveness; the cloths removed all my eye makeup efficiently and gently, without any irritation. They also did a decent job of removing foundation and blush, but I still needed a cleanser after to really feel clean.
There were a couple things though that I found odd about these cloths that keep me from totally loving them. The first thing is the smell; there's a slightly astringent odor to these cloths that isn't entirely pleasant. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't smell bad, but it does smell a little odd. I'm not sure what would be causing that smell since there isn't anything in the ingredients that provide any clues.
The second odd thing about these cloths is the physical size. Each cloth is about half the size of a regular facial wipe, so I ended up using two at a time - one for my eyes and another for my face. This actually decreases the value per use of the cloths as you really only can use these 15 times rather than the 30 times you'd think you have.
Final Verdict
Ditch - love the eco-friendly concept and packaging, but the size of the individual cloths make this too pricey an option for me.
