Last month, I received some products to review from Dead Sea Premier of which two were cleansers. Since both the cleansers belonged to sister brands, I decided to do a Face-Off with them to highlight the similarities and, more importantly, the differences. I have been using both since a month, one in the morning and the other one at night, so, here’s the Face Off…..
So, here are the two cleansers; one is the Gratiae AHA Cleansing and Peeling Foam and the other is the Premier Facial Cleanser with Micro Grains.
BRAND
GRATIAE |
PREMIER |
GRATiAE – Organic Beauty By Nature – is an anti-aging skincare line, named after Gratiae, a thermal spring near the Sea of Galilee. It’s products are made with a blend of Gratiae’s thermal spring water and it’s exclusive minerals, flora unique to the the area around the Sea of Galilee, and organic plants. | Premier – By Dead Sea Premier – is a brilliant fusion of nature and technology into a skincare treatment. The Premier science team and laboratories take all of the benefits from the Dead Sea’s minerals, plant extracts and liposomes to create formulas that assist the skin’s natural ability to renew itself. |
PACKAGING
TEXTURE, FRAGRANCE AND EFFICACY
GRATIAE | PREMIER |
As mentioned earlier, the Gratiae cleanser comes out as a thick, rich foam. It smells AMAZING! In fact, the whole box had such a wonderful fragrance when I opened it and then I realised it was due to both the cleansers which, though sealed, gave out this awesome fragrance. I need just one pump for my face and neck. | This cleanser has been aptly put in the Luxury Collection, because there’s just one word to describe the thick, rich gel-creme like texture, luxurious. I never thought I would get so excited over the texture of a cleanser but this one is seriously rich. The fragrance, like I mentioned, is wonderful! |
The foam is very gentle and cleanses the skin effectively without drying it out. It does make the skin appear brighter too! I use this cleanser in the morning, most of the times with my Pebblesonic, and it leaves my skin feeling clean yet soft, fresh and looking radiant. And makes my pores appear non-existant!!! It doesn’t remove makeup though, and neither does it claim to. | What do I say about this luxurious cleanser? Cleansing with this is such a delightful experience. I use this one as my night time cleanser after removing my sunscreen/makeup with an oil-based cleanser and this one removes all traces of any kind of residue from the oil cleanser or the makeup. And it doesn’t dry my skin! My skin feels so soft and hydrated even without a moisturiser. In winter! Oh, and it is PH 5.5.However, it claims to have micro-grains but I haven’t been able to see/feel any micro-grains at all during this month of usage. Perhaps they are so minuscule that they are nano grains? |
This cleanser is suited for all skin types, from dry to oily. Like I said, it didn’t dry out my skin at all! | This cleanser might perhaps be a bit too rich for oily skin types. Since it is winter right now and my combination skin is leaning towards dry, it works wonderfully for me. Perhaps, it might not once summer sets in… |
INGREDIENTS
GRATIAE | PREMIER |
Aqua (Deionised Water and Thermomineral Water), Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Sodium Cocamphoacetate, Glycerine, Polysorbate 20, Witch Hazel Water, Oat Kernel Extract, Mentha Glycolic Acid, Fragrance, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Hydrexopropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyuaternium 7, Disodium EDTA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl, 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone. | Deionized Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Microcrystalline Wax, Peg-6 Caprylic Capric Glycerides, Propylene Glycol, Chamomile Extract, Oat Extract, Witch-hazel Extract, Aloe Vera Gel, Dead Sea Minerals Mud and Water, Sodium Chloride, Bergamot Oil, Jojoba Oil, Frankincense, Neroli Oil, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Carbomer, Dmdm Hydantion, Methylparaben, Triethanolamine, Fragrance |
ANIMAL TESTING
Both the brands are Cruelty-Free. Besides that, both the brands also have a whole lot of other certifications for quality, GMP, ISO etc.
PRICE
Now this is where the difference is the maximum. While the Premier cleanser is part of the Luxury Collection, it is priced at $19.99 (approx ₹1,250) for 125ml. The Gratiae AHA cleanser, on the other hand costs a whopping $49.99 (after discount! The original price is $79.99!) which works out to approx ₹3,115 for 150ml! For a cleanser!!! Yes, it is fabulous, makes my skin super soft and smooth and clean but the price is a wee bit much, don’t you think? I agree that it is surely going to last me ages since after a month’s usage, it hasn’t even reached the 3/4th mark so actually, it would work out to good value for money in the long run. Hmmm…….
You can buy the Gratiae AHA Cleansing and Peeling Foam here and the Premier Facial Cleanser here.
VERDICT
I simply LOVE both the cleansers; for their different textures, the fragrance, the way they clean without dehydrating my skin. They both are lovely. And the fact that I just need a little bit, especially of the Gratiae AHA Cleansing Foam, means that they will last a really long time. Though I am a bit put off by the price of the Gratiae cleanser, I know it would last me longer than the Premier one. And they both are fabulous, one for the morning and one for the night, so I simply can’t choose between the two of them. However, I will recommend the Gratiae AHA Cleansing Foam for all skin types while the Premier Facial Cleanser would be ideal for normal to dry skin types. Which one would you like to try???
* Disclaimer – PR Sample. Honest opinion.