I’ve really been missing out. I had never heard of Michael Todd until I saw a display in Ulta recently. The employees had great things to say about the Soniclear brushes, and said the company had really good skin care products, too. So, when I got the opportunity to try the Grape Seed Cleansing Oil, I was thrilled!
Michael Todd Beauty was founded by Lewis Hendler, the co-founder of Scunci- you know, those awesome hair bands you can’t live without? Well, anywho, Mr. Hendler believed in the balance of science and nature, so he sought to create a line of highly effective products that combined powerful actives with the finest natural ingredients (Michael Todd, 2016).
There are no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, artificial dyes, or synthetic fragrances, and the company never tests on animals. However, one of the biggest factors that sets Michael Todd apart from other brands is instead of water, they use 100% certified organic aloe vera as a base, which provides more than 75 nutrients (Michael Todd, 2016). Sure, aloe contains water, but with plain water, you’re not getting the good stuff that’s in the aloe!
Well, needless to say, I was super-duper excited when the Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil arrived- I tore into that package like there was no tomorrow! And even thought I wasn’t planning on wearing makeup, I piled it on just so I could really put the cleanser to the test!
The ingredient list is extremely impressive. The number one ingredient, at 67%, is Vitis Vinifera, or grape seed oil (Michael Todd, 2016). Grape seed oil is chock full of powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals; and it’s also been shown to protect against bacteria and inflammation (UMMC, 2016). This makes grape seed oil ideal not only for fighting aging, but acne and other inflammatory skin conditions, too.
In addition to grape seed oil, the cleanser contains caprylic/capric trilyceride (a distillate of coconut oil), as well as other herbal and botanical extracts. So, what makes this oil so much more special than regular oils? The Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil has an emulsifier, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate. This means that after you massage it into your face, you can splash on some water and emulsify it, so it will rinse cleanly, with no oily residue.
Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil comes in a sleek, convenient pump. I love the dispenser- you can pump a little or a lot, whatever you need. It also has a light, herbal scent that I really like. Even if you’re sensitive to fragrance, this shouldn’t be too bothersome because it’s natural, they don’t use any artificial fragrances. It also dissipates quickly, so no worries!
Unlike heavy, greasy oils, Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil is very light, and it spreads easily. I put on a LOT of makeup in order to give this stuff a real, heavy duty test. The cleanser won- It even took off my waterproof mascara, without needing a separate makeup remover! I massaged the oil onto my dry skin, and left it for a few moments to let it sink into my makeup. Then I splashed on some water, massaged a bit more, then rinsed it off. Makeup gone!
I often double, sometimes even triple, cleanse. The Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil can also be used as a treatment oil- just press a small amount onto your skin, and leave it on. After I washed my face, I did a second cleansing, but didn’t rinse completely, leaving a light film of the oil on my face. This not only helped my other products absorb better, but I woke up the next morning with the softest skin!
Overall, this is an absolutely superb product. I take pride in writing about the negatives as well as the positives, but I couldn’t think of any negatives. Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil would make a lovely addition to any skin care routine!
Michael Todd Grape Seed Cleansing Oil retails for $28.00 for 5 oz., and it’s available from Michael Todd. Click here or on the banner below to get 20% off your purchase!
Sources:
Michael Todd (2016). Michael Todd: Where Science Meets Nature. Michael Todd, LP. Retrieved February 24, 2016, from www.michaeltoddusa.com.
UMMC (2016). Grape seed. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved February 25, 2016, from www.umm.edu.
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
A powerful exfoliating treatment that gives your complexion a fresh start towards healthier, younger-looking skin. This unique blend contains alpha and beta hydroxyl acids combined with natural fruit enzymes to deeply exfoliate the skin, support cell
I was thinking about getting the Tatcha cleanser you wrote about but then I saw this post. Which is better of the two?
Hi Virah! Great question- it just depends on your needs and preferences. The Michael Todd oil contains more natural ingredients, and if you have acneic skin, the grape seed oil is great. The Tatcha cleanser contains camellia oil, which is also a great ingredient. Pricewise, the Michael Todd is $28.00 for 5 oz., and the Tatcha is $48.00 for 5.1 oz., but Tatcha does make a travel size for just $12.00. Best thing is to decide how much you want to pay, and compare ingredients to see what will work best for your skin. As for me, I love them both, and don’t want to be without either one! 🙂