Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser – The not so foaming face cleanser

ADVERTISEMENT INFO: THIS BLOG POST USES AFFILIATE LINKS. I RECEIVED NO MONEY TO WRITE IT. PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER.

 

*Update: The Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser has been repackaged and reformulated slightly, so I updated this blogpost in 2021*
A few years ago, I would not have enjoyed Sunday Rileys Ceramic Slip Cleanser.
Not at all.

 

Back in the day, I was all about foaming cleansers. I longed for the squeaky clean feeling they can give you, and if anyone would have told me that the oils on my face were actually important for my skins balance, fighting the signs of aging and protecting it against bacteria I would not have believed it. (More info: Damaged skin barrier – Cause of acne and eczema?)
Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip
Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip – yes, the bottle is quite worn. I do use it frequently!
Looking back, my cleanser preferences seem very 80s: Effective, strong, uncompromising.
But as it is 2014, my preference has changed. Not only when it comes to fashion (and blush placement!), no, I have also gotten into balm and (heaven forbid) oil cleansers! One that sits somewhere in the middle though, between effective and gentle, is Sunday Rileys option.

 

What the Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser claims

The water-gel cleanser ‘pulls out’ impurities while ‘pulling in’ clean hydration for smaller-looking pores and a clean, radiant finish. A blend of plant-based purifying soaps lift up and wash away dirt, while French green clay, bentonite and white clay draws out dirt, oil, pollution, SPF and make up from pores for a supreme clean. White rice and olive oil esters – these water-soluble, skin-protecting and antioxidant-rich organic esters are multi-tasking actives comprised of skin-balancing, nutrient-rich proteins – protect skin from dehydration by strengthening it and deeply nourishing your natural moisture barrier. Alongside this, neroli oil helps to calm and balance, making this an extremely gentle (yet deep!) cleanser that can be used anytime to promote a more healthy, youthful-looking complexion.

 

Facts about the Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser

Price and size

One bottle (used to be pump, now is a squeezy tube) contains 150 ml and retails for 29,90 € here.

 

Texture and scent

Despite being described as a water-gel cleanser, it feels almost like a light balm to me. While the old version had several essential oils like Jasmine and Frankincense that influenced the scent, the new version contains only Orange Flower Extract, but still smells mainly like clay. Not a scent I am too excited about, but not smelling off either.

 

How to use the Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser

It is suitable for both morning and night time use, but my preferred way is to use it in the summer after a hot night or in the evenings after a sweaty workout and on a non-Tretinoin night. (More info: How to use Retin-A with minimal irritation) The added clay can leave the skin feeling a little tight, but it really feels as if your whole face has been cleared from grime and dirt stuck in your pores afterwards. I like it best removed with a washcloth, as I don’t feel it rinses completely clean without one.

 

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser Ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau solv, Octyldodecanol emo|perf, Propanediol solv|h, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate emu, Polyacrylate-33 vc, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate surf, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate surf, Propylene Carbonate solv|vc, Disteardimonium Hectorite vc, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Kaolin col|abrasive/scrub 0 0, Montmorillonite vc, Olive Oil Polyglyceryl-6 Esters emo|emu, Rice Oil Glycereth-8 Esters surf|surf, Sodium Phytate chel, Xanthan Gum vc, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate surf, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate surf, Coconut Acid surf|emo|emu, Laureth-10 emu|surf, Trisodium Sulfosuccinate buff|chel|surf, Sodium Chloride vc, Phospholipids sii|emo, Propylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 0, Benzoic Acid pres, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Dehydroacetic Acid pres, PVP vc 0 0, Bisabolol so, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Methylisothiazolinone pres

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

Kaolin and Montmorillonite as different forms of clay, several different cleansing agents, a few humectants and skin soothing Bisabolol as well as barrier repairing Phospholipids. Nothing too fancy or too hydrating, but thouroghly cleansing I’d say.

 

Does it live up to its claims

Partly.

It surely is a “supreme clean”, but I would not consider this a hydrating product, nor one to “nourish your natural moisture barrier”.

pixi Rose Cream Cleanser
pixi Rose Cream Cleanser

How does it compare to…

the pixi Rose Cream Cleanser

Why I compare a cream cleanser to a clay cleanser here? Because the pixi Rose Cream Cleanser is, in my opinion, more of a clay cleanser itself. In fact it contains both Kaolin and Montmorillonite as well, alongside Dimethaceous Earth. The texture is firmer than Sunday Rileys version, the scent is similar in that it is more medicinal than pleasant and both require a wash cloth for full removal.

pixis version is much more hydrating though, and contains quite a few plant essential oils (including the name giving rose) that might be troublesome for people with sensitive skin.

You can read my full review of the Rose Cream Cleanser here.

 

Will I repurchase?

No.

I went through several bottles between 2014 (when this blogpost was originally written) and 2017, but after starting prescription retinoids for my adult acne, I no longer could deal with it on a regular. Now I keep a tube of pixi or one of the cheap Cattier Clay masks you can get in France around if I ever feel the need for a clay session and use gentler cleansers on my face.

(More info: Different types of cleansers – Which one is right for you?)

Which skin types do I recommend it for?

This is definitely more targeted at oily skins and probably people that live in a polluted area and feel the need to have something absorb the dirt and pollutants at night.

 

Shop the post

(Visited 533 times, 1 visits today)