REVIEW | A Gentle Cleanse with Benton Tea Tree Cleansing Water

Struggling with acne-prone skin but not ready to part ways with confidence-boosting makeup? Why not give this cruelty-free cleansing water from Benton a try? Armed with 70% tea tree leaf water and tea tree oil, it claims to rid your skin of makeup at the end of a long, busy day while soothing any acne flare-ups underneath. But is this true? Let’s find out.

(Psst, spoiler alert: this made it on my personal Top 3 Benton Products List last year!)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

FULL INGREDIENTS:

VOLUME:

200ml / 6.76 fl.oz.

PACKAGING:

Sturdy transparent plastic bottle with a flip top cap which shuts with a satisfying, secure click. There is also a sliver of space left uncovered of any labels, which makes it easier to determine the amount of product left in the bottle.

PERIOD AFTER OPENING (PAO):

6 months

HOW TO USE:

Use this cleansing water as a makeup remover or as a morning cleanser.
Wet a cotton pad with the product and gently wipe the entire face.
Place the wet cotton pad for a while on the parts that need thorough cleansing and then gently wipe.

*NOTE! Using an eye makeup remover is recommended to erase eye makeup.

SCENT:

Mild tea tree scent. No fragrance listed, but as it does contain 70% tea tree leaf water and tea tree leaf oil, it’s not surprising. I actually quite like the hint of a soothing herbal scent.

PH LEVEL:

Tested using at-home pH strips to be around pH 5-6, but said to be pH6 officially by Benton.

TEXTURE/FINISH:

Clear, watery liquid. When used with a cotton pad for makeup removal, it absorbs quickly and easily into the material, and leaves a fresh, clean, and non-tacky finish.

MY SKIN TYPE:

Sensitive (prone to redness and irritation), combination-dry, acne-prone and dehydrated.

OVERALL THOUGHTS & EXPERIENCE:

So, I’ve tried this cleansing water once during Benton’s pre-launch as a tester, and I recall finding it to work better as a morning cleanser or even a clarifying toner (though I’d advise against the toner part now as this product does contain ingredients that should be washed off) on me. Notably, I found it annoying how much it stung my eyes whenever I tried to remove my eye makeup, though Benton definitely advises against this… Curiosity, y’know? 😅

However, after I emptied this Cleansing Water and proceeded to cycle through other options, I just missed it too much in my routine (I find it quite effective at reducing my closed comedones AKA whiteheads!) especially as I find it very affordable for such a big bottle of product. So, I gave in and repurchased another bottle, where I find its cleansing prowess acceptable for light makeup, which is fine considering how gentle it is on my often irritated skin.

RECOMMENDED FOR:

Sensitive, acne-prone skin types looking for a budget-friendly cleansing water that also soothes the skin. However, keep in mind that this works most efficiently to cleanse sunscreen and light makeup only and not heavy, waterproof makeup!

MY RATING:

4/5 as a makeup remover, but 5/5 as a gentle morning cleanser.