Splurge vs. Save: In Search of a Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser


A few months back, I tried a couple samples of Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser and - not to be too dramatic - adored it.  With a perfect balance between good exfoliation and gentleness, this non-foaming, soap-, alcohol- and detergent-free cleanser sloughed off all my dead skin without irritating my sensitive face.  The base of the Regenerating Cleanser is a creamy cleanser - in fact it's Tata's Refreshing Cleanser - so even though this product does double exfoliating duty with apricot seed powder (manual exfoliation) and pomegranate enzymes (chemical exfoliation), it still manages to leave your face feeling hydrated and soothed.  I was sold.  Or I was, until I realized just how very pricey this cleanser is.  Ringing in at $75 (4 oz.), it was beyond what I was comfortable spending, so I started looking around in the hopes of finding something comparable at a lower price point.

Which is where Organic Surge's Skin Perfecting Face Polish came in.  At £6.99 or about $12 (2.5 oz.), it falls pretty well on the other end of the price spectrum.  The Perfecting Face Polish also has a creamy base, this time interspersed with finely ground olive stones.  I like the overall feel of the Face Polish, but I'm not crazy about the olive stones themselves.  The individual pieces are on the larger side, but the amount found throughout the cleanser seems a little sparse.  Where Tata's cleanser has a very even texture, the problem I ran into with the Organic Surge Polish was that one part of my face would feel well exfoliated, while another would seem like I had just washed it with a gentle cleanser.  It takes a bit more work - and sometimes a good deal of product - to get an even exfoliation, but once I'm done, my face is left feeling soft and smooth, so it's not a total loss.

Splurge or Save?
Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser was the clear winner for me, so it's a splurge.  I really wanted to find a bargain dupe, but the Organic Surge Face Polish just isn't it.  The Face Polish does the trick and leaves my skin looking and feeling nice, but it's more challenging to work with and lacks the refinement and wow factor of the Regenerating Cleanser.  I also think the olive stone particles would be too harsh for really sensitive skin, in spite of the soft creaminess of the base.

Full disclosure, I'm still not 100% comfortable dropping $75 on an exfoliator.  But, in the process of drafting this post, I was excited to notice that Tata is now also selling a new, 50ml size of this cleanser for $38.  It's more expensive per ounce, but the smaller investment up front means that this beauty might just make its way to me one day after all!

Have you used either of these?  What do you think?


Contains affiliate links.

17 comments

  1. I haven't tried either of these, but would love to try the Tata Harper x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you'd like it. Maybe you could track down a sample :)

      Delete
  2. This is a great comparison, I always love the look of Tata's products but the prices are painful, this is one of the few organic surge products I haven't tried but I don't really like the sound of the olive stones for my skin type, I love them in the gardeners hand scrub though :) Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ana! This was my first Organic Surge product, but I always hear such good things from you ladies across the pond. Might have to give them another try with something else :)

      Delete
  3. I havent tried either of the but Ive always had my eye on Tata Harpers products!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean! I've only tried a couple things from her line, but everything sounds gorgeous, doesn't it? :)

      Delete
  4. I haven't tried either of those, but I Tata Harper is most definitely on my wishlist!!<3 xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you'd like it. It's got me impressed anyways! :)

      Delete
  5. I haven't tried either of these, and the prices of Tata Harper have always put me off! Love to see the comparison between the two :) x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks :) Some of Tata Harper's prices are pretty startling!

      Delete
  6. Love the sound of the Tata Harper one but I've always been a bit stunned by the brand's price point. The ingredients are really amazing though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No kidding! Some of the serums go up to $350+...which almost makes the cleanser seem like a bargain in comparison :) Great ingredients though for sure!

      Delete
  7. I've tried samples of Tata's cleansers but was totally underwhelmed. If you truly love it and it works wonders on your skin, might be worth spending the money for sure xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everyone's skin is different I guess! I may just do that, but I think I'll give another sample a try first, to make sure it wasn't a fluke :) It's been a few months now since I first tried it.

      Delete
  8. I've not tried either of these brands before! Always inclined to try the cheaper option first, but most of the time I try a sample of something super luxurious and end up falling in love haha x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean! The high end companies are so smart to offer samples, I think. Once you know you love it, it's so much easier to justify a splurge :)

      Delete
  9. Great to see a comparison! Have never brought myself to buy one of the Tata Harper products because of the price. I have a sample of this but don't want to try it incase I love it and have to pay a fortune haha!

    ReplyDelete