Skin Care Review: Dior Gentle Cleansing Milk

I'm not usually one for cleansing milks. I typically prefer to use cleansing oil followed by a foaming cleanser. However, lately I've been noticing that most foaming cleansers leave my face feeling tight and dry (with the exception of my current fave, Lancome's Creme Radiance Clarifying Cleanser) and I end up needing more of my (much more expensive) moisturizer. Plus, I recently read on a skin care blog that although everyone should be double-cleansing with an oil cleanser and another cleanser, that "other cleanser" should really be a lotion or cream cleanser unless your skin is extremely oily--which mine is not. So last time I hit the Dior counter, I decided to give Dior's Gentle Cleansing Milk a shot. 

Gentle Cleansing milk is just that...a white, milky lotion cleanser that I use after my oil cleanser to further dissolve any leftover makeup (and any residue of oil) that may be left on my face. For a Dior product in particular, it has a remarkably light fragrance...to me, it smells clean, but not fragranced. Despite its milky texture, it makes my skin feel cushioned and moisturized and never tight or dry. I've used it as a rinse-off cleanser and also removed it with a warm washcloth, and in both cases it's done an admirable job at removing  the last traces of makeup. You will definitely need a separate makeup remover for your eye area as I find it just isn't powerful enough for tough eye liner and mascara, but for the skin, it's thoroughly cleansing. 

Dior's Gentle Cleansing Milk contains soothing Velvet Peony, suitable for calming overly dry or sensitive skin. This cleanser is most definitely meant for dry or sensitive skin, as it is very soothing and leaves even the driest skin soft and supple, with no tightness at all. I love that when I use it and one of my kids interrupts my skin care routine before I get my moisturizer on, I don't end up feeling like a dried-up raisin!

Bottom Line: Although this lotion cleanser is marketed for face and eyes, I believe you still need a separate eye makeup remover, especially if you are using waterproof eye products or stubborn mascara. That being said, this is a truly lovely cleanser for dry or sensitive skin. It's cool, soothing, and cushions the skin with moisture. Especially in the winter, I will be appreciating this one as an absolute must-have for my parched skin.