Neova Cu3 Gentle Cleanser 8.5 Oz

A short formula by design: twelve ingredients, no fragrance, no oils, no parabens and no colorant. Neova describes it as a "clear, lightweight gel with a slight blue color" that works up into a light foam. The blue is the copper, which is the only coloured thing on the list.

Who Neova writes it for

In the brand's words, "skin types that need a very gentle cleansing, especially after in-office procedures". The brand calls it a "recommended daily cleanser for those with extremely sensitive skin". Its pH range is 5.0 to 7.0, which Neova publishes on its own cleansers page.

About the surfactants, since sensitive skin usually asks

This is not a sulfate-free cleanser. TEA-Lauryl Sulfate is third on a list of twelve. It is worth being exact about what Neova does claim: "It's designed to be gentle and non-stripping, helping cleanse without disrupting the skin barrier". Its answer then tells anyone avoiding a particular surfactant to read the ingredient list.

Our reading of it: if you avoid sulfates on principle, this is not your cleanser and the full list is in the Ingredients tab. If you avoid them for a different reason, that harsh washes leave your skin tight, then the pH range and the buyers who use it on skin recovering from a treatment are the better guide.

Cu3 Gentle Cleanser specifications

Texture, pH, dose and skin types are Neova's own. The ingredient position and the four free-from lines are read from the ingredient list.

What buyers say about it

Three reviewers here bought it for the same reason: skin recovering after a treatment. One names laser treatments at the dermatologist and reports "soothing and cooling relief". One names a chemical peel. That matches where Neova points it, at skin that needs a very gentle cleansing especially after in-office procedures.

Where it fits in a routine

First step, morning and evening. The copper peptide moisturizer that follows it is Creme de la Copper, and the full line is on our Neova skincare page.

How to Use

• 2 to 3 pumps onto damp skin, morning and evening. Neova's dose.


• Add tepid water and massage into a light foam. Tepid rather than hot is the brand's word, twice.


• Rinse with tepid water and pat dry. Neova's directions end "or as physician directed."


• Wearing heavy or long-wear makeup? Neova's instruction is an oil-based cleanser first, then this one as the second step.


• Using a retinoid or an acid? Neova says its Cu3 cleansers pair well with active routines and names retinoid and alpha hydroxy acids.


• Follow with your serum and moisturizer on still-damp skin. Our suggestion, not the brand's.

Neova Cu3 Gentle Cleanser FAQ

Is it sulfate-free? No. TEA-Lauryl Sulfate is the third of twelve ingredients. Neova's own answer is that the cleanser is "designed to be gentle and non-stripping, helping cleanse without disrupting the skin barrier". It then tells anyone avoiding a particular surfactant to check the list. We would rather you read that here than find it there.

What is it free from? Fragrance, parfum, oils, parabens and colorant, all four read from the ingredient list rather than taken from a label claim. The preservative is phenoxyethanol.

Why is the gel blue? There is no dye on the list. Copper compounds carry colour, and Bis (Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate is the only one here. Neova describes the gel as having a slight blue color.

Will it take off my makeup? Light makeup and daily sunscreen, yes. For heavier or long-wear formulas Neova says to use an oil-based cleanser first and this one as the second step, removing the rest without over-stripping.

Can I use it with retinol or acids? Neova says yes and names retinoid and alpha hydroxy acids. A wash this mild is the point of pairing it with a strong routine.

How gentle is it, in a number? Neova publishes a pH range of 5.0 to 7.0, and a dose of 2 to 3 pumps. Both are worth having, since "gentle" on its own is a word every cleanser uses.

KEY INGREDIENT

Neova names one, in its own words.

• Copper Peptide Complex (Bis [Tripeptide-1] Copper Acetate, GHK-Cu). A proprietary delivery system using the body's natural protective carrier to deliver copper peptides, an essential micronutrient for skin health and strength, deep within the epidermis; essential for tissue repair and stabilization of skin proteins. Ninth of twelve on the list.

FULL INGREDIENTS

Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, TEA-Lauryl Sulfate, Urea, Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Bis (Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Twelve ingredients. TEA-Lauryl Sulfate is third, so this cleanser is not sulfate-free. There is no fragrance, no parfum, no plant or mineral oil, no paraben and no colorant on the list.