Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar Review

For a long time, I was reluctant to try the Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar because of the price.

But, I finally broke down and shelled out the $38 for this little bar of soap that I have heard so much about. I am a bit of what you would call a “tight wad”, so spending that much on soap was a stretch for me.

With that being said, I am so glad I did.

The Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar is small, but it packs one heck of a wallop. This medicated bar soap was developed by Dr. Nicholas V. Perricone, M.D. for the purpose of both cleansing, lightly exfoliating and revitalizing weary skin.

In case you don’t know, Dr. Perricone, M.D. is a board-certified dermatologist, who has written several books, authored countless scientific papers and even has his own television series on PBS. He is one of the leading researchers in the field of anti-aging.

Heck I don’t even LIKE doctors, due to their tendency to under-examine and over-prescribe, however Dr. Perricone has always been one of my favorite MD’s, as he is one of the few doctors that looks at the whole picture and recommends starting from the INSIDE.

Loyal readers of this site will know right that I love that all-natural, holistic approach to skin care.

But, Back to the Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar…

The first thing that I noticed about the bar as I unwrapped it is that it didn’t smell like medicine. It had a nice, clean smell to it. This is an essential component in a complexion bar. You don’t want perfumes and artificial scents in the ingredients, as that’s one of the quickest ways to irritate sensitive skin.

Upon using the bar for the first time, I wet my face and then my hands and lathered up the bar. Then, I took the lather from the bar to my face and washed my face in small circles, spreading the suds all over my cheeks, nose, forehead and chin. Then, I got into the shower.

Why did I do this? Well, the product website said that for “deeper exfoliation” I was supposed to leave it on my face for about 2 or 3 minutes. By the time I undressed, started the shower and got the water warmed up, it had already been about 2 minutes, so this was perfect timing.

When I rinsed off the soap in the shower, my face felt exceptionally clean.

To be honest, I didn’t see much difference for the first few days. But, after using the Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar for about two weeks, I could certainly tell a difference in how my skin looked.

My Face Had a Healthy Glow…

That’s the best way I can describe it. You may or may not know what I’m talking about. Maybe your face has never had a healthy glow, but if you are curious about what a healthy glow looks like on your face, you may want to give this bar a try.

I was hoping for smaller pores, too… but, I couldn’t really see a difference there. Besides, my pores are already pretty small due to the other stuff I do (read my multipart Clear Pores series for more information).

Plus, the studies and surveys done with the Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar was done after 30 days of using the bar. Even then, only 86% of participants reported smaller pore sizes – still a large number, but not a sure thing.

The biggest complaint that I have heard about this bar was concerning the special care needed to keep this bar of expensive soap from getting too moist. People would say, “Do not keep it in the shower” or “Buy a special, air-tight container to store it in.”

Personally, I don’t do any of this and my Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar is still lasting a long time. Granted I do not wash with it twice per day, as directed. I only use it once per day, just before I shower. Also, I live in Colorado, which is a pretty dry place in general. Maybe it’s the lack of humidity that is allowing my bar to last so long.

Also, after a couple of weeks of using this bar, I have switched to a different method of storage and application:

I Keep It In a Shaving Mug!
That’s right… a shaving mug.

It’s one of those old-fashioned mugs that guys used to use to lather up their skin before shaving. It allowed them to whip up a super thick lather, using just a few drops of water and a brush. Which is exactly how it works with the Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar, too.

This allows me to add a little bit of water, and then work up a bubbly lather to put on my face without wasting any of the soap. The unused lather stays in the mug until next time.

Instead of a shaving brush, I use the face cleansing brush that I picked up at The Body Shop in my local mall, but I suppose you could use a traditional shaving brush if you’d like. The difference is that my facial brush from the body shop can also be used on the face as a cleaner and exfoliater. A real shaving brush may not work as well.

So, What’s the Verdict on this $38 Bar of Soap?

I can honestly say, I’m a bit hooked on this product.
Let me put it this way: If someone forced me to throw out all of my topical skin products, with the exception of just one… the Perricone MD Cleansing Treatment Bar would be the one I would keep.