The Oatstanding Debate: A Deep Dive into Aveeno's Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser

Good morning, everyone! It feels fantastic to be back, connecting with you all about skincare. I haven't been up this early to write in ages – it's currently 7:09 a.m., meaning my 5:30 a.m. alarm had me scrambling to set up for this review. My desk is currently a beautiful disaster of skincare products, but today, one product reigns supreme: the Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. Grab your coffee and settle in as we dissect this much-anticipated cleanser!

This cleanser, my friends, has been on my radar for what feels like an eternity. I'm talking months of impatiently waiting for it to grace Canadian shelves. I even emailed Aveeno last year, practically pleading for information on when their oat-powered line would arrive. Their response? The classic "it's coming, we just don't know when." My skin was craving that oat goodness, and finally, after what felt like a skincare drought, I spotted it at a Shoppers Drug Mart near me. The moisturizer and serum were completely wiped out – only two lone cleansers remained. The demand is real, people! If I ever manage to snag the moisturizer and serum, you can bet I'll be reviewing those too. But for now, let's focus on this potential skincare gem.

The Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser is a gel cleanser specifically designed for sensitive skin. It boasts an impressive resume: hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, and oil-free. The star ingredient, however, is the prebiotic triple oat complex. Aveeno claims this complex works wonders to soothe sensitive skin while simultaneously relieving that annoying itchy, dry feeling.

Oats in skincare? A total game-changer. Oats are honestly one of my holy grail skincare ingredients. Oats are clinically proven to be packed with antioxidants, lipids, and other beneficial compounds that work together to nourish, strengthen, and protect your skin barrier. They're like tiny, powerful protectors for your face.

Even after using this cleanser on and off for about three months, I'm still somewhat undecided. It hasn't quite earned a spot on my holy grail cleanser list, but I don't dislike it either. I don't regret buying it, but I'm not entirely convinced I'd repurchase. Let me explain.

This cleanser has some seriously redeeming qualities. It's incredibly gentle and soothing – I genuinely believe it would be a fantastic cleanser for even the most delicate skin, including babies. I tend to reach for it only when my skin is feeling particularly irritated and too sensitive for my other cleansers, which, thankfully, is rare these days due to my diligent skincare routine.

The main reason I don't use it more regularly is the residue it leaves behind. It leaves a noticeable film on the skin that can feel quite heavy. In my experience, many oat-based products have this slightly waxy, film-like feel. With lotions or creams, I actually enjoy that – it feels like my skin is being cocooned and protected. But with a cleanser? Not so much. My skin doesn't feel truly clean, even though I know the cleanser is likely doing good things. It's a mental hurdle I can't seem to overcome.

Interestingly, my sisters have a completely different perspective. They visited me over the summer and used this cleanser every morning, and they loved it! One has oily skin, and the other has normal skin, and they both actually liked the film it left behind. They felt it acted as a protective barrier against environmental aggressors. So, clearly, with cleansers like this, your mileage may vary.

One crucial thing to remember is that if you wear makeup or sunscreen (which you absolutely should!), you'll need to remove it with a micellar water or an oil cleanser first. This cleanser isn't designed to tackle heavy makeup or sunscreen – it won't even make a dent. It's definitely a second-cleanse product, or something you might use for a gentle morning cleanse if you don't wear anything overnight.

Because it doesn't remove makeup or sunscreen effectively, I typically only use it in the morning. One pump is more than enough. I gently massage it onto my damp face and then rinse it off thoroughly. It's never irritated my skin or left it feeling tight or stripped, which is a huge plus. And, to its credit, it does leave my skin feeling very soft.

Overall, I think this cleanser would be an excellent first cleanser for people with normal, dry, dehydrated, or itchy/irritated skin. I'm not so sure it would be a good fit for other skin types, especially oily skin, because of that film it leaves behind. But I could be wrong! If you've used this cleanser and have a different experience, please share your thoughts in the comments – I'd love to hear your perspective!

For my fellow Canadians, you can find this cleanser at Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart. It usually retails for between $8 and $14, but I often see it on sale. I think that's a pretty reasonable price for a cleanser of this size. So, if you've been curious about it, I do think it's worth picking up and trying out for yourself. You might just end up loving it!

That's all from me today. I hope you found this review helpful! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, and I'll see you in my next post. Bye!