Yves Rocher Eye Makeup Remover with Chamomile

I’m a long-time user of Yves Rocher products. My mother indoctrinated me when I was barely past my teens (she loves mail order). Since then, Yves Rocher has become something of a big business, branching out onto the World Wide of Webs and releasing a host of new products, all bearing the guarantee of no animal testing. Their deals are still good (if you spend $25, you get free shipping from their website), and they’ve even begun opening retail stores in chi-chi malls.

So it is with a heavy heart that I tell you that their Chamomile Eye Makeup Remover is a dud. Sure, it comes in a pretty blue bottle (recyclable!), and it’s light and non-greasy. In fact, it’s so non-greasy that it feels kind of like … tap water. Hmmm. Tap water alone, unfortunately, doens’t take off waterproof mascara (although, mysteriously, my own sweat does; go figure). Needless to say, after two weeks of scrubbing at my delicate eye tissue with a moistened, then a drenched cotton ball with little to show for it, I gave up and went the soap and water route.

Further examination of the ingredients reveals Polyethylene Glycol-8, or PEG-8, a wetting agent/detergent considered to be a “hidden carcinogen” by the Organic Consumers Association. Ick.

Luckily, Yves Rocher guarantees their customers’ satisfaction, so today I wrote them to begin the refunding process. Since I’ve been such a loyal customer, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble, but I’ll keep you posted if anything makes me want to take my business elsewhere permanently.