I've recently finished up two cleansers from the brands Prequel and Remedy. I'm also a good ways through both of their oil cleansers as well, so I figured I would write up a empties/review/brand-impression. I think it would be a neat comparison since both brands are founded by US board-certified dermatologists who also happened to have YouTube channels.

TL;DR: Prequel > Remedy

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Prequel

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Gleansers

I've actually used up all three of their Gleansers (original, + Glycolic, and + SA). I like all three, but the one I just repurchased was the Glycolic version, as I find having some form of AHA exfoliation is best for my dry skin. I also enjoy using any of the Gleansers as a body wash. All of them are fragrance-free and a very mild scent.

My first impression of the original Gleanser was actually not that great, since I found the texture to be too "slimy." It almost felt like there was a film left behind, but in actuality it was just my skin being overly hydrated from the high glycerin content. It fully rinses off, yet leaves the skin feeling moist. It took a couple of washes for me to get used to the feeling, but once I did I was hooked. It's truly the most hydrating (without leaving a film) cleanser I've ever used, and it has supplanted my La-Roche Posay and Cetaphil cleansers as my favorite second-cleanser.

In terms of the differences between the three, I'll try and list who I think it'll be best for:

• Original: For really sensitive skin (say you're dealing with a sun burn or went too hard with the tretinoin/retinol products). It's really comforting and cushioning. It might take a bit to get use to the slimy feeling, but it almost feels like a hydrating mask while it's on. Rating: 3.8/5, would repurchase.
• Glycolic: For when you want a bit of quick-exposure exfoliation action. Obviously it won't exfoliate as much as a leave-on product, but it does just enough to promote skin-cell turnover for my dry skin. The texture of this cleanser has more of a cream-cleanser consistency and is less cushioning and less slimy than the original Gleanser, but still has the hydrating properties of the original. I will say it does slightly sting when my skin is overly sensitized (when I overdo it with my prescription tret). Rating: 4/5, have repurchased.
• SA: For people who benefit from a bit of salicylic acid in their cleansers. It's closer to the original texture than the Glycolic version, but slightly less slimy. This was fine for me, but I don't really benefit from salicylic acid products as I do glycolic so I personally wouldn't repurchase, but I had no problem using it up. Rating: 3.5/5, would not repurchase, but would recommend.

Like I mentioned before, I just placed a repurchase order for the Gleanser + Glycolic, and that has cemented itself as my go to second-cleanser. I would also repurchase the original Gleanser if I were dealing with super sensitized skin as well. I wouldn't repurchase the salicylic acid version as it's just not for me, but I can see it benefiting those with oilier skin types.

All three come in a pump bottle and I've had no issue using it all up without the need to open up the bottle and pour out the rest of the content when it gets to end.

Pre-Gleanse Cleansing Oil

Normally, I wouldn't purchase this product on its own since I'm perfectly happy with my Kose Speedy Cleansing Oil, but I got this as a bundle deal with one of my previous Gleanser purchases.

My favorite oil cleanser is still the Kose Speedy Cleansing Oil, but I'm not mad at the Pre-Gleanse either. It's a perfectly fine cleansing oil, but slightly more viscous and requires just a bit more effort to cleanly rise off compared to the Kose one.

Add to the fact that the Kose Speedy Cleansing Oil is usually about half the price of the Pre-Gleanse (especially if you can purchase it in Asia), it's a no-brainer.

That said, if, for some reason, I couldn't get my hands on Kose Speedy, I wouldn't mind picking up a travel-size Pre-Gleanse.

Rating: 3/5, would not repurchase, but would recommend.

Brand as a whole

I think I've tried almost all of Prequel's products short of any releases after 2025's Black Friday where I told myself to go on a low-buy to curb my consumerist habits. There are some misses, but mainly I have a generally positive view of the brand. While I don't like every product, I don't outright hate any of them either.

While the price of everything has gone up, I feel like their pricing is still relatively affordable (I don't think any single regular-sized product is over $30), and you essentially get free-shipping (in the US) if you purchase two regular-sized products.

I'm likely to try their new releases and I enjoy watching the founder's YouTube channel as well and have found the content on there helpful.

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Remedy

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For Pre-Cleansing

This is a cleansing balm with a pencil-sharpener-like dispensing mechanism, where you twist the top of the product and the cleansing balm is shaved in a ribbon-like way. It's a complete gimmick and a hassle to use in my opinion. While the dispensing mechanism didn't catch or break the product in odd ways it was just annoying to use. You still have to use your finger to scoop up the shaved product so it's only slightly better than just a straight-up jar (and man do I dislike jars).

The cleansing balm itself was meh, it didn't spread as easily as you would expect despite it almost melting on contact. I think I'm just not a cleansing balm type of person. I much prefer a fluid oil consistency.

There's a faint almost herbaceous/medicinal smell, but it's not really noticeable.

Rating: 1.8/5 would not repurchase, would not recommend.

For Cleansing (normal to dry skin)

I have the old packaging for this product, that comes in a squeeze tube. The new version is a pump bottle (with more product). Unfortunately, I really disliked this cleanser.

The biggest detractor was the scent. The product is fragrance-free, but whatever the ingredients are, they put off a strong scent. An olfactory equivalent to a flash bang that I just could not get used to. It smelled like a mixture of classic Dove and classic Olay.

This cleanser also provides a more traditional "stripped" feeling to the skin after washing, so despite the "normal to dry" skin label, it seems more suitable for normal to combo skin types.

Anyway, I relegated this to body soap and even then the scent would be so pervasive that I was struggling to use it up. I ended up decanting it to a hand soap dispenser and that helped with the scent, but it was still very much there.

Rating: 1/5 would not repurchase, would not recommend.

Brand as a whole

I've really soured on this brand, especially with how they're handling their copper peptide serum release. I really dislike how hard they're pushing this product on other platforms. First on TikTok shop, and now Target (after saying they would release it on their website at the same time as Target and then reneging on that).

TikTok is a non-starter for me, and I haven't been anywhere near a Target since the second Trump administration. I already side-eye brands that sell via Target (Prequel included, but at least they don't undercut their own website), but I find how hard they're pushing Target to be beyond distasteful. To the point where I've practically lost interest in the serum itself (despite being initially interested). I'll never understand a brand undercutting their own direct-to-consumer website, especially since it got big there first.

On top of that, a lot of the products that I've tried from Remedy have been misses. The only product I really liked was their shampoo, and it's the only one they've discontinued. If anyone has any recommendations for a fragrance-free ketoconazole shampoo that's easily accessible in the US, please let me know.

Their shipping also seems more predatory in terms of it only being free (in domestic US) over $50, but two products usually just comes slightly under that.

I think the Doctorly YouTube channel is a helpful resource, but the way this brand is being handled is giving me the ick. It's a shame, since I'm also getting my prescription tazarotene via Script Derm (which is now transitioning to Scriptable). Especially since you have to call them during business hours to even manage (let alone cancel) your prescription. I'm going to go through with my current refill, and see how I feel after. I most likely will just cancel and go with my regular dermatologist's recommendations.

Overall, I'm really getting turned off by this brand and its sister brand.

Edit: Grammar and phrasing, because English is hard.