Let’s admit it – facial cleansers are deeply unsexy. And while they’re definitely useful, they are the broccoli of the beauty world – sure, good for you, but are you getting excited about them? Probably not. Perversely, that’s exactly the reason why I’m so deeply curious about other people’s HG cleansers. I mean, when they get excited about them…?
And so I stray away from my HG cleansing powder couple (L’Oreal Micellar Water & balea cleansing oil with a side of Clinique’s Take The Day Off cleansing balm whenever it strikes my fancy) and try out things. And I can already tell you – I’m ready to return to my tried and true combo. I try to include facts about the following cleansers people might to want to know about (cleansing agents, pH, fragrances etc.). On top of that I can tell you right here that I never use any of them on my eye makeup, because I find that sensation deeply unpleasant.
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
What?
A Japanese cleansing oil that’s widely beloved, and because of that, I bought it when I was in Japan. It’s a thick, deeply golden oil in a plastic bottle with a pump dispenser. I use two to three pumps. It’s my evening cleanser, and it does a good job of dissolving sunscreen and makeup. It’s based on olive oil, and the ingredient list is fairly short. Beautypedia names the rather strong smelling rosemary leaf oil a possible irritant, and told me that they use an extra emulsifying agent (sorbeth-30 tetraoleate).
Like?
I can confirm that it emulsifies and cleans well, but you have to like the rather herbal smell to enjoy using it. I don’t. It rinses off fine, doesn’t leave a film and I definitely need to use a moisturising product after using the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, but then I do need to do that with every cleanser I’ve ever tried.
Buy again? No.
Get it at Feelunique and Lookfantastic.
Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Cleanser
pH – What?
“Low pH cleanser?! Huh?” you might say – there’s been an on-going discussion in the beauty world that a low pH cleanser might be better for your skin’s health, as it doesn’t affect the skin’s moisture barrier. There’re evidenced based studies on that, so I’m good with this approach. Skin is naturally slightly acidic (4,5), whereas alkaline products clean better – but that often strips your skin and could end in a compromised skin barrier. Cosrx’s cleanser is around 5, and therefore should feel gentle on the skin.
The product
The Good Morning Cleanser also doesn’t include stripping surfactants like SLS or SLES, but uses a coconut-derived surfactant called Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, which is a very mild surfactant.
It also includes Tea Tree Leaf Oil, an oil people swear on when it comes to its anti-septic properties (when I was young it was touted as the go-to for all kinds of pimples). There’re some great-sounding ingredients in there too, which I feel we can forget about because it’s a cleanser and you rinse it off, so will the Saccharomyces Ferment or Betaine Salicylate (a close relative to BHA) do anything? I doubt it.
Like?
It’s a clear gel in a squeezy tube that foams up moderately and smells strongly off tea tree oil. It cleanses well, and I do use it indeed in the morning (no point in not using it in the evening as well). I also need to drench my face with toner afterwards, but it’s not an uncomfortable tightness – I just feel better with something moisturising on my face.
Super helpful verdict: It’s ok. Buy again? Maybe!
Get it easily around the internets (Amazon has it, even Ulta, Zalando or Lookfantastic.)
Cosrx low pH First Cleansing Milk Gel
What?
Cosrx First Cleansing Milk Gel is supposed a ‘first step cleanser’ to remove light base makeup and sunscreen. It’s my morning cleanser, and I doubt that this is going to cut through makeup in any form. It seems to me it’s marketed as a ‘gentler’ cleanser for people who found the Low pH Good Morning Cleanser too harsh. It’s pH is 5,5. Looking at surfactants, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate and PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil are relatively gentle.
Also of note is the inclusion of olive oil, witch hazel, allantoin and Bergamot Oil. Witch Hazel is a somewhat problematic ingredient (read up on it here), although in this minuscule amounts (it comes in last in the inci list), it shouldn’t be that much of a problem. Allantoin is nicely soothing, but quite low on the list, while Bergamot Oil is quite high. Essential citrus oil, while they smell nice in skincare, are possibly irritating and definitely photo-sensitizing.
Like?
The milky gel is to be applied on dry skin, where it emulsifies with water. I find it baffling that silicones make up a lot of the formula, giving it that silky, milky feel. It doesn’t feel stripping on the skin, but the inclusion of an essential oil quite problematic. While alluding to a gentle cleanse, I find this cleanser actually harsher than the tea tree cleanser above.
Buy again? No. I rather doubt I’ll finish the tube.
Get it at Stylekorean or Beautytap.
A word on fragrance
I’m always quite relaxed when it comes to fragrance in skincare product. My skin tolerates low doses, but lately I’ve come to see that small doses do, in fact, accumulate – and gave me irritated skin that broke out again and again. Especially a-beauty likes to include fragrance into its skincare, and all those small amounts may, in fact, come together and wreck your previously healthy skin (especially when your skin gets drier in the colder season and your skin barrier isn’t up to par yet).
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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