On Black Friday, I rather dramatically failed to curb my skincare purchases, and instead, acquired roughly one half of the existing PSA line-up. If you don’t know PSA, and its products, read on: this is my first review of their products – the Acai & Manuka Honey Reset Cleanser.
The Brand
PSA is the sister brand of super expensive Singaporean brand Allies of Skin (AoS) and stands for Purposeful Skincare by Allies. (I’ll also review the AoS products I bought in the future.)
It was founded in 2020, as Nicholas Travis, founder and CEO of both brands tells it:
“I had the idea for PSA when I was in Malaysia and Thailand, (…). I soon realised that the cost of one Allies of Skin product, which is around $120 for a cream, is equivalent to 1/4 of a sales associate’s monthly salary. (…) I saw an opportunity to create a range of products that were not only efficacious but fun, easy-to-use, and wallet-friendly. More importantly, they should give you the freedom to customise your routine based on where you are on your skincare journey.”
PSA
What it is
The Reset Acai & Manuka Honey Nourishing Cleanser is a creamy balm-like cleanser that somewhat surprisingly comes in a tube and smells (to me) like grapeseed oil and offers a gentle daily cleanse.
Official description:
“A creamy and gentle cleanser that doesn’t just cleanse, it also works to nourish your skin by infusing it with essential moisture and nutrients from Manuka Honey UMF 16+, Acai Berry + Acai Oil, Yoghurt and Grapeseed Oil.”
PSA
The cleanser”s key benefits: “Brightens complexion; Replenishes moisture; Nourishes skin”
What I usually use
I’m super boring when it comes to my cleansing routine. I use Clinique’s Take The Day Off for my eye makeup removal, and my balea Cleansing Oil for my whole face. If I need to double cleanse, I’ll use a micellar water (and wash that off!) afterwards. I’ve done that for years, and very likely bored you to death with the numerous accolades for the cleansing oil.
PSA Reset Cleanser review: Ingredients
As most cleansers, this one relies on a mix of surfactants to, well, cleanse. The most are very gentle, but Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate has a bad rep – it’s supposedly rather harsh. To offset that, the ingredient list names a lot of moisturising ingredients: glycerine, grapeseed oil, propanediol, sunflower oil and the rather exciting (for geeky skincare lovers, at least) Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes – tiny spheres that slowly release safflower seed oil and vitamin E stored within (Incidecoder) for long-lasting hydration.
Another exciting ingredient is honey that’s antimicrobial and moisturising and also soothing. (Is it really Manuka Honey?! A high percentage of Manuka Honey is actually fake, so I don’t get my hope up, but honey is good, no matter Manuka or not.) The small amount of lactic acid included doesn’t work as an exfoliant, here (the pH is too high for that), but as an additional moisturising agent.
Application
Let me quickly say that I couldn’t love the outer box (and the website) more for all the info it gives. You don’t have to do a deep dive into the website, it’s all there. When to use it, as which step of your routine to use it (easy with a cleanser, but maybe trickier with treatments), HOW to use it, ingredients – just read the box!
PSA advises to use Reset on dry skin if you want to remove makeup and SPF, and on damp skin for a lighter cleanse. On dry skin, you then add water and massage that in to emulsify. On damp skin, PSA advises to leave it on the skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off.
The skin feel of this is truly wonderful. The consistency is honey-like, and the emerging lather isn’t overly foamy, but silky and smooth. I found it a bit hard to gouge what amount to use – especially when used on dry skin, it’s a bit hard to spread and a bit sticky.
Effect
Here’s what convinced me: I’m notoriously picky when it comes to cleansing, because literally everything but my beloved cleansing oil dries my skin out. This one doesn’t. It not only doesn’t dry out my skin, but instead leaves it hydrated. It feels smooth, clean-but-not-squeaky-clean, and rather velvety.
What didn’t convince me: Reset can’t cope with a face full of makeup, especially longwearing stick eyeshadow or eyeliner and waterproof mascara. PSA says to do a second cleanse with Reset in this case, and I’m not convinced. I rather do my regular cleansing routine with Clinique and a micellar water (as described above) in that case.
Worth it
Here’s the big question: do you NEED a $29/30 € cleansing balm?! Of course not. You’ll find something much more affordable that also cleanses without stripping your face. For that price, I think they could also overthink the packaging: while the tube is cute, it’s maybe not the best option for a runny balm that tends to come out in big gushes if you store the tube standing up.
What makes it special to me is the luxurious, silky feel it gives me during and after the cleanse. Still, I would definitely wait for a good deal like the 30% off during the “Black Friday Month” of November.
Price & Availability
I ordered at the AOS/PSA website, and was very pleased with the quick shipping (the warehouse for Europe is in the Netherlands). Niche-Beauty, Beautylish, Asos and Boots also carry the brand. 100ml/3.4fl.oz. are $29/30 €.
Please note that this post 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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