This was my first Asian beauty product. I had no idea what to expect, other than it was the recommended cleanser by Charlotte Cho of Soko Glam fame, and I could not find a single review where pH was listed. Spoiler alert: this does not have a happy ending.
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| English ingredients list! |
The Description:
- A foaming cleanser that contains pore-purifying egg white and deep-cleanses pore-clogging impurities with rich white foam.
- Egg White Story: Egg white is loaded with albumin that consists of amino acids.
- To Use: Dispense an ample amount onto wet palms and lather. Rub face thoroughly in gentle massaging motions, and then wash off with lukewarm water. Splash on cold water for astringent effects.
Price: ($)
I bought this from package_go_fast on Amazon.com for $8.90. It is 150 ml of product, which is quite generous for a cleanser at $0.06/ml. Used twice daily, this should last about 5-6 months. I would have priced it in the $5-10 range, so it is definitely affordable. [4/5]
Ingredients:
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Cocamidopropyl, Betaine, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Albumen Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Trehalose Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Beta-Sitosterol, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine, Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Enanti Chorantha Bark Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Alcohol, Hydrogynated Lecithin, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Parfum
- Comedogenic ingredients are listed in red.
- Irritation triggers are listed in orange.
- Potentially hazardous ingredients are listed in purple. (Note: this is according to the rating system on CosDNA, which rates them according to reports from CIR, RTECS, and the FDA on if these ingredients could be harmful with long term usage to the skin, cells, or human body.)
Running the ingredients through CosDNA brings up a couple of acne and irritation triggers, with the highest being Lauric Acid getting a 4/5 on comedogenicity, and Tocopherol (Vitamin E) getting a 2/5 on potential irritation. It also has added parfum, which can be irritating to some as well.
Its star ingredient, Albumen Extract, is tenth on the list. Egg whites cause the skin to have a "tight" feeling, and splashing cold water on after will prolong the feeling although these are only temporary effects.
This cleanser has some plant oils, such as olive, Argan, and sesame seed; as well as some anti-inflammatory plant extracts much further down on the ingredient list such as saw palmetto, chamomile, licorice root, Centella Asiatica, soybean seed, and Enanti Chorantha bark. Again, being a cleanser, it's only going to be on your skin for probably around a minute, and then washed off. There doesn't need to be a ton of skin-soothing or moisturizing ingredients.
So? What about the pH? Does it pass?
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| Holy alkalinity, Batman! |
Nooooo. Nope! I ran, not walked, away from this cleanser when my pH strips finally came in and I tested it. I'm calling it a 9.5. Waaaay too alkaline. For fantastic explanations as to why highly alkaline cleansers (or anything, really) are not good for your face, check out Skin & Tonics and Snow White & the Asian Pear, as they have excellent and concise posts that explain that way better than I could. [1/5]
Performance:
This comes in a plastic squeeze type tube, which is pretty hygenic and very easy to use.
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| It lathers up very easily. |
This cleanser really does lather up well, which is kind of sad. You need so little, and it washes off so cleanly. Too cleanly. Waaay too squeaky clean. My face got instantly really tight as I'm washing this away. It is entirely too astringent. Also, if you get any in your eyes, it buuuurns, preciousssss....
That being said, this is exactly what the product is advertised to do. I don't agree with it, but it's not like it's just accidentally over-tightening my skin. It didn't deep clean and do anything for clogged pores, but it also did not break me out for the short time I used it, so I guess that counts for something. [2/5]
Personal View:
This product, while cheaper and easy to find, isn't worth your money. There are other affordable cleansers that work better than this one, within ideal pH range and doesn't strip your skin. There's a ton of product, so it'll last forever cleaning my makeup brushes, but it'll never go on my face again.
I definitely would not rebuy this, and won't be recommending this to anybody. [1/5]
TL;DR:
The Good: Very affordable, good packaging, and good amount of product. Foams up readily and washes off cleanly. Did not break me out.
The Bad: pH is sky high and product leaves my skin feeling stripped. Won't rebuy, wouldn't recommend.
- Price: 4/5
- Ingredients: 1/5
- Performance: 2/5
- Personal View: 1/5
- Total: 2/5
