Skincare Talk: MASSIVE CLEANSER REVIEW!

Wednesday 17 July 2019 at July 17, 2019

Fact: Your cleanser can make or break your skincare routine!

In today's episode of Skincare Talk, I will be sharing with you my review of 10 cleansers which I've been testing out for the past 6 months. One of the key similarities between all 10 cleansers is that they all have a low pH because that is the minimum requirement I need from my cleanser. Our skins' natural pH level is acidic as we have a protector barrier called the acid mantle. This barrier protects our skin from external irritants, like bacteria, pollution, heat, etc which is why once your acid mantle is being destroyed, you can start getting skin diseases like eczema, rosacea, acne, and you might find yourself breaking out even more and healing way slower than you should. When your skins' pH level is right, it also makes it ready to absorb all the other benefits from the rest of the products in your routine! So without further ado, let's take a look at these 10 low pH cleansers.



Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycolipids, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis Fruit Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Polylysine

My heart aches a little whenever I talk about this cleanser, this feels like my first love. I don't have a recent photo of it since I emptied it months ago (yes the photo is photoshopped) and I thought it was creepy to be keeping the empty bottle just because I can't deal with the fact that it's gone, so a few weeks ago I just threw it out. I wasn't into it from the very beginning, but as I was finishing it, I realised how much I effin' love this cleanser! The texture and consistency is unlike any other, it doesn't foam at all no matter how vigorously you rub your palms together and it just stays as a gooey gel texture - which is the reason why I didn't love it initially. It just feels so odd as the only thing that changes is the colour. Regardless, I got used to the texture and the best part is I noticed how this leaves my skin feeling clean but at the same time, doesn't make me wanna run for my moisturizer. This is a clear, positive sign that a cleanser is perfect for my skin. As this cleanser is from Drunk Elephant, you can expect no drying alcohols, no fragrance, no essential oils, no silicone, all that crap. If it wasn't for the price tag, you bet I will be using this again. Unfortunately, $46 for a cleanser... It's definitely overpriced.

Pros: Does the best job at cleansing while keeping my skin comfortable.
Cons: $46 man.

Read my Drunk Elephant review here.

2. Krave Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser


Ingredients: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Methyl Gluceth-10, Ethoxydiglycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Chloride, Butoxydiglycol, Diglycerin, Glycereth-26, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Diethoxydiglycol, Coco-Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Decyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, Octanediol, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium PCA, Disodium EDTA

My heart aches when I have to talk about the Krave Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser... Because I hate it and yet I bought two of it. I bought this when I was in Seoul since it was highly raved, in fact, everything from Krave is highly raved, so I really did not expect to dislike this. The main ingredients in this cleanser is marketed to be 40% of matcha which is the "Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder" in the list, hemp seed oil, vitamin B5, and sodium PCA. I don't understand why vitamin B5 and sodium PCA should be mentioned since it's literally the last few ingredients, i.e. you're probably only getting a tiny drop of these ingredients which will not be capable of doing anything beneficial to your skin. Either way, I really disliked the texture of this cleanser. It feels oily and grainy. While it did make my skin feel moisturized even after cleansing, my skin did not feel clean, possibly due to the lack of actual cleansing ingredients. As acne-prone, I didn't like how it contains sweet almond oil and hemp seed oil... Both didn't do anything for me, and probably clogged my pores which was why I was breaking out. Honestly, I find it meaningless to create such a hydrating cleanser. While the oils might keep your skin feeling hydrated and fool you into thinking that it's not stripping away your moisture barrier hence it's a wonderful cleanser, it could also possibly leave a film on your skin since both the sweet almond oil and hemp seed oil are occlusive, meaning they tend to sit on top of your skin, giving you that moisturized feeling while also blocking out every other thing you will be applying to your skin, AHA especially, which is not oil soluble. Yikes, what a waste of product.

Pros: None, sorry Liah!
Cons: Unpleasant texture and contains too much oils i.e. not suitable for acne-prone skin.

Read my Krave Beauty review here.

3. CosRx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 


Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Polysorbate 20, Styrax Japonicus Branch/​Fruit/​Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Evening Primrose Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Hexanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium Edta

Finally a product that doesn't break my heart... Or bank. At my wit's ends, I decided to watch my old skincare videos because I used to have clear skin. I found a video where I talked about the best K-beauty products for breakouts and this product was one of the cleansers I recommended back then! Since I bought 2 of these in Seoul, immediately, I replaced the Krave cleanser with this one. The texture of this is awesome, it's gel, but it still foams slightly, enough for you to work it around your face gently without tugging at your skin. Going through the ingredients, the first few ingredients are cleansing ingredients so it cleanses well, it also contains a couple of hydrating humectants to help retain moisture in your skin, and it also contains Betaine Salicylate which is a form of BHA. As compared to AHA, I find that BHA works better for acne-prone skin, but BHA needs to be on your face for awhile for it to penetrate into your skin, so I'm skeptical about its ability to perform in a cleanser. Now for the problematic bit, this contains tea tree oil which is a well-known essential oil that has anti-bacterial properties, it is always marketed to be an oil that is good for treating acne, but there actually hasn't been any scientific research to prove this. Moreover, essential oils will sensitize your skin as they are drying, so, no thanks! There are some articles stating that Butylene Glycol is toxic because it is derived from petroleum, but studies also shows that Butylene Glycol is the safest glycols and it does not pose any harm to our body, even when consumed. In terms of how my skin reacted to this cleanser, I would say that it really depends on how it's feeling. If it's irritated and sensitive, this cleanser is too drying for my skin. But when it's normal (i.e. non-sensitive), it doesn't give me that tight feeling. It doesn't break me out, in fact I think my skin do likes it to a certain extent. If you have normal skin, I think this is worth trying for the price tag, but if you have sensitive skin... Maybe save your money for something else (don't worry, I've got better cleansers in this list).

Pros: Affordable, does a great job at cleansing.
Cons: Can be drying for some and it contains an essential oil (tea tree).

4. La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser


Ingredients: Aqua /​ Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Peg-8, Coco-Betaine, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Zinc, Pca, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum /​ Fragrance

This is a cleanser I got, probably back in March 2019. La Roche-Posay is one of my favourite skincare brands because the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (+) used to be one of my holy grail product (psst, if you have very mild acne, even hormonal acne, this will do wonders!). I found out that this cleanser is highly raved and has helped many people clear and control their acne, therefore I decided to give it a shot. This contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate which is SLES and not to be confused with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLES is a much more gentle surfactant and will not irritate or sensitize your skin. Although you will not be able to get that luxurious foam with SLES, at least it still foams, if you like foamy cleansers that is. The only other ingredient that got my attention is zinc. Zinc is a mineral that is known to support our skin, it has anti-inflammatory properties and it can also aid in the regulation of sebum production. Thus, a popular ingredient for treating acne. Other than that... There isn't anything else in this cleanser that I find extraordinary. I don't think it has done anything to improve my skin to be honest, if anything, everything just remained the same. Break outs still occurred, so even though I've had this cleanser for months, I still have not finished using it.

Pros: None that I can think of.
Cons: Just did not work for my skin.

5. CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for Normal and Oily Skin 


Ingredients: Purified Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Peg-6 Caprylic/​Capric Glycerides, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-Ii, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Sodium Chloride, Phytosphingosine, Citric Acid, Edetate Disodium, Dihydrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum

If you haven't heard of it (since I don't believe this is available at our local pharmacies), CeraVe is a brand that is similar to Cetaphil and Aveeno,... Brands that claim to be suitable for sensitive and dry skin basically and they all come in the most basic looking packaging. I was keen to try this since I was trying to restore my skin's barrier and the brand CeraVe just kept popping out as a recommended candidate. Spoiler, this is a really good gentle cleanser. For starters, this cleanser has a really good amount of hydrating and beneficial ingredients such as glycerin, niacinamide, 3 types of ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. It contains "Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate" which looks like "SLS", but it isn't what you think it is because the harmful "SLS" that everyone hates, stands for "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate", and not this. This is unrelated, but I feel the need to say that the Cetaphil's Gentle Cleanser has Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, yikes. Although it isn't stated on the packaging, this cleanser also has an ideal pH level of 5.5. I love that it comes with a pump and I got mine from iHerb which only cost me around $12! If I have to pick one thing I hate about this cleanser, it's probably the consistency. It's gel and it foams when in contact with water, but once it dries i.e, when the water evaporates from your face while you are in the midst of cleansing, it dries along with it and turns back into a sticky gel which makes it difficult to continue making smooth circular motions around your face.

Pros: Safe for your skin's barrier (hydrating and has a good pH level).
Cons: Dries up too quickly while cleansing.

6. Heimish pH 5.5 All Clean Green Foam Cleanser 


Ingredients: Water, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Glycerin, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tromethamine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium Edta

I picked this up when I was in Seoul when I saw it for the very first time. I'm surprised I haven't heard much rave about this product, but I decided to get 2 of it. The reasons are simple. 1st, it's a pH 5.5 cleanser, making it safe for your acid mantle (skin barrier). 2nd, this contains glycerin, a well-loved humectant that is also the main ingredient in my beloved Drunk Elephant cleanser. 3rd, no signs of drying ingredients such as SLS, drying alcohols and essential oil (yes!!!). And lastly, no signs of oils! YESSSSS! I was really internally screaming with joy when I scanned through the ingredient list. This is a very basic cleanser which only contains the minimum requirement to make it a gentle and effective cleanser. It contains centella asiatica which has soothing and healing benefits, but it also contains witch hazel which can be drying. If you're looking for a basic foamy cleanser, this will be your best bet. But if you're looking for a cleanser that will help improve your skin, or if you have dry and dehydrated skin, you're better off with something else.

Pros: Basic, simple and affordable.
Cons: Not suitable for very dry and dehydrated skin, or people with severe acne. 

7. Purito Barrier Defence pH Cleanser 


Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Royal Jelly Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA

I've worked with Purito before and have genuinely loved their skincare products. Therefore, when a viewer commented on one of my skincare review recommending me to try out their Barrier Defense Cleanser, I immediately approached them to see if they could kindly send me one. The reason why I was so keen to try it was because at that time, I was using the Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser which the viewer mentioned that it was too drying for her. She stated that the Purito Barrier Defense Cleanser worked better for her and did not dry out her skin so I thought perhaps this would be a better alternative for me as well. This cleanser has a good balance of cleansing agents, and humectants, along with tea tree oil and centella asiatica which are both anti-acne ingredients. Yes... I'm not a big fan of tea tree oil, but I liked the Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser which has tea tree oil so I made a judgement call. Other than that, I would also like to highlight that in comparison with the Cosrx cleanser, this one contains royal jelly extract which is probably the reason why it doesn't feel drying.

Pros: Great cleansing ability and protects our skin's barrier.
Cons: Contains an essential oil (tea tree). 

8. Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Foaming Cleanser 


Ingredients: Water, Peg-8, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Cocamide Dea, Peg-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Petrolatum, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium Edta, Bht, Methylparaben

Probably my favourite cleanser! I discovered this cleanser when my Sister asked me to help her check if the ingredients are safe and suitable for her dry, ezcema-prone skin. Looking through the ingredients, I noticed how this contains a handful of moisturizing humectants (glycerin, sorbitol, different forms of hyaluronic acids), zero fragrance, zero SLS, zero drying alcohols, and zero oils. Immediately, I told her, hey this is a really good cleanser! The ingredients are pretty basic which is good if you want to start afresh with a simple, basic routine because as you can see from the list, everything is either a cleansing ingredient, or a humectant, or an occlusive, or a preservative/stabilizer, and that's it. No weird exotic flower extract or oil, whatsoever. It also contains petrolatum which is basically vaseline. Vaseline is an occlusive which can help prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL) - basically it forms a layer on top of your skin to help prevent moisture loss by slowing down evaporation. At the same time, it can also serve as a protective barrier from external irritants. This pumps out immediately as a foam which I love since it was able to glide on smoothly on my skin. I find this especially soothing for areas where I have breakouts. Due to it's hydrating formula, it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry after cleansing, and my skin just feels fresh and comfortable. This retails at only $15 and you can also purchase refill packs at a cheaper price so you don't have to waste the bottle.

Pros: Affordable, gentle, hydrating and effective
Cons: None!

9. Bioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser



Ingredients: Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Methylpropanediol, Disodium EDTA, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Fructooligosaccharides, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate, Lactic Acid, Laureth-2, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum)

This cleanser is on the pricier side which was why it did took me ages to get it, but it's still cheaper than the Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser so that comforts me a little. This cleanser, once again contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), which as mentioned, is a much gentler surfactant as compared to SLS. The first couple of ingredients are cleansing ingredients, followed by a handful of humectants which will be good for retaining moisture while you cleanse your skin. It also contains zinc sulfate, a chemical compound of zinc and sulfuric acid. I know zinc and sulfur are two very popular ingredients that are known for treating acne, but I'm not too sure about zinc sulfate. If you've read my guide on AHAs, you might be happy to spot lactic acid in there. Unfortunately, since this is a cleanser, and lactic acid isn't one of its main ingredients, it's only job here is to act as a humectant and so you won't be getting any kinds of exfoliation here.

The texture of this cleanser is similar to the La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser, most likely due to the existence of SLES, but I would say that this has a lighter texture - sort of like a diluted gel and I do like the texture of this a lot more. After cleansing, it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight at all despite always taking a whole 2 minutes to wash my face which is awesome! One thing that bothers me though is the smell. It smells like hospitals... Or a science lab.

Pros: Provides gentle cleansing and is a makeup remover too (2-in-1!)
Cons: Smells weird.

10. CosRx Low pH First Cleansing Milk Gel 



​Ingredients: Water, ​Cyclopentasiloxane, ​Dimethicone, ​Dipropylene Glycol, ​Olive Oil Peg-7 Esters, ​Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, ​1,2-Hexanediol, ​Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, ​Arginine, ​Carbomer, ​Caprylyl Glycol, ​Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, ​Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, ​Allantoin, ​Hydroxyethylcellulose, ​Butylene Glycol, ​Cyclomethicone, ​Disodium Edta, ​Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, ​Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract

This is the only cleanser in the list that I've not yet try... And will probably never try. I bought this when I was in Seoul as I was attracted to the fact that I've never seen it around before and of course the "Low pH" on the packaging. Sometimes all you need is to look at the ingredient list to determine if a product will do any good for your skin or not. First up, this has a pretty big quantity of olive oil in it. Why would you want olive oil on your face? Olive oil is clogging. Period. Even the ingredients before the olive oil are emollients, a.k.a ingredients that help lock in moisture. I mean, this is a cleanser, where are the ingredients that will help cleanse my skin? I didn't buy a cleanser to get emollients... Then right smack in the middle of the list, there's bergamot fruit oil which is basically fragrance that will sensitize your skin. Someone actually commented on my Korea Beauty Haul video telling me that this product should be used as a makeup remover but I won't even use this as a makeup remover. It just sounds like a recipe for disaster in a tube.

Pros: None.
Cons: Bad formulation.

So those are all the cleansers I've tested, I still use majority of them in rotation depending on how my skin is feeling, but of course I've completely stopped using those that I did not like. Finally, while you may use this blog post as a guide, please note that everyone's skin is different, and lifestyle plays an important role in skin care too (eg. if you workout often or if your job requires you to stay under the sun for long hours, etc). If you have a favourite cleanser, let me know! I'd love to hear about it.

Labels: beauty, face, korean, review, skincare, skincare talk, tips