Unboxing Beauty

I have been trying to find a nice, inexpensive substitute for my very expensive and bae, AmorePacific Enzyme Treatment Peel (review here).  I did try Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash (review), and whereas it wasn’t a bad alternative, I still was unhappy with the gritter grains in that wash.  Innisfree, which is a sister brand to AmorePacific, has a Green Barley series and it does contain a powder wash.  I purchased mine at RoseRoseShop.  I will repeat my standard blurb about what an enzyme cleanser is and I will do a comparison between the three products at the end of this review.

Green Barley

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What is an enzyme cleanser?  Enzymes in skin care have two functions ~ exfoliation and to help reduce swelling, tenderness, redness and pain ~ anti-inflammation.  Enzymes can be very gentle and are a fantastic replacement for facial scrubs and microdermabrasion products, such as  Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant and Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub ~ those products can be too harsh for your skin and could exacerbate the skin issues you thought the product was going to handle!   Enzymes break down the upper layer of skin which contains dead skin cells that contains keratin and whisking them away ~ literally decomposing the skin cells. By breaking down keratin, your skin is smoother and silkier.  Some of the best fruit enzymes are papaya (papain), blueberry and pineapple.  

I personally use these cleansers as exfoliators and not a replacement for a normal foaming or cream cleanser.   Exfoliation are very different from cleansing and whereas these are gentle enough to use several times a week, I would not use them daily.  I mention this as I have been asked this product can be used to replace the 2nd step in the double cleansing routine and I do not recommend it.   I wouldn’t use a facial scrub as my 2nd step, so why would I use an enzyme treatment, regardless of its foaming action, as one?    

 

I ordered mine from RoseRoseShop, as InnisfreeWorld did not have this in stock.  However, there is a packaging difference and I do believe that Innisfree has redesigned their cap so it pre-measures the powder.   I received the bottle that did not have the pre-measured cap, so that means I can spill out more than I want too.

New Design

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My bottle just has a cap and the product just pours out.  The new redesign is similar to the Tosowoong cap.

Description: 2-in-1 powder wash for peeling and cleansing with Jeju green barley.  Removes skin impurities and makeup thoroughly with Jeju green barley full of cellulose Moisturizes skin after facewash for its mineral ingredients of rice powder. Requires only a small amount to exfoliate, thanks to the original technology of AMOREPACIFIC that has encapsulated the unstable papain enzyme.  PTP technology: Polyol Template and Partitioning Technology patent no. 10-0517072.  What else you need to know: 4-free system: Free of mineral oil, animal ingredients, colorant and imidazolidinyl urea

How to use: After removing makeup, in the stage of cleansing, pour an appropriate amount (2 cm in diameter) of powder wash onto wet hands. Add lukewarm water and work into rich lather. Avoiding the  eye area, gently massage over entire face as you concentrate on the nose and cheek area. Rinse with lukewarm water afterwards.

Innisfree Green Barley Powder Wash is an enzyme cleanser, due to papain ingredient.  This is made with fermented green barley that is native to Gapado Island, which is off the southwestern coast of Jeju, without the use of pesticides, according to the description.   This has a twist off cap and the product can pour out freely as this design does not have a pre-measured stop.  It is one of the downsides of this product as it is easy to dump more product out and to accidentally spill it, as the cap is not a flip-cap.    

 

 

The grains are white-ish and they are very fine and it is basically odorless ~ if there is a scent, I don’t smell it.  You can see in the photo below how fine and small the grains in this powder wash are.   Due to the fine grains, I can apply this directly to my face… except….

It clumps!!  For whatever reason, this product has a tendency to clump up.  Now, it is easy to work the clumps into foam, but I have found it easier to do this in my hands first, build up the foam and then apply to my face.

The foam is very fine and this product does not have a foamy presence.  It is very light but for an enzyme product, it is acceptable to me.  I do not use enzyme foaming cleansers as a substitute for a true foaming cleanser, but as a third cleansing step.   My face does feel smoother when I use this product, 

 

I didn’t know the pH level of this product nor could I find anything out there before I purchased it.  To my surprise, Innisfree Green Barley Powder Wash comes in at 4.5 to 5 using my own tap water.   This is a low pH enzyme cleanser, if you are concerned about pH levels.

Ingredients

There is only one potential irritant trigger  with this product:  papain ~ which ranges from  0-3.   Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate are both surfactants (cleansers).  Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is not SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and is actually is derived from sarcosine, which is an amino acid found just about all animals and plants.  Innsifree Green Barley Powder Wash is vegan, as it does not contain any lactic acids or animal products.   From Innisfree’s press release on their green barley line

Formulated with green barley vinegar that possesses three types of natural AHA ingredients, the Green Barley line enables a smooth, clear skin. Green barley vinegar is Innisfree’s exclusive ingredient for exfoliating and used as the core ingredient of this new line. It is made from the same fermentation method as Jeju’s traditional shindari vinegar. Innisfree deeply researched this fermentation method and applied to the green barley that is harvested from Gapado Island.

Other ingredients of note:

• Papain ~ This anti-inflammatory and anti-bacteria enzyme is derived from papaya. It will exfoliate your skin without irritation by gently loosening dead skin cells and removing them from your skin. 
• Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate is a humectant and skin conditioner
  
• Oryza Sativa (rice) Extract  helps moisturize, smooth and is an anti-aging ingredient.   Rice contains high concentrates of antioxidants called  gamma-oryzano, which contains ferulic acid, sterols and vitamin E ~ this mixture is called phytonutrients and it will act as an anti-inflammatory and will also slow down the creation of fine lines and wrinkles by combating free radicals.   It also contains protective UV proprieties and phytic acid, an antioxidant that will help slow down, reduce and reverse hyper-pigmentation.  Rice also is an emollient as it contains squalene, which helps keep your oil/lipids level balanced and does not strip your skin.   Squalene also reduces free radical caused damage to your skin.   
• Silica is a crucial item when it comes to your skin’s connective tissue, collagen.   By stimulating certain cells, silica helps strengthen your collagen and elastin, which in turn will help firm and tone your skin and plump up your skin, so fine lines and wrinkles are not as noticeable.

Ingredients: sodium lauroyl glutamate, zea mays(corn) starch, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, oryza sativa (rice) powder, silica, hydrated silica, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, saccharomyces/barley seed ferment filtrate, hordeum vulgare (barley) seed extract, oryza sativa (rice) extract,citrus unshiu peel extract, papain, orchid extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, camellia japonica leaf extract,  opuntia coccinellifera fruit extract,  polymethyl methacrylate, propanediol, PEG-14M, PEG-75, fragrance  cosDNA.com analysis

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Comparison

As you might have guessed it, I will do a quick, unscientific comparison between Innisfree Green Barley Powder Wash, Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash, AmorePacific Enzyme Treatment Peel.  Let’s look at the ingredient list first (click on chart to embiggen)

 

 

They all use papain, which is papaya, as the enzyme fruit ingredient.   This helps exfoliate your skin without any harshness.    They all contain contain corn starch (zea mays) which is a thickening agent and helps with the silky smooth feel of the product.  Innisfree has corn starch as its second ingredient, whereas Tosowoong has corn starch as its first ingredient and AmorePacific has this way down its list as it is relying on silica to handle this job ~ this is cosmetic grade silica, so it is non-carcinogenic.  Innisfree also contains silica as well, to help with the silky smooth feeling and two types of silica ~ silica and hydrated silica.  AmorePacific contains detox ingredients ~ zeolite, which is a silky smooth mineral powder as well as more moisturizing products, whereas Tosowoong is relying on the Badger Oil for its moisturizing properties.  Innisfree is relying on fermented barley vinegar to moisturize, as well as a few more moisturizing emollients.

Only Innisfree is vegan ~ AmorePacific contains lactose (milk proteins) and Tosowoong contains badger oil.   Innisfree and AmorePacific are alcohol free, whereas Tosowoong contains alcohol.  Both AmorePacific and Innisfree contains antioxidants.

AmorePacific still excels in the smoothness factor.  Innisfree and Tosowoong are similar in the smoothness, but AmorePacific still wins with the smooth, soft and silky skin overall.   Innisfree and AmorePacific are fine grained and are very similar in texture, whereas  Tosowoong also has the problem with its more grittier texture, and if you have sensitive skin, I recommend that you foam this cleanser in your hands first before applying to your face.    Innisfree clumps but it can easily be broken up to foam properly, where AmorePacific and Tosowoong do not clump.   Innisfree has the least foam, followed by AmorePacific and Tosowoong does foam up quite a bit more than both of them, which if you are looking for a more foamier cleanser, Tosowoong would be a better choice.

 

Innisfree has the lowest pH level, at 4.5 to 5, with Tosowoong in 2nd place at 5 to 5.5 and AmorePacific at 5.5 to 6.  These are all pretty acceptable ranges.   Tosowoong gives you more product in the pre-measured amount than AmorePacific.   The cap design on Tosowoong, or at least the one I have, could be designed better, as it seems to break apart easily.  It does have the convenience of a flip-top cap, whereas AmorePacific has a screw on top, which does make it more sturdy but also not as quick to dispense.   Innisfree has redesigned their bottle, so it is more like the Tosowoong product, with a pre-measured amount of product and a flip cap, but the bottle I had was screw off cap with no pre-measured amount.  

Obviously, one of the major deciding purchase factors between these three products is the price point. Innisfree is 35 grams and retails for $8.55 USA.  Tosowoong and AmorePacific are both  70 grams  and Tosowoong retails for $12.00 whereas AmorePacific is $60.00.   If we go by weight, Innisfree would be in the middle of the price range as it is smaller, so if it was sold at 70 grams, it would be $17.10.    Another factor will be the ingredients list and any allergies or concerns, and Innisfree is vegan.  All three products leave your skin smooth without stripping your face dry and you can feel that it is moisturized without being greasy.

 

Final Thoughts

Innisfree Green Barley Powder Wash is not as good as AmorePacific but it is pretty close!  It has the fine grains, low pH level, leaves my skin smooth and silky.   It is also more affordable as well.  I think this is the better duplicate product and that makes sense as Innisfree is part of the whole AmorePacific family.  It is vegan, so that is a big selling point for many people as well.  The only downside is the clumping and the old design packaging where you do need to be careful not to spill all of the product out. Also, if you are looking for a really foaming cleanser, you may not care for this product.   I feel the smaller size is also nicer for traveling as well, so I think I will be purchasing this again for traveling ~ but AmorePacific is still my favorite and I will continue to purchase that one as well!     So, what do you think?  Are you interested in trying Innisfree Green Barley Powder Wash?

Where To Purchase

Based on the photos in the product listing, these look to be the design I have (old design). This bottle is 35 grams.

• RoseRosesShop  $8.55  (not free shipping)
• TesterKorea $9.74  (not free shipping)
• Jolse $11.88  (free shipping)

Based on the photos in the product list, this looks to be the new design and it is 40 grams.  

• YesStyle  $18.90
  

 

 

 

[  All opinions are my own and are unbiased ]