Unboxing Beauty

I have 3 foaming cleansers that I would like to review for you ~ e.l.f. Daily Face Cleanser, AmorePacific Treatment Cleansing Foam and Innisfree Rebalancing  5.5 pH Blueberry Cleanser.  I also purchased e.l.f. duo sided cleansing brush to compare to Memebox duo pore cleanser brush as well.  All of these items were purchased by me

 

For my testing, I used some stubborn makeup ~ theBalm Meet the Matt(e) Hughes  lipstick, waterproof masara, Tonymoly Delight lip tint, Innisfree cream eyes shadows and eye pencils.  I have oily skin, that is blemish prone and I have aging concerns.

 

e.l.f Daily Face Cleanser  e.l.f. came out with some skincare products that seem to be very similar to K-Beauty products.  I happen to like e.l.f. products ~ they are an inexpensive brand but are quality items.   This product looks to be pretty standard fare for a cleanser and I do not see anything in the ingredients lists that looks to be unique ~ but e.l.f. is boasting that it is make with purified water (!) that will help hydrate the skin.  Okay, I would hope all cleansers are made with purified water, so that doesn’t move me too much.   The tube is really nice and simple ~ a matte blue with white lettering, easy flip off cap and the cleanser is not thick ~ it reminds me of dish washing liquid soap in its consistency and texture.  It is a translucent, almost opalescent white color and has a generic soapy scent.  Nothing unpleasant but nothing to write home about either.  It does foam up nicely and I am pleased that it has a pH level of 6.5 to 7  ~ it isn’t super high and for me, it is in an acceptable range for a cleanser. 

It really cleanses well!  I do like how it removed all of the makeup and despite its scent, which I was afraid that my skin might be dried out, it doesn’t dry out my skin.    This is a pretty decent cleanser, very affordable ~ it is no frills, with its scent and texture ~ again, it reminds me of generic liquid soap, but its lower pH level and affordability are really good reasons to give this product a try.  I did find that because the cleanser is more liquid-y than most, I used more.  They do need to redesign this from a tube to a pump.  This cleanser is free from parabens, sulfates and phthalates.  

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Xanthan Gum, Glycereth-7, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance(Parfum)   cosDNA.com analysis   

AmorePacific Treatment Cleansing Foam   I received this sample when I purchased some items at Sephora.   I really love the AmorePacific Enzyme Treatment Peel, so I was excited to try this product from the same line.  AmorePacific is the mother company to so many other Korean skincare brands, such as Innisfree, Primera, Etude House and more.  According to AmorePacific, this is a hydrating and purifying cleanser and it is designed more for oily and blemish prone skin.  It has botanical extracts and is free from sulfates, petro-chemicals and phthalates.   The first thing I noticed when I used it is that it has little blue grains in it.  These are Vitamin E micro-spheres that will burst open as it foams up.  Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that will leave your skin smooth and silky.  AmorePacific also states that this can be used as a shaving foam as well ~ which I guess it could ~ this cleanser has a medium weight to it and its foam is very dense, not bubbly.

This does have some moisturizing ingredients ~  bamboo sap, mango butter, olive oil and  sunflower oil as well as a brightening ingredients in licorice.   This also has something called BioGF1K Complex™, which is not an ingredient listed, but based on the description, this is from red ginseng and will protect your skin against free radials and has anti-aging properties as it is an antioxidant.  The pH level is quite high on this cleanser, however.  I do think it is between an 8 and 9 level.  This is such as shame, as for those who cannot tolerate high pH levels, you won’t be able to use this cleanser.  

It had issues with the Tonymoly Delight lip tint and theBalm Meet the Matt(e) Hughes lipstick, but I normally would use an oil cleanser first before using any foaming cleanser to really help loosen up my makeup.    This cleanser has the same light, creamy scent that is found in the AmorePacific Enzyme Treatment Peel cleanser.   I did not feel that my skin was tight or dry, nor was it squeaky clean, which is a good thing.  You do not want your face to feel squeaky clean, as that means your good oils have been stripped away.   Usually, cleansers with a higher pH level are drying like that, but not all are.   Since this has so many moisturizing oils, I feel that is why this product didn’t produce that dry, tight feeling on my face ~ as well as the fact I have very oily skin, which helps.  My face did feel smoother after using this product.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, PEG-8, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-32, PEG/PPG-25/30 Copolymer, Sorbitol, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Algae Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Lactose, Disodium EDTA, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Sucrose, Alcohol, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Olive Oil PEG-8 Esters, Ultramarines (CI 77007), Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trehalose, Triclosan, Phosphatidylcholine, Propylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-14M, PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance  cosDNA.com analysis

 

Innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing  5.5 Cleanser  So, Innisfree came out with a new Superfoods line, which includes Red Beet (brightening), Blueberry (rebalance), Broccoli (clearing), Kale (antioxidant) and Oat  (mild moisture) ~ there are cleansers and toners in this line of products.

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I purchased a few items from this new line, including this one, their Blueberry Rebalancing 5.5 Cleanser.  The 5.5 means it has a pH level of 5.5. I happen to be a huge fan of Innisfree but I haven’t really tried their foaming cleansers.  Annnnddd, what was the first thing that I did?  I did a pH test, of course!!  haha.  I am always trying to discover if the claims are true ~ and this one seems be mostly true ~ it ranges from 5.5 to 6 on my test, so I feel confident that Innisfree didn’t mislead anyone on the 5.5 pH level.

This is the thickest cleanser out of the three tested here.  Very dense and it does foam up well, even though the photo below doesn’t accurately reflect that.   See how the foam is by the side of my hand?  That is how it normally is when I am not trying to take a photo!!  This doesn’t smell like blueberries to me, but a lovely sweet citrus scent ~ it reminds me of lemon cakes

• Blueberry Extract ~ Blueberries are a Superfood and are full of phytochemicals  and antioxidants, which help suppress oxidization and therefore, inhibit the free radical production.  Free radicals cause damage and can destroy cells, which leads to premature aging.  One cup of blueberries contain 13,427 antioxidants!  They also have Vitamin C and A and flavonoids, all which reverse the skin damage caused by free radicals ~ fine lines, wrinkles, hyper-pigementation, broken capillaries.    Blueberries are also good for blemish prone skin, as it contains salicylates and that will remove dead skin, dirt and debris from pores and also is anti-bacterial.
• Raspberry Ketone, found in red raspberries (rubus idaeus), will help increase skin elasticity, making skin more tone and firm.
  
• Glycerin helps with healing of wounds, is an humectant, sealing in moisture, maintains the skin’s water balance on an intercellular level, which makes the skin look healthy, moist (not dry and scaly), soft to touch, and is also an emollient, leaving your skin looking radiant and supple
• Allantoin moisturizes, exfoliates and softens skin, making it look smooth and refined, while reducing and relieving irritation. 

 

This cleanser really did a fantastic job!  You can see how well it removed just about all traces of makeup, leaving only a slight stain for theBalm lipstick. It produces a nice foam and my skin feels fresh and smooth, not dry or stripped.  I also really enjoyed the light citrus scent as well, which is so refreshing.

Description: Enriched foam cleanser, which helps to regain a proper pH balance of skin via blueberry’s powerful an antioxidant activity.  Leave soft and moisturized skin condition after cleansing the face.  Make a healthy skin condition via blueberry’s powerful antioxidant activity. Regain proper pH balance of skin.  Blueberry’s rebalancing line is to help to make an proper pH balance of skin, which is pH 5.5. Helps to make a proper balance of oil and moisture.Experience a relaxed skin condition, when it meets a good balance in pH, oil-moisture.

Ingredients: purified water, sodium cocoyl isethionate, glycerin, diglycerin, diethylhexyl sodium sulfosuccinate, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, benzyl glycol, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil, potassium cocoyl glycinate, potassium cocoate, citric acid, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, sodium chloride, ethylhexylglycerin, butylene glycol, allantoin, disodium EDTA, raspberry ketone, 1,2-hexanediol, vaaccinium angustifolium (blueberry) fruit extract, poly C10-30 alkyl acrylate, polyquaternium-67, sodium acetate, isopropyl alcohol   cosDNA.com analysis

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e.l.f. Cleansing Duo Face Brush I also purchased from e.l.f. this duo face brush as it looks.just.like the Memebox one (read my review here).   Only in a light blue-aqua shade for the soft silicone brushes instead of hot pink and the logo.   This face brush has the same curved handle, soft bristles for cleansing and the silicone brush side for pore cleansing.  Really, it is just like the Memebox one, just a bit more expensive by a few dollars.  However, e.l.f is always running sales and promos, so it can go down quite a bit in price.  I wanted to try this brush as I know that at times, Memebox has a hard time keeping this brush in stock.

Description:  This dual-sided cleansing brush helps invigorate, refresh and deeply cleanse the skin for a radiant looking complexion. The luxuriously soft bristles help to gently clean deep into pores while the flexible silicone exfoliates and massages the skin. The comfort grip handle is ergonomically shaped to aid in controlled cleansing.

Final Thoughts

Sooo… I think that the best cleanser in this trio is the Innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing Cleanser.  The pH level is perfect, it smells divine, cleanses beautifully and it leaves my skin feeling clean without being stripped.  It is also quite affordable.  e.l.f. Daily Face Cleanser came in second, as I was surprised at its lower pH level and its cleansing abilities.  It is the most affordable one of the trio, but the scent and texture of this product leaves me a bit cold ~ I feel like I am putting liquid hand soap on my face.  It is also runny, and they do need to redesign the packaging due to that.  My biggest disappointment was AmorePacific Treatment Foam.  I didn’t have issues with the higher pH level as this cleanser didn’t strip my face dry and I did love the dense foam on my face.  However, for the price point ~ $50.00 for a 4.1 oz tube ~ I don’t think so.  It wasn’t exceptional ~ I do not mind paying a higher price if a product is drop dead the best thing in the world, like AmorePacific Enzyme Treatment Peel, but this cleanser does not come close to that. 

The pore brush from e.l.f. is a fantastic dup of Memebox I’m Duo Pore brush and if Memebox sells out of it again, at least you know where to go for a backup!

What do you think?  Have you tried any of these cleansers?  I highly recommend Innisfree Blueberry cleanser and now am looking at purchasing the Red Beet Brightening Cleanser ~ I do not know what the pH level of that cleanser is at this moment.

Where to Purchase

e.l.f Daily Face Cleanser   110 mL RV $7.00

e.l.f. Cleansing Duo Face Brush  $14.00

I’m Dual Pore Brush   (Memebox)  $9.00

I currently have some $10.00 off coupons with Memebox, first come, first serve.  Please do not repost  these codes directly on other sites, like the Facebook groups.  You can direct your readers to this blog post if you wish to share.  Thank you as I would like to continue to provide them but if these are abused, I cannot.

• 2OEEEK1Q
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AmorePacific Treatment Cleansing Foam   4.1 oz RV $50.00 

Innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing 5.5 Foam Cleaner  100 mL   RV varies from  $5.84 to $10.43

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• Cosmetic Love  Free Shipping
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