Shiseido Complete Cleansing Microfoam

 A very late empty and gifted repurchase: Shiseido's Complete Cleansing Microfoam is the little luxury I've been using in 2024... and will continue to use this 2025.

The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Trio

 During my previous purchases at The Face Shop of a toner and serum, I got this set as a gift with purchase. I didn't end up using it until my face needed heavy soothing, but I've used it enough for review. This set came in a resealable pack, which was already discarded.

The kit is composed of three items:

1. Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Foaming Cleanser

2. Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Facial Toner

3. Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Moisturizer

And here are my thoughts about it.

Review: In Her Element Low PH Rose Gel Cleanser

 Trying out some photo-editing, so things might be a bit wonky for a while. But I'm actually about to finish In Her Element's Low PH Rose Gel Cleanser.

How does it look like? How was it?

Vita Clear Acne Solutions Cleansing Gel

 Can't believe I finally got around to finishing this bottle of cleanser!

Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. But since I've been using it as a travel cleanser, it's pretty amazing that I've been able to finish it since it IS 2020 right now.

CosRx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Bought this cleanser a long while ago during a CosRx Haul (half of which are still pending review). While I'm not a big fan of their Salicylic Cleanser, how'd I find this?

CosRx vs Safeguard Cleanser

This is a short post, but two similar products for me are the CosRx Salicylic Acid Daily Cleanser and Safeguard's Dermasense Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin.

They are both salicylic acid cleansers for acne prone skin. I've seen the hype  for the former, but not for the latter when it first came out in 2015.

I don't understand it.

One is obviously better than the other!

Human Heart Nature Balancing Facial Wash

I've been using this on and off for when I travel, but I've finally been able to use it for more or less 2 weeks straight.

Avalon Organics Lavender Luminosity Facial Cleansing Gel

In trying to work through some of my (mostly drugstore) samples, I found a couple of Avalon Organics Lavender Luminosity Facial Cleansing Gel 4ml samples and decided to try it out.

I've used Avalon Organics shampoos and conditioners in the past and was curious regarding their skincare products. Avalon Organics, originally available from Healthy Options only, was one of the first organic lines that were available in the Philippines even before the organic movement hit the country.

St. Ives Green Tea Gel Cleanser

Life, for the past few weeks, has been super crazy. It's winding down again but I know it's gonna happen a lot in the future. How crazy? I've considered it a luxury when I am capable of washing my face and brushing my teeth twice in one day.

My skin has been faring poorly from a month previously because of this, but it's not as bad as I've been expecting. One of the reason's why is St. I'ves Green Tea Gel Cleanser.

St. Ives Green Tea Gel Cleanser

I originally bought this since I already foresaw that my current cleanser, while great for my everyday life, wouldn't be able to keep up with turbo mode. I needed something that would keep those big zits from coming out even with a super hectic lifestyle. Thus, my choice was an oil-free salicylic acid cleanser.

Purederm Make-up Cleansing Tissues

One year ago, Nivea's facial wipes exploded across news feeds everywhere. However, I found them too big and too expensive to store in my bag for daily use. Luckily, I saw some smaller and cheaper alternatives in Watsons. One of these were Purederm's Make-up Cleansing Tissues.

I was, at first, hesitant to purchase this (over the in house brand) because of my previous experience years ago with the Make-up Remover Cleansing Tissues of agest past. For those who've never tried it, the originals were soapy and required water to remove. I'd always get a residue even after using quite a bit of water and would end up using another cleanser (this was way before oil/double cleansing was popular). 

Fortunately, this is extremely different from before.

Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion

Time flies by so quickly: I remember when the Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion was a new thing, way before Bioderma's Sebium H2O entered the Philippine market.  It's a bit late now, but at least now I've got a better grasp of what the Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion can do.

Bifesta Cleansing Lotion

Bifesta is actually a cleansing water, and not a "lotion" as used normally. I used to use this on days where I couldn't wash my face properly - before the days when "beauty wipes" became in. Though I didn't feel perfectly clean after, I never had any irritation or break outs after using just this product at the start of the day. As to its original purpose as a make-up remover, I was happy enough with it as it was cheap at around P400 ($8) and it could take off my BB cream, blush, eyebrows, eyeshadow and lipstick.

Altchek MD: Daily Exfoliating Cleanser

Upon C's recommendation, I decided to purchase this as my previous cleanser, Clean and Clear, was running out. Now, if you haven't noticed, this is a totally different cleanser from my last. For one thing, it costs P795 for 240ml in Beauty Bar. It's not a luxury brand but it's no drugstore find either. It's a bit cheaper in the US for $14, available at Ulta - and it goes on sale there.

For another, this product is mainly glycolic acid (AHA) based, though it boasts other key ingredients as vitamin C, Calendula extract, fruit acids and reservatrol. I'm not sold on how these help at their concentration, and in a wash off product to boot. I also don't know why fruit acids aren't described as AHAs here. My skin doesn't react to this at all, so it at least it doesn't hurt.

The pump packaging is sturdy but makes it hard to transport. I need half a pump of this cream cleanser and rub on my face for 30-60 seconds. It contains these smooth exfoliating beads, and while it doesn't lather well, it spreads evenly and lightly exfoliates my face.

My skin feels moisturized after using, but that could be because of the glycerin and silicone in this product. I don't get any zits from the product, but others who are silicone sensitive may have issues because of this. It doesn't prevent acne formation as much as salicylic acid based cleansers do (when I do something stupid like not sleep), but my face is definitely smoother.

I'd recommend this product for those with drier and less acne prone skin types or as an alternate cleanser/scrub.

Clean & Clear Fruit Essentials Facial Cleanser

I got the Clean & Clear Fruit Essentials Facial Cleanser in Energizing Berry because I wanted to try out a cheaper salicylic acid cleanser other than Neutrogena for a change. It doesn't list its concentration, but should be around the 0.5% range. There are two versions I've seen- the red or berry version and the yellow or lemon- but I prefer berry over citrus. Those who prefer something more refreshing might prefer the lemon version. There is supposed to be a third version, but I haven't seen it here.

Clean &Clear Fruit Essentials Facial Cleanser Energizing Berry

The two main draws of these were its salicylic acid content and the berry-licious scent. The cleanser itself is faintly pink with a liquid to gel consistency. It doesn't lather well, but a little goes a long way and it spreads and rinses of easily. It also helps control my acne, very much like the Neutrogena Deep Clean. I like that it doesn't dry my skin, and can be used more than once daily.

What I didn't get was the bursting beads: they didn't burst on my face and required some effort to burst between my palms. I'd never use that much force on my face for cleansing!

Packaged in a clear plastic bottle with a flip-top cap, it's easy to see how much product you've used. It also has an expiration date clearly marked at the back. At around P150 for 100 ml, it does the job cheaply and can be used twice daily (as compared to the Neutrogena Deep Clean which sells for around P250 for 150 ml and dries my skin out more).

I'd buy this again, but would like to try out some other products first. Luckily, I don't think I'll run out of this anytime soon.

Kose Softymo W Hyaluronic Acid Facial Wash

Kose Softymo W Hyaluronic Acid Facial Wash

After a billion years, I've finally managed to reach the 90% mark of this tube! I'm trying to finish all the stuff I have before buying new things (which is why I probably won't get to try anything new for a while), and I'm really happy about my success at sticking to a product :))

Anyway, this is a basic cream cleanser that I got 2 years ago in Japan when my skin was drying out. It helped then, but here in the Philippines, it hasn't exactly been my problem - so even if I could repurchase this product, I probably wouldn't.

How to use: apply a small amount on damp hands and rub together to get a creamy lather. Massage it into an equally damp face. Wash of immediately.

No frills. No fuss.

10% to go!

Review: Neutrogena Hydro Boost

This may be an older product, but I haven't been able to try it until recently. I've been using it for a month and I think I'm ready to review it. I have no idea what the price is. Sorry for the bad pictures....

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser (left), Clear Lotion (middle) and Essence (right)

Mouse Cleanser Ingredients
Glycerin, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, copper gluconate, Olea europaea (olive) leaf extract


Essence Ingredients
Sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, copper gluconate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone


Ingredients list taken from thefilipinodoctor.com



Clear Lotion Ingredients

Aqua, dipropylene glycol, glycereth-26, butylene glycol, glycerol, dexpanthenol, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, tween 20, citric acid, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, parfum, sodium hyaluronate, Canarium album Raeusch, copper gluconate

Ingredients list taken from cosdna.com

News: Kanebo Dew Superior Brush Cleanse Pen

Have you heard of it? The Kanebo Dew Superior Brush Cleanse Pen is supposed to be a new (at least to me!) way of spot cleansing so you get rid of all the nasty stuff in your pores. This product debuted quite recently, and I saw it on TV in Japan this late May. However, at 3,000 Yen (3,150 Yen including tax or around 40 USD) for a brush with 6ml of product, I was not very keen buying it.


According to this news release, this pen is meant to be used twice a week after oil cleansing and before normal cleansing (Japanese women seem to wash their face twice: once with both an oil-based cleanser and another with a non-oil based cleanser).


Because the bristles -from 0.7 mm at the root and 0.07 at the tip- are about 1/10 the size of a pore, it seems that it is possible for the brush to be used as a mechanical scrub in order to remove build up on top of pores. Among other things, the liquid in the pen contains Niacinamide and somehow involve collagen and sodium hyaluronate (my japanese isn't that good so feel free to translate the text yourselves :) ).


I think that if someone were to buy this pen, he or she could substitute his or own formula after the original 6 ml has run out (even as an external solution). However, I'm not ready to shell out this much money on something this tiny!


Has anyone tried this?