Etude House AC Clinic White-Trouble Bubble Cleanser | Review

Trouble Bubble Cleanser Review At a reader's request, I will be posting a review on the Etude House AC Clinic White-Trouble Bubble Cleanser.

This is a bubble-type foam cleanser; with its rich creamy foam and micro bubble particles, it deeply cleanses the pores, melting down impurities and skin trouble inducing substances. It also helps to regulate PH balancing and protect skin from harmful environment.

The following are the key ingredients:

- Propolis Extract gives an anti-bacterial effect and supplies nutrients to dehydrated skin, as well as helps to revitalize it.

- Pine Resin protects skin from external damage. It also helps to moisturize skin and improve skin texture.

- Natural Herbal Complex contains Tussilago Farfara (Coltsfoot) Flower, Asparagus Cochinchinensis Root and Laminaria Japonica extracts that provides antioxidant effect and helps to relieve skin troubles and irritation.

It has a 4-free system: Free of Paraben, Talc, Mineral Oil, Tar

What's more, it is non-comedogenic and clinically proven hypoallergenic!

The product comes in a plastic bottle with a pull-out (?) cap.

It has a smart pump dispenser that creates an airy, soft and fluffy foam. Cool, isn't it?

The micro-bubble particles penetrate and cleanse deeply into the pores, drawing out excess oil and dirt.

How To Use:
Pump out an adequate amount of foam on hands. Massage the bubble on face evenly then wash off with lukewarm water.

Tried and Tested + Verdict

As usual, let's put it into a test...

"Moisture + Oil Test"

on my forehead.

Here's the measurement guidelines for you to refer back to later:

*P.S. Analyzing Standards:

The standard value of moisture level is 38%++, 3-5 bars (normal to very moisturized).

The standard value of oiliness (skin type) is 3 bars (normal). - means balanced, which is neither too oily nor too dry.

The standard value of cells (roughness/softness) is average/soft.

BEFORE cleansing:

AFTER cleansing:

Skin's moisture decreased from 40% to 38%; remained at 3 bars.

Oiliness decreased from 5 bars to 4 bars.

Skin's cells (.aka. skin texture) remained average.

- *Results shown are after cleansing and before applying toner and moisturizer* -

The first thing I noticed was my skin didn't get that squeaky, tight feeling or irritation after cleansing. And it dried out my non-inflamed pimples in a few days, but it wasn't very effective against my inflamed pimples. Therefore, in my opinion, it is more effective against non-inflamed pimples like whiteheads, flesh-colored bumps.

Another thing I noticed was that this AC Clinic White-Trouble Bubble Cleanser gets used up faster than the AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser, even though they have the same amount of product (150ml). So it may be a bit costly lah. Side information: I usually use one pump and it is sufficient to cleanse my face.

Overall, the Etude House AC Clinic White-Trouble Bubble Cleanser cleanses the skin without overly stripping away the natural oils and moisture. I think it is by far the most gentlest acne cleanser I have ever come across. Ideal for sensitive skin! The only drawback is it's not very effective against inflamed acne.

If you have a lot of red inflamed pimples, I would recommend the AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser instead of this bubble one. Pick this only if your pimples are mostly non-inflamed zits.

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Innisfree Jeju Bija Anti-Trouble Facial Foam | Review

Innisfree Jeju Bija Anti-Trouble Facial Foam is a refreshing cleanser formulated with salicylic acid and *nutmeg fruits, which have powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Combined with torreya seed oil which has an outstanding healing effect, it provides an effective relief for skin troubles.

*Fun Fact: The nutmeg is a rare ingredient that has endured 20 years of survival in the wild. It smoothes your skin and enhance the skin’s natural defense system.

5-FREE formula: Free of synthetic colorants, mineral oil, animal-originated ingredients, artificial fragrances, imidazolidinyl urea

It comes in a soft tube bottle with a plastic twist-off flip cap.

The opening is well sealed with a foil, so do remember to peel off the foil prior to use. Otherwise, you won't be able to squeeze out the paste.

It has a creamy paste and has a minty, herbal scent.

And when it comes into contact with water, it lathers up quickly and easily.

Usage: Squeeze out an appropriate amount, make into a lather and massage it on your face. Then, wash off with lukewarm water.

Step: Cleansing Gel — Facial Foam — Skin Lotion — Spot Essence or Spot Patch

Tried and Tested

Let's have a...

"Moisture + Oil Test"

Here's the measurement guidelines for you to refer back to later:

*P.S. Analyzing Standards:

The standard value of moisture level is 38%++, 3-5 bars (normal to very moisturized).

The standard value of oiliness (skin type) is 3 bars (normal). - means balanced, which is neither too oily nor too dry.

The standard value of cells (roughness/softness) is soft - happy face.

BEFORE Cleansing:


AFTER Cleansing:

Skin's moisture decreased from 3 bars to 2 bars; from 38% to 36%.
Oiliness decreased from 4 bars to 3 bars.

Skin's cells (.aka. skin texture) became less soft. :x

- *Results shown are prior to toner and moisturizer application.* -

What I like about this cleanser is that it gives a minty, cooling effect during cleansing, which makes my skin feels really refreshing. It cleanses pore impurities, leaving my face clean but doesn't overly strip and make my skin feels too tight. Furthermore, it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin, which is great!

Unfortunately, to be honest, this Bija Anti-Trouble line did not seem to work out positively for my acne skin. I was getting more cystic acne (painful ones) after using the cleanser and toner and I have no idea why.......... FYI, currently I have switched back to Etude House AC Clinic line.

Bear in mind, our skins are different and react to product differently. So it didn't work out well for me doesn't mean that it might not work out for you.

Well, I'm not sure if you have read my post on 2015 January & March Haul. In that post, I mentioned that my friend, who is currently still dealing with acne, raved about this Bija Anti-Trouble line because it worked magically for her.

Here's the BEFORE and AFTER pictures of her acne skin:

I believe you can clearly spot the improvement.

So if you are having troubles with acne and are interested in this skincare line, go ahead, give it a try and see how your skin reacts. Who knows, it might work out for you. :)

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Review: Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam

Description: A pore cleansing foam that contains Jeju volcanic clusters which absorbs excess sebum and purifies pores.

Directions: Apply an appropriate amount onto wet hands and work into rich lather. After massaging, rinse off with lukewarm water.

Usage order: Cleanser - Toner - Lotion - Essence

Net Weight: 150ml

Price: ₩8000

Packaging:

The tube of cleanser is well-wrapped with a plastic wrapper. 

The wrapper can be easily removed via the tear line.

It comes in a squeezable tube with a white flip-on/snap-on cap.

The opening is perfectly sealed with a foil. 

Upon peeling off the foil, the paste can be easily squeezed out from the tube.

Scent:

It has a nice floral scent! I absolutely love the scent!

Color & Consistency + Makeup Remover Test:
As shown in the following pictures of the Makeup Remover Test, the cleanser paste has a white creamy texture with little scrubbing beads of volcanic clusters and it lathers up well with water.

Flooded the back of my mom's hand with waterproof and non-waterproof makeup.

Squeezed out an adequate amount of cleanser paste.

added a few drops of water then massaged... 

a zoooooom-in shot of the volcanic clusters (for exfoliation purposes~)

...makeup dissolving...

stubborn makeup can't be removed unless I force it off...

...rinsing-off...

the cleanser rinsed off easily~

TA-DAAAH~! My mom's skin looked brighter~!

On the downside... some traces of makeup, particularly eyeliners, were still clearly visible after cleansing with this cleanser. Therefore, this cleanser does not remove all types of makeup. Well, no matter how effective a cleanser is in cleansing or removing makeup, I strongly suggest to use a makeup remover to remove your makeup prior cleansing your face with a cleanser. It's just to make sure that all traces of makeup are thoroughly removed.

Moisture Test:

Before the application of the cleanser, my mom's skin moisture level was 34.7%.

After application of the cleanser, my mom's skin moisture level decreased to 32.4%.

Oil-Control:
The oil control ability of this cleanser is low in my view. For optimum oil-control results, use together with the rest of Jeju Volcanic products.

Likes:

- purifies pores

- cleanses skin well; leaves skin squeaky clean

- slight exfoliation; buff away dull-looking skin cells = brighter skin

- rinses off easily

- does not cause breakout; prevents future breakout
- removes most of the makeup

- the scent

Dislikes:
- does not get rid of blackheads
- may aggravate inflamed zits

Neutral:
- can't remove certain makeup

Verdict: The Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam lathers up and rinses off easily. It does a great job in cleansing deep into the pores, removing dirt and sebum piled up in pores and at the same time, it gently buffs away dull-looking skin cells, leaving skin squeaky clean and brighter-looking.

This cleanser did not cause breakout but it dried up some areas of my skin. I have oily and combination skin (oily T-zone, dry and normal in other areas). It caused the dry areas to feel even drier (skin felt tighter). Therefore, I don't recommend this cleanser if you have dry skin. It is more suitable for oily skin in my view. P.S: This cleanser and it's product line, Innisfree Jeju Volcanic, are intended for oily skin and pore care. [...] It may not be suitable for acne-prone skin as well, especially for skin with lots of inflamed zits. As it contains little scrubbing particles, it may further aggravate the inflamed zits. On the positive side, it works great for those hardly noticeable flesh colored bumps (clogged pores).

Despite this cleanser removes most of the makeup, as mentioned earlier on......, no matter how effective a cleanser is in cleansing or removing makeup, I strongly advise you to use a proper makeup remover to thoroughly remove makeup prior cleansing your face with a cleanser. I called it "double cleansing"~ After all, makeup is harder to remove so double cleansing is essential; Double cleansing is always better than lack of cleansing~ 

Check out my reviews on other products from the Jeju Volcanic Skin Care Line:

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Lotion

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Essence

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask (Original)

- Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

- Super Volcanic Clay Mousse Mask

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Review: Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

Description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid, Foam Cleanser removes acne causing germs to keep your skin clear all day. *Non-comedogenic & Dermatologist Tested.*

*'Non-comedogenic' means it will not produce nor aggravate acne. AC Clinic line is formulated without acne inducing ingredients to promote clear skin.

Directions: Wet face and dispense small amount onto hands. Lather and apply foam to face, gently massaging entire area. Wash and rinse thoroughly with warm water.

It comes with a plastic twist-off screwed flip cap and the opening is perfectly sealed with a foil.

The product can be easily squeezed out from the cleanser tube. 

Consistency & Color:
It has a white creamy texture.

Scent:
Err...I'm bad at describing scent... It has a medicated herby scent to me. I don't find it overpowering. I actually quite like the scent.

Moisture Test on the back of my hand:

The moisture loss after cleansing was only 0.7% so I concluded that this cleanser is not drying.

I found some sites saying that this cleanser can be used to cleanse off makeup. So let's have an experiment~!:

Make-Up Removal Test on the back of my mom's hand:

Swatches of make-up

Squeeze out some cleanser, add some water and start massaging...

massage...massage...massage

You can notice that the makeup starts to dissolve...

Rinse it off with water and dry with a towel.

Result?: It failed to remove the Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner and the Holika Holika Jewel-Light eyeliner completely. As for the rest of the makeup swatches, it seems to have removed completely. However, to be on the safe side, I will still recommend you to use a make-up remover prior to cleanse with this cleanser. I called it 'double cleansing'~! It is to make sure that all makeup residues/impurities have been completely removed. Well, I'm pretty sure you don't want to get breakout, isn't it? So yeah, use a proper makeup remover in removing makeup before cleanses with a cleanser! Don't be lazy and skip the step. :)

Likes:
- contains salicylic acid
- non-comedogenic
- cleanses well
- able to remove certain makeups
- does not aggravate pimples
- no breakout or irritation; suits sensitive skin
- prevents future breakout
- easy to wash off
- leaves the skin feels clean and refresh
- does not dry up the skin
- the scent

Dislikes:
- none!
There's nothing I don't like... :)

Verdict: This cleanser cleanses well and it isn't drying nor aggravating pimples. It does not cause breakout either. In fact, it helps to deal with future breakout. I absolutely love it soooooooooooo muuuuuuuuuuuchh~! This has always been in my holy grail skincare product list! You can read "My Acne Story" page to know why. I can't stress how much I love the AC Clinic line. Their products had helped to deal with my horrible acne. Though back then halfway through the progress there were some drying problem, I don't find the line drying for my skin now. It works perfectly for my skin and I'm loving it!

People who have trouble with acne, you might want to give this cleanser and/or other AC Clinic line's products a shot! :)

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Review: Etude House Baking Powder B.B Deep Cleansing Foam

Etude House Baking Powder B

Description: Formulated with Baking Powder to penetrate and cleanse deep within pore to remove makeup and residues.
*Ideal for BB cream removal. 100% natural & Dye-Free
Active Ingredients: Baking Powder.
Directions: Apply to wet face and lather. Massage thoroughly and rinse with warm water.

The product actually comes well-wrapped with a plastic sheet/wrapper? (whatever it's called...). I ripped off the plastic sheet/wrapper before I start taking pictures. :x

It comes with a plastic twist-off screwed flip cap and the opening is perfectly sealed with a foil.

It contains really fine and mild scrubbing particles and it's not abrasive. The scrubbing particles will melt away during massaging. 

Moisture Test on the back of my hand:

The moisture loss was only 1.7% so I concluded that this cleanser is not very drying.

Consistency & Color:

Soft and white creamy texture with really fine and mild scrubbing particles.

Scent:

It has a citrusy, lemony-orangey scent which smells really niiiicee~

Likes:

- the baking powder formula

- 100% natural and dye-free

- remove all traces of makeup!

- mild exfoliation; not too harsh nor abrasive

- deep cleanse; unclogging pores

- brightens up the skin

- skin feels smooth to the touch after use

- lathers up well

- not very drying

- easy to wash off

- makes it easier to extract blackheads

- does not cause any irritation or breakouts

- the scent

Dislikes:

- for sensitive skin... probably not suitable to use it daily

Makeup Removal Test! (Demonstration on my mom's hand~ ) :

Sorry for the messy "wordy" picture... ><"

Squeeze out some cleanser, add some water and start massaging...

massage... massage... massage.... 

You can notice that the makeup starts to dissolve...

continue massaging...

....massage... massage... massage....

and rinse it off with water

.

.

.

Dry with a towel~

TA-DAAA~

All traces of makeup, even waterproof makeup, has been removed!

It literally brightens up the skin and leaves the skin feels smooth to the touch!

Verdict? Well well well..., I absolutely love this cleansing foam! It deep cleanse and exfoliate the skin, removing excess dead skin cells and unclogging the pores without overly drying the skin. The mild exfoliation does makes blackhead extraction easier. I might do a post on blackhead extraction in the future...

As I have combination skin(oily on the T-zone, dry on the cheekbones and sensitive skin), I don't use it daily. I use it twice or max. thrice a week, alternately, and use only when I wear makeup. Oh and..., only at night. I use a different cleanser in the day. Anyway, despite the scrubbing particles are fine and mild, I don't think it's good to exfoliate everyday. So I personally suggest to use it twice or max. thrice a week, alternately. :)

As I have mentioned, I will use this cleanser only when I wear makeup because as you can see from above pictures, this amazing cleanser cleans off makeup super effectively. However, I will still use a makeup remover prior to deep cleansing with this cleansing foam. I called it double cleansing~ lol. I use a makeup remover just to make sure that all the makeup is completely removed. Then I will use this cleansing foam to deep cleanse thoroughly, dissolving and removing all the remaining unseen impurities/makeup residues within the pores which the makeup remover can't remove.

In general, I love this product and would recommend this to people who wears makeup~ BUT, I don't recommend people to use this to remove eye makeup! The skin around the eye area is the most delicate so I personally think it's a little abrasive. Furthermore, if the product gets into your eyes, it does stings like a bitch! ><"

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