Product Information
Name: Troiareuke Acsen Oil Cut Cleansing
What Is It: A non-foaming, hypoallergenic cleansing gel that can be used as a makeup remover and second cleanser.
Size: 120mlIngredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-8, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tromethamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Water, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Fragrance
Since this is a cleanser, I'm not going to go in-depth on the ingredients because it's only in contact with your skin for such a short amount of time. This contains a good amount of soothing extracts (i.e. aloe barbadensis leaf juice and portulaca oleracea extract) with antioxidant properties though, and while I can't say if they'll be on your skin long enough to make a noticeable impact, I do want to point that fact out.
On a more important note, this does not contain any potential acne triggers and irritants other than butylene glycol according to CosDNA, which is a common ingredient in cosmetic products. However if you have any known sensitivities to any of the ingredients listed above, then don't use this product.
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| I remember back when I first started blogging, pH levels were hardly ever discussed in skincare. I know a good amount of people now care about using low-pH cleansers, so I've decided to include pH tests in all of my future reviews where pH levels are a concern. |
The cleanser is packaged in a sturdy plastic bottle with a disc top cap. Like the rest of the Acsen line, the color combination is purple and white. Nothing exciting about the packaging here, but I've come to learn that with Troiarueke the packaging is boring while the formulations are (mostly) stellar.
As you can see in the picture in the top, right-hand corner, it comes out as a watery gel- runny enough that I had to hurry to take this picture to prevent it from dripping onto the ground (taking swatch photos is a real struggle guys). Unlike other gel cleansers, this is only slightly thicker than water and not sticky at all. In fact when I'm spreading it it feels like I'm just spreading a really moisturizing toner that doesn't absorb, which sounds terrible and if such a toner does exist then it would be awful, but as a cleanser it feels really nice.
The scent is kind of difficult to describe, but that might also be due to my complete lack of ability to describe scents. I want to say it's a light floral, but I can't say. It definitely smells fresh though, and not heavy. I personally don't mind it, and I'm pretty scentsitive.
Texture and scent aside, the most important thing for a cleanser to do is clean, and boy does this do its job, meeting and exceeding my expectations. I had my doubts about its makeup removing abilities, but upon first use I was convinced that I could rely on this as an all-in-one cleanser. As you can see in the pictures above, it really does remove EVERYTHING, not leaving a hint of makeup behind. At the time I took this photo I only had a limited amount of products on hand so I used what I had, but I've also been able to remove waterproof mascara and other long-lasting makeup products with this.
Here's the thing though- while I do think this is an amazing product, I don't love it. But before you conclude that this is a product not worth trying, let me explain myself. As someone who doesn't have any problems using regular oil and foaming cleansers, I don't see the need to buy something like this which is more expensive and does the job only just as well as its alternatives. Also, and this is entirely me being biased, I enjoy the feeling of massaging foam on my skin and thus prefer a foam cleanser over a non-foaming cleanser even if it has a lower pH. But that's just me and not everyone shares my preferences and skin type, so here are the people I would recommend this cleanser to:
If you have very sensitive and acne-prone skin and have trouble finding cleansers that don't break you out, this is a great, gentle cleanser that will really get rid of all the sebum and gunk in your pores. Also, if you're someone who cannot use cleansing oils due to various reasons (they clog your pores, cause breakouts, etc.), this is the alternative for you. It doesn't clog pores, removes every trace of makeup, and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. If I couldn't use cleansing oils, then I'd be all over this cleanser because I hate how the other types of makeup removers (cleansing waters and wipes) leave a tacky finish on my skin and they also often cause me to breakout.
One a side note- I do notice a very slight soothing effect whenever I use this cleanser, but it's pretty minimal. My skin hasn't been on the sensitive side for awhile, so I can't say if it would help calm sensitive skin problems such as redness. Most of my breakouts for the past 2-3 months have been due to stress and lack of sleep, and this barely does anything for them. So don't expect this to be an acne-clearing cleanser, even though it is formulated for sensitive acne-prone skin.
Overall I think this is a really good cleanser, but simply not worth the price if you already have cleansers that work super well for you. It's nothing phenomenal in my opinion, but I've also heard a good amount of refer to this as their holy grail, so YMMV. If you don't have sensitive or acne-prone skin then skip this, but if you do then it's definitely worth a try.
Where to Buy:
W2Beauty $38.00 ($60 min. free worldwide shipping, sign up with my code 04308009 to receive a free $5 voucher)
If you guys have tried the Troiareuke Acsen Oil Cut Cleansing before, let me know what you think in the comments below! Or if you currently have any favorite cleansers at the moment, I'd love to hear about them as well. I hope everyone has had a great weekend so far, and happy Easter to those who celebrate it!
*The product featured was sent to me by Troiareuke for review purposes. All opinions stated are mine and 100% honest.