Etude House: 12 Cleansers to target different skin concerns

Makeup’s biggest trend is achieving the no-make up look but unfortunately, that takes way more effort than just getting out of bed with, well, no make up. However, the secret to the no-makeup look ideally lies in having good skin and the road to having good skin is seemingly more arduous than before. The barrage of creams, serums and oils are just the tip of your exploding cabinets.

What you should be paying attention to is your cleanser – the first step of your beauty regime.

For that, Etude House has come up with a series of 12 cleansers that target a whole host of different skin concerns at different times of the year. The idea here is that our skin reacts to the surroundings we’re in and may change every month or rather according to the seasons.

Take for instance, the hotter month of June. If your skin tends to get oiler than usual, then opt for 6^th cleanser that is formulated with tea tree oil specifically to keep sebum production in control. When you’re travelling to more temperate locations then switch up your cleanser to one that specifically targets dryness with rice extract.

The 12 cleansers come in 3 textures – fresh cream, moist pearl cream and moist gel – all of which are specifically catered to different skin types. Essentially, the mild formulation ensures that the cleansers are also suitable for sensitive skin types.

We tried:

Rana: The fact I have always had dry skin – coupled with my recent trip to South Korea to cover Seoul Fashion Week – meant that my skin needed extra moisture to protect it from the cold winter winds of Seoul. Hence I went for Number 1 (Deep Moisturizing) cleanser where the key ingredients are Avocado and Butter. Firstly, I was surprised by how little goes a very long way! The texture was creamy and it certainly felt rich and moisturising with a thick consistency. A couple of drops from this foam was great to start my cleansing routine in the morning and before bed. I also loved the fact it almost felt like a hydrating mask which melted with water. The result was equally good but of course, while this is just one step, following up with my regular serum and moisturiser was necessary to keep my skin hydrated all day.

Tarandip: Based on my current combination skin type, I tried N umber 3 (Tone Clarifying). The key ingredients here are tomato and apple that essentially aid in brightening the skin and improve dull complexions. The subtle scent of apples gave a nice jolt to the senses.

A dollop of the moist pearl cream texture was refreshing with every wash and that too without a tightening after-effect. Nonetheless, it didn’t do as great a job as a deep cleansing solution would but does the trick for a quick wash post-gym.

Annabelle: Number 4 (Purifying) was concocted from an ingenious blend of lemon and garlic which was not only immensely invigorating, but does quite a commendable job in purifying and cleansing the skin as well, leaving it literally “squeaky clean” and oil free post-wash. I must say, this was truly a splendid form of facial indulgence after a long and tiring day out.

Annabelle: Unlike number 1, 3 and 4 which had a creamy texture, Number 7(Soothing Relief) had a gellish texture instead, and is the only one out of the 12 cleansers specially formulated to target sensitive and troubled skin. As my face periodically -no pun intended- becomes the unfortunate battleground for pimple warfare, N umber 7 was definitely a life saver. Merely squeeze tiny glob of it and rub it between your hands before you massage it on to your skin with emphasis on troubled areas, and let the soothing fragrance of aloe vera rejuvenate your senses and unveil its healing powers.

Every Month Cleansing Foams (Etude House, approx. USD5 each) are available at all Etude House outlets.

Tarandip Kaur, Annabelle Chew and Rana Wehbe-Flinter