Being a skin care junkie since the age of puberty, I have rummaged through a plethora of skincare brands on the market. Well, when puberty hits you with a oily “kuali” (In mandarin it’s translated as a Chinese Wok with a shiny surface) face and along with its partner in crime called Acne, desperation usually drives most in search of a miracle or wonder product.
Those days are thankfully gone and my face has transitioned from an oily teenage girl to the twenties whom now, spends hours in the office attending meetings, reaching deadlines and not to mention, living in a country where the weather changes as often as a girl’s mood swings, has transformed my skin to somewhere in the globe called the Sahara Desert.
For most oily-skinned individuals, there is a fine line between oily skin and oily yet dehydrated skin. Unfortunately, I fall in the latter category. Most of us spend a lot of time in the air-conditioning to get away from the wretched heat on this island and/or to escape from the pigmentation-causing Sun. Thankfully, technology has advanced a fair bit to create what’s called as “Bubble” or “foamy” cleansers and they are aplenty in the market, regardless of price budgets. I personally think that these are a life-saver for my confused skin type. I am here to share my two cents worth of what I have personally tried and tested on bubble cleansers in the market.
For some of you who might need a reason to know what’s the hype of a bubble cleanser? I have a few reasons that perhaps may change your mindset.
1. Bubble cleansers are easy to use
I have superbly rough and dry hands and the worst part I have to come to terms with, is to create lather with a facial cleanser. With rough and dry hands, it is relatively difficult for me to create substantial foam to cleanse my face thoroughly. There are times where I add either too much water or vice versa, and I end up not getting the optimum from my cleansers. There are also times where I use too much cleanser and end up drying my face even more. Sigh, I really think I am a perfectionist at heart. Bubble cleansers are fuss free and create *just* the right amount of foam for cleansing. I don’t have to worry about creating enough lather to ensure that I cleanse my face properly each time before I hit the sack.
2. Bubble Cleansers generally work for every skin type
I personally feel that these cleansers are relatively more gentle on the skin compared to the Foaming cream cleansers. My skin does not feel stripped or taut after using a bubble cleanser as I previously did while using foam cleansers. For normal to slightly oily skin types, bubble cleaners relatively cleanse quite well. Unless your skin is extremely oily or gets very oily after washing your face an hour later, bubble cleansers should work well for you.
3. Bubble cleansers are fun to use!
As kids, I cannot remember anyone growing who hates bubbles (PM me if you do!) I recall the hype (I think it still persists now) over those bubble machine guns which were sold in the market and for those who did not manage to purchase those bubble guns, even the simplest dishwashing liquid or Body soap diluted with a few parts of water, created lots of fun and laughter throughout our childhood times. Cleansing should be a fun daily ritual too, and bubble cleansers do the trick!
So far , I have tried two bubble cleansers on the market and I must say, these completely changed my daily cleansing ritual for a long time.
Biore Marshmallow Facial Whip
A Japanese brand by Kao, Biore has revolutionized Bubble cleansing by creating three different types of bubble cleansers by skin type, Marshmallow Whip for normal to combination skin, Marshmallow Acne Care for oily to acne-prone skin and lastly, Marshmallow Whip Extra Moist for dry skin types. I think these are great as you can choose the right one for your skin type. The hype of these bubble cleansers is that they create ultra-dense and fine bubbles which are smaller than your facial pores and they cleanse more thoroughly than hand-lathered foam as the bubbles they create are way bigger. I own the Marshmallow Whip for normal to combination skin due to my occasional T-zone shine so I think this would work best amongst the three. The bubbles created are very dense and I use about 2-3 pumps each time. In addition, they do sell the refill packs as well, which are awesome as I don’t have to waste extra cash purchasing a new one each time I run out. I usually cleanse my makeup separately prior to using the bubble cleansers as I prefer double cleanse step in my regime.
Biore can be found at all major drugstores and leading supermarkets.
RMK Foamed Soap (M)
Founded by one of the top Japanese makeup artists based in New York, RMK is well known for having one of the best liquid foundations on the market. Their best seller was the Creamy Foundation, one of the most natural looking foundations I have used so far. Anyway, the main focus is the uber luxe RMK Foamed Soap. It comes in a metal shaker can and it needs to be shaken well prior to use (Just like those Party Snowcans we use during Christmas). This bubble cleanser contains four botanical moisturizing ingredients and is infused with a gorgeous lavender scent. Apparently, the foamed soap this cleanser creates forms a protective layer over the face and cushions the skin from excess rubbing during cleansing. The foam is very luxe and dense compared to the Biore version. I tend to use it at night as I like the calming lavender scent. I think this is more suited for normal to dry skins as it does not feel that soapy enough to cleanse oily skin types. This cleanser does not remove heavy or waterproof makeup, but it does remove light makeup such as tinted moisturizers and sunscreens. This cleanser also comes in a refill form as well.
RMK can be found at Isetan Scotts, Ngee Ann City (Takashimaya) and Isetan Tampines.
I definitely think bubble cleansers are worth hype to try as an alternative way for skin cleansing and a break from normal foam lather cleansers. I do enjoy using them now and then, but do share with me any of your must-tries or favorites!
Reviewed by Michelle Tan
