Confession time: Ever since I started staying home more, I’ve been slacking off on my cleansing routine. Considering I only head out for grocery runs and occasional meals with my partner and friends, my makeup products have been put on the back-burner, so there’s really no need for a double cleanse… Or so I thought.
After three months of settling into a new normal, my complexion took a turn for the worse. Thanks to the constant humidity and all the mask-wearing we’ve been doing lately, dirt, pollutants, and sweat inevitably accumulated on my skin.
Factor in overactive sebum glands and my sloth-like habits, and I got myself the perfect recipe for congested skin. The smattering of blackheads on my nose seemed to have multiplied, small and itchy whiteheads started to pop up on my cheeks and chin, and my skin tone looked more uneven.
Appalled by the state of my complexion, I decided to upgrade my existing routine with a makeup remover and a cleansing powder to see if it could ease the clogged pores and congestion.
Incorporating a makeup remover & cleansing powder into my routine
Suisai Beauty Shake Cleansing
Going back to a nightly double cleanse, I enlisted the help of Suisai’s Beauty Shake Cleansing to break down any makeup and/or sunscreen I may be wearing during the day. It’s a convenient bi-phase solution with two layers: an oil layer to remove oil-based, waterproof makeup, and a lotion layer to clean off water-soluble impurities quickly.
This makeup remover is made without any surfactants and it’s designed to leave the skin moisturised too, so I won’t have to rinse it off after swiping it all over my face. On mornings where my skin doesn’t look overly greasy, I might use this makeup remover to clean off any dirt before following up with the rest of my routine.
Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash N
While the first instinct to get rid of clogged pores is to step up my exfoliation game, scrubs aren’t the best prescription for my sensitive skin as they can strip it of essential moisture and lead to irritation. Plus, some scrubs contain irregularly-shaped fruit pits and nut shells that can even cause micro-tears on the surface of the skin.
To avoid using something harsh, I decided to add the new Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash N into my routine. Instead of jagged granules, this well-known J-beauty powder cleanser uses two types of enzymes – protease and lipase – and amino acid-based ingredients to cleanse the skin, soften blackheads, and provide gentle exfoliation.
If you’ve been a long-time user of the Beauty Clear Powder Wash N, you’ll be happy to know that the brand has recently given it a little makeover and a moisturising upgrade in formula. Apart from getting a fresh, all-white packaging, the product now contains sodium hyaluronate and ethyl glucoside – two humectants that attract and hold on to water.
Keep reading to find out how these two products performed over the course of a week!
A closer look: Does my new cleansing routine remove makeup more effectively?
To find out how effective my new cleansing routine is, I whipped out a skin magnifier to see if Suisai’s Beauty Shake Cleansing and Beauty Clear Powder Wash N could remove my foundation better than my former gel cleanser. Apologies in advance for the icky images you’re about to see.
My former cleansing routine: Gel cleanser
As you now know, my former cleansing routine consisted of a single cleansing step. I would lather the gel cleanser up in my palms and apply it on damp skin, even when I was wearing makeup. I massaged the cleanser on my face for about 30 seconds to a minute, and while my skin looked clean after rinsing, the magnifying tool proved otherwise.
Up close, I could see the blackheads, sebum blockages, and foundation residue. No surprises here, but using the gel cleanser alone wasn’t enough to give my skin a thorough cleanse. There’s a bit of underlying redness on my skin that signals irritation and damage as well. Now, let’s compare this with my new cleansing routine.
My new cleansing routine: Suisai Beauty Shake Cleansing & Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash N
As its name suggests, I shook the bottle of Suisai Beauty Shake Cleansing to mix the bi-layer solution together before drenching a cotton pad in it. When I swiped it across my face, the foundation wiped off easily with minimal tugging. My skin felt clean yet hydrated after, which convinced me to use it in the morning in place of my usual cleanser as well.
Then, I lathered Suisai’s Beauty Clear Powder Wash N with water between my palms. It created a soft foam that was enough to use on both my face and neck. Since the cleanser is fragrance-free, it bears no discernible scent, which is a huge bonus for my delicate skin.
As you can see, the makeup remover and cleansing powder tag team whisked away impurities and unclogged my pores – just what my congested skin needed. Perhaps my favourite part about using this combination of products is that they didn’t leave my face feeling dry or taut after cleansing. For that, I have to thank the moisturising ingredients that were added to the formula.
After using Suisai Beauty Shake Cleansing & Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash N for a week
After a week with Suisai’s Beauty Shake Cleansing and Beauty Clear Powder Wash N, my skin felt smoother and more balanced throughout the day. My nose was far less speckled with blackheads, my cheeks are clearer, and my overall complexion looked more radiant and even-toned.
As I have sensitive skin, I limited my use of the Beauty Clear Powder Wash N to three times a week to prevent over-exfoliation. On days where I’ve worn a mask for an extended period of time, I would mix a capsule of the powder into my usual gel cleanser to give my skin a deeper cleanse too. The cleansing powder helped to gently buff away dead skin cells and loosen buildup to reveal healthier, softer skin.
Instead of washing my face with the same gel cleanser in the morning, I also started using Suisai’s Beauty Shake Cleansing to remove any sweat and sebum that my skin produced overnight. It leaves my skin soft and clean, cutting down more steps and speeding up my routine.
This hack has also bumped up my skin’s hydration levels. I used a moisture metre to see if there was an improvement after seven days, and there was a 13.9% increase in moisture. Using products that were kinder to my skin and provided a deep cleanse allowed the rest of my skincare products to work better. After all, products absorb more effectively on a clean canvas.
Two new cleansers in the Suisai cleansing range
Apart from the products I used in my double-cleansing routine, the brand has also recently expanded its collection and introduced two new cleansers.
If you prefer a makeup remover with a gel-like consistency, try the Suisai Beauty Clear Jelly Cleansing (right). This jelly makeup remover has a refreshing texture that unclogs pores and breaks up makeup, stat. It contains glycerin and collagen too, both of which hydrate and moisturise the skin. Simply scoop out some product from the jar, massage it on dry skin, and rinse it off.
For a deep cleanse, follow up with Suisai’s Beauty Clear Micro Wash (left). The creamy cleanser contains Moroccan lava clay and kaolin clay, which reach into your pores to soak up dirt, dead skin cells, and excess sebum while it preserves the skin’s moisture barrier.
You can also use it as a purifying mask once or twice a week. Just spread the product on dry skin, concentrating on areas with congestion, and leave it on for about 30 seconds. Then, add some water to lather the cleanser up and rinse it off.
Suisai products are available at selected Don Don Donki, Watsons, and Welcia-BHG stores, or online from Lazada and Shopee.
Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash N retails for S$14 (15 caps) and S$27 (32 caps), Suisai Beauty Clear Shake Cleansing retails for S$27, Suisai Beauty Clear Jelly Cleansing retails for S$36, and Suisai Beauty Clear Micro Wash retails for S$27. You can also purchase a limited edition set of Suisai Beauty Clear Powder Wash N and Suisai Beauty Clear Shake Cleansing for S$27 on Lazada.
This article is brought to you by Suisai.
