Can a foaming cleanser be gentle?
I know some of you won’t touch them with a 10 foot pole. I hear ya. Foaming cleansers have a bad rep for drying out your skin worse than the Sahara.
I can’t say it’s totally undeserved. Back when I was a teen, foaming cleansers were harsh. They had to be. We were all lusting after the squeaky clean feel. Who knew back then how bad that was for skin?
Fast forward 10 years, and foaming cleansers have become a lot more gentle on the skin. Now they do what they were always supposed to: clean without disrupting the skin’s protective barrier.
Case in point: Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser.
What’s In Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser?
GENTLE SURFACTANTS TO CLEANSE SKIN
Surfactants is a fancy way of calling ingredients that help water mix with oil and dirt so they can be rinsed away.
In the past, foaming cleansers used high concentrations of one or two powerful surfactants, like sodium lauryl sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate. They got the cleansing job done… but not without side effects.
They made the skin’s pH skyrocket and disrupted its protective barrier. Next thing you know, your skin’s all dry and sensitive. Ugh.
These days, foaming cleansers take a different approach. They use a combination of 4 or 5 mild surfactants. Used alone, they wouldn’t remove much grime. Together, they’re a cleansing powerhouse that removes all traces of impurities and makeup WITHOUT drying out your skin.
Here are the surfactants in Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser:
- Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
- Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
- Lauryl Glucoside
- Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
- Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
P.S. It’s the surfactants that make a foaming cleanser foam. The gentler the surfactants, the less foam they produce.
Struggling to put together a skincare routine that banishes excess oil, blackheads, and acne? Download your FREE “Best Skincare Routine For Oily Skin” cheat sheet (it features product recommendations + right application order):
Texture
The creamy texture spreads easily on the skin and rinses off just as quickly.
Fragrance
It’s technically fragrance-free, but it has a few drops of lavender extract to give it a subtle herbal scent.
How To Use It
Morning and evening, it’s the first step of your skincare routine.
Performance & Personal Opinion
You’ve guessed it: Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser doesn’t foam much. And that’s a good thing. Too much foam is a sign the cleanser could be too drying.
It does a great job at removing all traces of dirt, sunscreen and makeup from my skin – keep in mind, I don’t wear long-lasting foundations or waterproof makeup. If you’re wearing as much makeup as a Kardashian, you may want to use this as the second step in your cleansing routine.
Afterwards, my skin doesn’t feel tight or dry. It just feels clean. Only if your skin is dry, the cleanser may be too much for you. But then again, it wasn’t made with you in mind. Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser is for combo, oily skin. For them, it works like a charm.
The only thing I’d do without is lavender extract. My skin doesn’t have a problem with it, but if yours is sensitive there’s a slight chance it could irritate it.
Who Is This For?
- Oily skin
- Combination skin
Who Is This NOT For?
Dry skin.
Packaging
A white bottle with a pump applicator. Sleek and practical.
Does Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Epionce Cleanse & Prepare products remove skin impurities without disrupting the intercellular lipids and cells that form the natural protective barrier. | True. It cleanses skin without drying it out. |
| Leaves skin feeling hydrated. | True. |
| Helps smooth and refine texture. | It does this by removing any impurities on the surface of your skin. |
Price & Availability
$32.00/£29.00 at Dermstore and Epionce
Do You Need It?
If you have oily or combination skin, this is a good option to consider.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Bioderma Sebium Purifying Face Wash (£10.70)
- First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser ($24.00)
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Alruyl Glucose Carboxylate, Althaea Officinalis (marshmallow) Root Extract, Ethyhexylglycerin, Hexlyene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender) Flower Extract, Linalool, Liminone, Phenxyoethanol, Pheonix Catylifera (date) Fruit Extract, PEG-150 Distearate, Salix Alba (willow) Bark Extract.
