My Facial Wash Reviews: The Face Shop vs. Missha vs. Skinfood

I do not splurge on facial washes. I find no meaning in using an expensive facial wash (such as Obagi or SK-II, which I've tried both. Not worth the price!~) when what one really needs is just a facial wash that cleanses well and smells good :-)

The only thing I check when I buy a facial wash is if it has Vitamin E in the ingredients list. Vitamin E breaks me out, so I steer clear from any topical products with this as ingredient.

The Missha Latte Foaming Facial Wash in Green Tea has been my facial wash for nearly six months.
It's pretty cheap (about PHP 250.00 at TLCShop, so of course, I get it cheaper here in Korea) and very yummy flavored (everything green tea to me is yummy~). It is foamy and does a good job with cleansing.I've stopped using cleansing oils for a bit, so in lieu of a cleansing oil, I do double cleansing~washing my face twice to ensure total removal of the bb cream from my face. This one works because it is non-drying and is very creamy so it does not irritate the skin even if you do double cleansing.

I bought a tube of The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam (PHP 495.00 at TLC Shop) because a client, who hoarded three tubs in one go, was raving about it. TFC's Rice Bright Wash supposedly has face brightening properties~ thus the promise of brightening the face while cleansing. I must first say that it smells really nice~ like cereals with a sweet twinge.
Of the three facial washes, this one is the most moisturizing. But for me at least, I felt it has the weakest cleansing ingredients because though it smelled nice and felt gentle on the skin, there was a slick feel, like a thin layer of oil that was left behind even after washing with water. I guess this wash will work for those with drier skin and those who want a moisturizing facial wash.

A month ago, Skinfood released their Tea Salt line of facial washes. There are actually three variants - Green Tea, Lavender, and Lemon. I always liked Skinfood facial washes, so despite it being a bit expensive (PHP 565.00 at TLC Shop), I bought the Lemon Tea Salt Mask Foam.
Oh wow! The first time I used this, I beamed. It is a lemon milk flavored facial wash (the lemon variant is for pore tightening :-)) with fine salt granules. Think St. Ives' Apricot Scrub, only with finer scrub particles and yummier flavor. It's the scent that will make one a fan here-- citrusy with a milky, vanilla undertone. And yes, the scrub grains are really fine sea salt! A few particles strayed near my mouth, and yep, these were salty! It is my current facial wash (though I still have the opened tube of TFS' Rice Bright Cleansing Foam). What's nice is that this serves both as a daily facial wash and a mild facial scrub. Only thing is, if you have irritated skin or you have a cut or a wound, do not use this. The salt in the scrub will make your irritated skin and your wound throb. This product seals my belief that Skinfood excels at making value for money facial washes and masks.


Of the three, the Missha Latte Foam has always been my staple-- it's cheap and creamy and works well during the colder months in Seoul. I also like Skinfood's Lemon Tea Salt Wash because even if it's a bit more expensive, you do get basically a daily facial scrub and a facial wash in one. I also like that they used something simple and natural like salt for the scrub grains. As for The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright, though it's actually pretty okay, it didn't wow me with its brightening promise and is not something I will repurchase soon.



What about you? What's your favorite facial wash?