Review: The AHA Cleansing Research Wash is a makeup remover, facial wash, and exfoliant all in one
Product Photography by Perkin Gotohio
Have you heard about the AHA Cleansing Research Wash (P725 /120g)? It’s a Japanese cleanser that is formulated to be multi-purpose: it aims to remove makeup, cleanse the skin, and exfoliate all at the same time. It claims to erase dullness for a complexion as fresh and glowing as if you had just had a beauty treatment, so let’s see if it delivered!
A little about my situation: I have dry and sensitive skin, as well as natural texture and acne marks.
I first tested the AHA Cleansing Research Wash as a makeup remover after a full-face look from a holiday party. Just a pea-sized amount produced a rich foam when you use a facial wash net. The foam is smooth and thick with a subtle fresh apple scent! The cleanser was able to remove most of my makeup but my waterproof mascara and the darker pigments around the eyes and lips were just too tough for it to take off completely. I ended up doing a second pass with the AHC makeup remover oil and another round of facial wash.
As a face wash, the product works perfectly. It removes the day’s oil and dirt as well as my daily makeup and sunscreen. I used this as a face wash once a day for a whole week and did not have even a bit of irritation. No breakouts, no patches of redness, no tightness or discomfort. My t-zone feels smooth and without any of the bumps of buildup that sometimes happen.
Most importantly, my skin did not feel stripped which is my main pet peeve with face washes. A bad face wash makes me want to reach for the moisturizer asap but this one kept my face feeling supple as I moved through my skincare. The product has moisturizing ingredients like botanical ceramide, BG (butylene glycol), glycerin, and tea extract.
With all its exfoliating ingredients namely AHA (malic acid), papain, and kiwi extract, I made sure to pay special attention on my textured areas. Those are focused on the edges of my face and the back of my neck. So did my complexion look as fresh and glowing as if I had just had a beauty treatment? I like to think so!
I don’t have an exfoliant in my current skincare routine. I have dry skin so I’m wary of exfoliating for the fear that it would make my skin even drier than before. But I definitely recommend AHA Cleansing Research Wash if you’re looking for a gentle exfoliant that doesn’t irritate but still removes dead skin and buildup!
However, because of the active ingredients I don’t think I would use this as an everyday facial wash; I’m putting it on rotation with my regular face wash. It’s not recommended to exfoliate everyday so I would probably use this regularly two times a week or more if my skin feels particularly dull.
Overall, I think that the AHA Cleansing Research Wash delivered as a multi-use product and worked to remove skin dullness and makeup. It also had the added benefit of evening out my skin tone! It just needs a little boost if you’re wearing anything waterproof.
The AHA brand is manufactured by BCL or Beauty Creative Life who are also the manufacturers of crowd favorite brands like Saborino and momo puri. It’s distributed by Beautybox Corp. in the Philippines. Check it out!