This salicylic acid face wash (Aesop skincare) review I’m about to share here really is a mixed bag of beliefs.
Cleansers with Salicylic Acid: Aesop In Two Minds Facial Cleanser Review
The Aesop Two Minds Facial Cleanser is one of those cleansers with a mild salicylic acid content that targets at decongesting clogged pores from sebum and dead skin cell build-ups, without aggravating or stripping the natural oils from the skin.
I was shopping for the best facial cleanser for combination to oily skin when the lady at Aesop recommended this In Two Minds Facial Cleanser to me. Citing witch hazel, salicylic acid and sage leaf as the 3 featured ingredients in battling with combination and oily skin types, she advised me to use it only on the oily parts of my face, i.e. the T-zone, and then gently rinse off with water, massaging only the diluted product on to the rest of the face, because it may make normal skin to be dry.
I’m of combination to oily skin type, and have experienced with different types of cleansers over the years which I found to be more effective than others especially when it comes to oily skin that is due to dehydration. If you have the same type of skin like mine, the following video that I’ve put together on some cleansers that work may interest you:
Packaging
I’m usually not picky with packaging, because the performance of the product is more important than anything else; however for the benefit of any future user, I cannot not comment on the pump. There’s nothing wrong with the size of the tube or the mouth of the dispenser; there’s just something very wrong with the piston! The pressure with which you need to force on it to push the product out is heinous. I’ve tried all means to vary the pressure and control in the way I press the pump but the result is all the same – ended up with way more than enough of the product for a single face wash – which is really a waste. I highly doubt the pump is faulty because the same thing happened at the store with the sample bottle except that at that time I thought this could be precisely why it was attached to a bottle possibly to be refilled many times. I mean, just look at the photo above; this was one quick pump and the product had literally gone beyond my first phalanges and dripping off between the cracks of my fingers no matter how I tried to contain it. It is even more frustrating to know that I actually emptied this 200ml bottle of cleanser in half the time I usually take to use up the same. That was rather underhanded, Aesop.
Scent
The Aesop In Two Minds Facial Cleanser actually smells really refreshing and uplifting especially in a warm shower mist. The hint of sage lingers most in the cleansing experience.
Aesop In Two Minds Facial Cleanser Not for Oily Skincare
If you look at the ingredients list of the Aesop In Two Minds Facial Cleanser, salicylic acid is right there at the tail end of it and I’m beginning to suspect this is why I’ve mixed feelings about this product. I know my combination to oily skin reacts well to salicylic acid, provided that the product contains 10% of it thereabout. This is the magic percentage that usually keeps my sebum at bay for the longest time without drying my skin out throughout the day, and this is likely why the Glossier Solution works best for me. I get that this is a cleanser and not an exfoliator, but because of this low salicylic content, it does little for oil control for me. Granted it is does have excellent anti-inflammatory effects on my skin (thanks to castor oil & witch hazel which are pretty high up on the list), but the sebum situation still came on full throttle despite using it twice a day, and in accordance with the advice of the Aesop staff on applying it to my oily T-zone only.
So there you have it, I’m sure the Aesop In Two Minds Facial Cleanser strives to decongest pores, but with very little salicylic acid involved, it plays a little too safe and thus does a half-baked job at that.
Price & Where to Buy
The Aesop In Two Minds Facial Cleanser retails at SGD$65.00 for 200 ml, and SGD$43.00 for 100 ml in Aesop Singapore stores and online site.
