Review: Missha Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel

I bought this on a whim on my way out of Incheon Airport because I knew I needed a peeling gel to replace my Origins Modern Friction scrub. I wanted a chemical peel because I found that the Modern Friction scrub was a bit too rough on my skin and didn't really do much when it came to my blackheads.

Description (taken from missha.ca):

• Detoxifying effect: Caffeine, chlorella and green tea extracts restore skin exhausted by stress and harmful oxygen
• Excellent peeling effect: Fruit acids remove dead skin cell and promote skin rejuvenation. Gives you dramatic visible effect which dead skin cells and cellulose come out
• Less irritation: Containing fruit extract and skin soothe ingredients, it leaves less irritation when peeling, provides moisture after peeling and just leaves moist feeling
• Brightening: Milk and morus bombycis root extract make your skin clean and clear after peeling
• After washing your face apply appropriate amount, massage thoroughly until all dead skin cells and impurities peel off, wash off with lukewarm water

My impression:

Similar to The Saem's Dr. Beauty Micro-Peel Soft Gel, this one comes out as milky white and doesn't feel like a pure liquid gel in that there are little beads/fruit extracts. Once I put it on my face, I already feel the texture as if dead skin is rubbing off my face, but I've just started to put it ON my face, I wasn't even onto massaging it. So I guess it's something that's inside the gel to begin with.

Using Missha's detoxifying peeling gel, I definitely feel some of their claims: less irritation, brightening, and a peeling effect in that dirt and dead skin sloughs off my face. However, in terms of smoothness, I found that this peeling gel did not work as well as The Saem's Micro-Peel Soft Gel, maybe because The Saem's actually has micro-dermabrasion beads. And in terms of blackheads, I actually find that Skinfood's Black Sugar Scrub Foam was better at getting rid of those.

But otherwise, the effect of all these peeling gels that I've tried is quite similar. However, I recently read that Missha's Super Aqua Oxygen Micro Essence Peeling seems to be getting better reviews, so I'll probably try that one or another one after I'm done with this one.

On a side note, about the shape of the bottle, even though it's hygienic, the plastic is not very bendable and thus I'm worried about how I'm going to get all of the product out when it's settled down into the bottom..

Summary:

Less irritation than a scrub, brightens, peels, leads to smoother skin
Face doesn't feel as smooth as when I used The Saem's Micro-Peel Soft Gel
Doesn't get rid of blackheads on my nose as well as Skinfood's Black Sugar Scrub Foam
$13 for 100ml on eBay

Grade: 3.5/5 because I feel The Saem's was better

Value: 3.5/5 because it's fairly inexpensive but the bottle isn't very bendable so I'm not sure how I'm going to get all the product out of this.

Repurchase? No, I will be trying other ones.