Review: Missha Super Aqua Oxygen Micro Visible Deep Cleanser

This was the second and last complimentary sample I got from buying my Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Pencil Refill. The first one was my previous post, Missha Time Revolution Immortal Youth Cream. I think this is the first time where I've gotten 2 samples where both actually wow me enough to consider buying the full product. Usually at least one of them is going to be some inconsequential hydrating fluid or aqua base cream that only moisturizes my skin (if only that was the only problem on my face)! And to think that I got these 2 great samples from buying a $4 eyebrow pencil refill!

Description (taken from eBay.com):

• Cleanse dirts in pores with oxygen auto micro bubble system and get the clear skin with deep cleansing.
• O2 complex is composed of the purification plant such as Sanseveria to vitalize the tired skin condition. It makes moist skin by boosting effect through a massage.
• Swiss Alpine herb extract protects the sensitive skin with mild cleansing.
• Apply proper amount (2-3 pumps) on DRY face. Wait 30~40 sec for enough bubble, and massage gently from lip & eye area to all over face. Wash off with lukewarm water.

My impression:

So far I've only used three products that use this "bubble" technology (excuse my terminology) where bubbles apparently penetrate deep into skin and cleanses. First one was The Saem Gem Miracle Black Pearl Oxygen Bubble Mask, which helped brighten my skin. Second was Missha Super Aqua Oxygen Micro Essence Peeling Gel, which didn't really do anything more compared to its non-bubble counterpart, Missha Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel. Third was Skin79 BB Cleanser, which didn't have any bubbles for some reason when I tried using the sample.

I've been using Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam everyday for the past 3-4 months now as my morning cleanser. It's so far been the best cleanser for me in terms of having the right balance between cleansing my skin and retaining enough moisture so I don't feel like it's stripping all the oil off my face.

But today I feel like this cleanser has introduced me to an even better balance. And made me realize that maybe the Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam does not have the right balance after all. At first I was annoyed that I had to wait 30-40 seconds for it to bubble up before massaging it again. I was thinking that there was no way I would use this in the morning since I'm always in such a hurry. But after washing my face, I felt that my face was thoroughly cleansed. My face felt refreshed, as if the pores can finally breathe again. Now there's no way I can quantify or prove the "breathability" of my pores, but I just truly felt that my face was very clean.

This cleanser is gentle to my face. I don't feel like it's stripping all the oil off my face. If I had to compare, I would say it leaves my face a bit drier than Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam  Which makes sense because I feel that it cleanses better than Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam  But since I have oily/combination skin anyways, I don't mind this shift in balance.

I like how I went from almost giving a bad review of this product because of the 30-40 second wait time to being very impressed and considering replacing this as my morning cleanser!

Unfortunately this is also a bit on the expensive side. It's $20 for 120ml and apparently I have to use 2-3 pumps each time whereas Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam cost me $13 for 160ml and you only need a little bit each time.

Summary:

The oxygen bubble system cleansed my face very thoroughly
Pores felt like they could breathe again
The 30-40s wait time may be a bit inconvenient
A bit on the expensive side
$60 for 50ml on eBay

Grade: 4.5/5 because I've never felt my face as clean as this while retaining adequate moisture

Value: 3.5/5 because it's not cheap :(

Repurchase? I'm going to buy more samples first before I consider buying the whole product.