Review: Inoherb Quadruple Herbal Extract Moisture Cleanser

The Inoherb Quadruple Herbal Extract Moisture Cleanser is a low-medium cost cleanser from Inoherb's Quadruple Herbal Extract Moisture line. It contains herbal essences from plants used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to benefit skin.

The bottle
NOTE: The packaging has changed significantly since I bought this, but the formulation is still the same

Product Information

English Name: Quadruple Herbal Extract Moisture Cleanser
Chinese Name: 四倍多萃润泽洁面膏

Price: ¥25.80 ($3.99 at the time of writing)
Weight: 100g

Ingredients list from CosDNA (Note: The product's Chinese name on CosDNA is different as the product was renamed recently, but the formula remains the same)

Herbal Benefits: Oats and Ginko Root extracts contain Amino Acids and Riboflavin which protect the acid mantle and make the skin less rough. Hippohae rhamnoides and Poria cocos help to moisturize the skin and protect the sebum film, as both herbs contain special polysaccharides and vitamins.

Description: A soft lather gently cleans deep into pores, washing away dirt, oil and dead skin. A combination of ingredients (oat extract, Hippohae rhamnoides and Poria cocos soothe the skin, cleansing effectively while preventing a tight or dry feeling afterwards. Skin is deep cleansed and can be brightened.

Review

This cleanser was one of my first forays into Chinese skincare. Before, I hauled over harsh soaps and scrubs over from North America, thinking that they were 'better' than what I could get here. It was only when I ran out of my American drugstore products that I decided to ignore the media and do the unthinkable: buy something at a local supermarket. When I was in the supermarket, I saw an ad for a high-end essence playing on a screen next to an aisle full of packaged pickles, and when I went to the skincare aisle, thinking that I would pick up a Japanese import, I saw a cleanser from the same brand as the essence. I decided to get it, and there began my exploration of Chinese skincare.

This is a foaming cleanser, and it is meant to be used as a second step in a multi-step routine. Inoherb markets this cleanser as part of its mid-range Quadruple Herbal Extract moisture line, which has a hydrating toner (like a Japanese lotion), an emulsion (milk), a moisturizing cream and 2 kinds of sheet masks. The cleanser is the cheapest product in the line.

The cleanser is very thick and concentrated. It slowly comes out of the tube and its consistency is like a cross between a cream and a clay mask:

The cleanser on a spatula

The cleanser froths up really well, perfect for a second cleanse:

The foam on a larger spatula

The foam in the picture was made with a foaming net, but it also lathers decently using only hands. The lather doesn't disappear immediately like some cleansers do. Like the bottle says, it doesn't feel overly drying or stripping, although when I didn't use a foaming net, the resulting lather made my face feel noticeably tighter than the foam produced by the net.

Finally, I tested this cleanser's pH, which came out as being an 8.5-9. This is an unideal pH for a facial cleanser, as it strips away the acid mantle, which the product claims to protect. Obviously, if you don't mind high pH cleansers, then I would strongly recommend this cleanser, but if you are looking for a pH balanced cleanser, I would suggest that another one be used instead, like the Inoherb Lotus Hydration Cleanser or a cleanser from Cetaphil (easily purchased at major Chinese supermarkets.)

Buying Guide

Online Links

Inoherb Official Tmall store (Recommended)

Inoherb Website

Physical Stores

Any large Chinese supermarket (Carrefour, Tesco, Walmart) or drugstore chain (Watsons, Mannings)