[REVIEW] banila co. Clean It Zero

Another star product that’s been hailed as a holy grail by many beauty bloggers, banila co,’s Clean It Zero is definitely one of the steps in many people’s Korean skincare routine.

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Product Description

This award-winning cleanser goes on as a solid balm and transforms into a silky oil on the skin. Its sorbet-soft, lightweight texture effortlessly dissolves stubborn makeup without stripping your own natural oils. Papaya extract works to naturally exfoliate the skin and acerola extact is rich in vitamin C which helps to brighten.

Official Retail Price in Singapore: SGD 27 (Althea)

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Ingredient List

Mineral oil, cetyl ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate, PEG-10 isostearate, polyethylene, butylene glycol, water, rubus suavissimus (raspberry) leaf extract, bambusa arundinacea stem extract, aspalathus linearis leaf extract, viscum album (mistletoe) leaf extract, angelica polymorpha sinesis root extract, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, malpighia glabra (acerola) fruit extract, epilobium angustifolium leaf extract, BHT, butylparaben, Cl 16255, Cl 15985, fragrance.

They weren’t joking about the papaya extracts – just look at the ingredient list! It’s also interesting how they contain other plant extracts (raspberry leaf, mistletoe, acerola). According to Soko Glam, ‘papaya extract works to naturally exfoliate the skin and acerola extract is rich in vitamin C which helps to brighten’.

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Packaging: I once read somewhere that banila co.’s packaging is very similar to Benefit Cosmetics. I guess it is kind of true, but I do think that it’s pretty unique – in the K-beauty world, at least. This product’s packaging is very clean and sufficiently luxurious.

Texture: Soko Glam describes this product’s texture as ‘sorbet-soft, lightweight’, and they aren’t exaggerating. It goes on as a solid balm and transforms into a silky oil on the skin when you rub it. I love how this product looks, smells and feels exactly like sorbet. The melted ‘sorbet’ also doesn’t feel overly oily, sticky or gross on the skin.

Effectiveness: When it comes to cleaning power, this cleanser is faultless. With this cleanser, I could wipe off any stubborn makeup on my face almost instantaneously. Waterproof eyeliner? Long-lasting BB cream set by primer and powder? Nothing is too difficult to remove with Clean It Zero, and this truly amazes me.

My issue with this cleanser, however, is that I experienced mild breakouts on the days immediately after I used it. I didn’t quite believe it was the cleanser giving me breakouts on my first try, so I waited for one more month before I got around to using it, with the same result. Frankly, the breakouts weren’t too bad or unsightly, but it is a sure sign that my skin does not react very well to the product.

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Final Verdict

I’ve always had some doubts about products hailed as ‘holy grail’, but I’m glad to say that banila co.’s Clean It Zero has dispelled my thoughts on this issue.

If I hadn’t faced any breakout problems on the 2 occasions that I used this, I would definitely use it every day in place of my current water-based makeup remover. However, reality is cruel, and it appears that my skin doesn’t take this product as well as I would have liked. My only salvation would probably be its Purity counterpart for sensitive skin. Anyhow, I digress – the main point here is: take note of this potential breakout problem if you have sensitive skin like me. However, most reviews I’ve read online have only sung praises, with no mention of breakouts, so it’s likely that it’s not so much a product issue.

I personally also think that SGD27 is pretty expensive for a cleanser/makeup remover, and if you’re on a budget, it’s probably better for you to stick to something more affordable, like Garnier’s Micellar Cleansing Water.

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Rating

Ease of use: ✮✮✮✮✮
Effectiveness: ✮✮✮✮
Value for money: ✮✮✮