Eskinol Facial Deep Cleanser - Review

If you’re from the Philippines, you would’ve probably heard of Eskinol - a facial cleanser that claims to ‘remove deep seated dirt, excess oil and make-up with a micro-cleanse anti-bacterial formula’. Although it’s said to be an effective pimple-fighting cleanser, the alcohol content in this product raises a cause for concern. Using Eskinol has its benefits as well as its drawbacks - i’ll be discussing all of this in this post and giving my overall verdict on this product.  

I’ve actually been using Eskinol on and off since I was about 12. I was first introduced to it by my mum when were in the Philippines. It was an absolute Godsend and was just what my oily/sweaty face needed at that time. Since then, I’ve always had one lying around in my stash. 

This review is based on my experience with the product so note that I do have combination skin. I’ve tried most of the cleansers and I find they all work similarly so this is more of a general overview of the range.

Pros

• Controls breakouts -  whenever I feel a spot forming on my face, I use this and it calms it down immediately. It kills the bacteria on the surface of the skin and prevents those pesky spots from appearing. When a spot is already there, it causes it to purge, dry up and reduce in size. 
• Skin feels instantly refreshed - It degreases and has a cooling effect on the skin, thus making it a good one to use when you're in a hot climate. 
• Convenient - with this product, you are able to cleanse without using water. Simply pour onto a cotton pad and apply to your face and neck. It’s what I use on those mornings where I cba to go to the sink and wash my face. 
• Squeaky clean skin - it does indeed remove deep seated dirt. I’m amazed and slightly grossed out whenever I see what’s left on the cotton pad! 
• Super inexpensive - it’s not easily available in the UK but you can find it on Ebay for £5-6 or at your local filipino store. It’s even cheaper in the Philippines costing around Php 50 (so I’ve heard), which equates to 68p. Crayyyy!!

Cons

• Contains alcohol - this is ultimately a bad thing as far as your skin is concerned. It strips it of its natural oils, harms the skin’s protective barrier and damages the skin cells. Yikes!
• Contains methanol - this is another irritant which causes that stinging sensation. This can dry & irritate some skin types.
• Stimulates oil production - yes! I’m afraid so. Since it removes excess oil from the skin, constant use of this will trigger the skin to produce more oil than normal, thus counteracting the effect. 
• Whitening - this could be one of the product's pros but I personally love having a tan. Whenever I use Eskinol, the tan on my face fades away within a couple of weeks. I wouldn’t mind if it brightened my complexion (erased dark spots and evens out skin tone) but nooope, it just makes me pale. Weh!

Verdict

This cleanser is certainly not for everyone. Steer very clear if you have sensitive and/or dry skin as it will only worsen things for you. I’d only recommend this to people with super oily/spot-prone/combination skin to use more as a treatment. 

In my opinion, it’s far too harsh to use as an actual makeup remover/cleanser on a day to day basis.  It’s best used in conjunction with other products. As for me, I take my make up off with micellar water and apply this after, then follow up with a good moisturiser. I’ve learnt that using it everyday only dries out my skin so I only use it if and when I need to… or when I’m feeling a little lazy. Because of the alcohol content, I try to limit myself to using it around once or twice a week. 

Eskinol is dirt cheap for a reason - the ingredients aren’t the best but the bottom line is that it does keep your skin clean and clear. I've seen some amazing before and after's using this product so if your skin type is suited for this, it's worth a try. Use it wisely, and you could totally reap its benefits.

I hope this helped!