Breaking! Teen Vogue just awarded the Neogen Real Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Stick the Teen Vogue Acne Award for 2017! Read why someone with sensitive and acne-prone skin, believes this cleanser lives up to the title. Jump to this article if you want to read how Charlotte Cho collaborated with Neogen to make this winning product!
Cleansing, for me, has always been tricky. I’ve battled acne my whole life and growing up in America, I was taught to ravage my skin with harsh cleansers and exfoliants day in and day out. When I found K-beauty, this mindset changed. I double cleansed using cleansers with mild ingredients and gentle yet effective actives that specifically target acne. I thought I had found the answer to my cleansing needs. And it was true, my skin felt much cleaner. But if I’m being honest, it didn’t look it. I was still struggling with breakouts, and my skin all too often felt tight and stripped after cleansing–a feeling that is never a good sign.
I was lost. I was using ingredients that were gentler, and cleanser that claimed to be great at fighting acne. That’s when I discovered the importance of pH levels. The cleansers I was using did have great ingredients, that would address the acne. However, they also clocked in with pH values of nine and above. My skin is super sensitive–and I came to learn high pH values can be disastrous for those of us with sensitive skin.
Why pH levels matter
Let me break it down for you: Your skin has a natural pH of between 4.5 and 5.5. The pH value means your skin is just acidic enough to fight off infections and bacteria. If you use a cleanser with a high pH, and especially if you don’t follow up with a balancing toner, your skin’s pH will become too alkaline, disrupting the skin’s acid mantle. In other words, your skin will be vulnerable to bacteria and environmental factors such as pollution, which are all acne triggers!
When I realized this, I immediately made the switch to low pH cleaners only.
Low pH cleansers I recommend
I started with my first love affair–the Innisfree Blueberry 5.5 Rebalancing Cleanser. I still love this cleanser to this day, because it had a pH of 5.5, and really worked to keep my skin clear. The first time I used it, I was blown away because it didn’t leave my skin stripped and dry. For the first time in a long time, I actually really enjoyed cleansing.
Then, I discovered the Neogen Real Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Stick. I’m really not exaggerating when I say the first time I used this cleansing stick was life changing. I had never had a cleansing experience like it before. I could feel how low the pH was, at a 5.5! It was remarkably gentle, and didn’t offset my skin balance at all. The stick transformed into a smooth, cloudy lather that I could feel sweeping debris off my face. I could feel the oils in the formula, and credited them for the silky, luxurious feel of massaging the cleanser across my face.
But, beyond the feel of the cleanser, its effects were incredible as well. I noticed day by day my breakouts decreasing. My skin, which is normally extremely dry, retained its moisture longer than normal. It was remarkable to me that a cleanser that was so gentle and soothing could also so effectively battle my breakouts. But, when you look at the ingredients that Charlotte formulated it with, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Ingredients
Three of the top ingredients are coconut oil, green tea leaves, and green tea extract. Combined, they are a powerhouse. Coconut oil, being combined with emulsifiers that make it non-comedogenic, offers moisture and nourishment that soothes the skin. Green tea leaves offer mild physical exfoliation that is gentle enough for everyday use and help keep the skin clear of dead skin cells. And green tea extract offers powerful anti-oxidant properties that purify and cleanse the skin, while simultaneously soothing and nourishing. Long story short, it’s a deep, thorough cleanse, with a gentle, cloudy feel. For anyone, but especially those of us with sensitive, acne prone skin – it’s a godsend. Plus, with the formulation of 13 oils in total, it helps to break down any remaining oil based impurities as well as water based impurities. And if you’re short on time or on-the-go, it’s practically a double cleanse in one step.
Every since I’ve tested the Neogen Real Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Stick, I haven’t been able to go back. I’ll admit – I was hesitant about using a stick because I didn’t want it to collect or redistribute bacteria on my face. But to avoid that, I just massage the stick into my palm, work it into a lather, and spread it across my face. It works like a charm, and gets around the singular issue I had with this cleanser. Plus, the stick packaging is incredible for travel, which is a huge plus.
The Bottom Line
So what’s the bottom line? Honestly, I look forward to using this cleanser each and every day because it feels so good on my skin. It leaves my face clear, clean, and nourished – the best combination you could ask for. And even better, it helped to clear my breakouts. I always get so excited when I find a product that I know will be a holy grail – especially because I’m super picky, and my overly sensitive skin is even more so. But, I got lucky with this one– it will be a staple in my routine for a long, long time.
+ Have you tried the Neogen Green Tea Cleansing Stick? What are your favorite cleansers that help treat acne? Let us know!
