Boscia Bestsellers: Detoxifying Black Cleanser & Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil

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Boscia is a line of preservative free skincare from Japan that is widely available through Sephora. While green beauty purists may argue that they’re not for those looking for completely clean lines (due to inclusion of ingredients such as silicones, PEGs, petrol derivatives, and some question chemicals), I consider it one of those mainstream brands similar to Ren/Jurlique/Aesop that does a decent job of keeping some of the things I don’t like out of their formulations.

I received a sample of some of their bestsellers from Sephora which happened to include two of their cleansers, the Detoxifying Black Cleanser and Makeup-Breakout Cool Cleansing Oil. I couldn’t wait to try these as I had a decent experience using their Purifying Cleansing Gel years ago. For those of you who are fans of the double-cleansing method (oil+cleanser), you’ll want to continue reading as this duo of the cleansing oil and detoxifying black gel cleanser seems to be made for pairing.

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Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil ($26): There seems to be a new cleansing oil on the market every week and while we all have opinions about performance, I prefer for the cleansing oil to wash off clean. This oil does just that using emulsifiers that turn the oil milky upon contact with water. As a cleansing oil this works perfectly, it is wonderful at removing makeup and breaking up even the stubborn products. Upon washing, the oil turns into a milky fluid that slips off the skin making the entire process very gentle and uplifting. The scent is a light and subtle similar to Tatcha’s cleansing oil except with more of a spearmint fragrance. While I would never advise anyone use a cleansing oil as a standalone regular cleanser, it’s a wonderful step to get off all of the surface gunk before stepping into the shower to let your normal cleanser work more effectively. 

Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser ($28): This is the regular cleanser that is recommended for those with congested skin as it promises to deep clean and detoxify. How does it do this? First of all, the gel warms upon rubbing between hands, which end of the day is a neat gimmick but I don’t think it does a lot because it cools back down within 1 second. The black color is most likely the result of the charcoal (though as the 2nd last ingredient, not as much as I’d hoped for) which helps draw out and detoxify skin. Glycolic acid helps with congestion which should be of relief to enlarged pores. 

I enjoyed using this by itself on nights where I felt my skin needed that extra omph as the cleanser is VERY foamy which can dry out some more delicate skin types. When used after the cleansing oil, I felt they balanced each other well, with this foaming cleansing removing the little bit of excess left behind by the oil. I would say that this was perhaps too strong to be used every night especially alone unless your skin was REALLY out of control. I do think this is a good product for those who really need something heavy duty to tame their skin. I don’t think it has any skin benefiting ingredients which for more normal or sensitive skin is a shame because contrary to belief, although a cleanser isn’t on the skin for very long, the absorption rate can be exceptionally high for beneficial ingredients as the pores and skin is most receptive at this time. 

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This duo is perfect for the girl who doesn’t leave the house without makeup on as it effortlessly removes product and cleans. As an oil cleanser, I found the makeup-breakup cleansing oil met all of my expectations and I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for an oil cleanser in place of the traditional makeup remover. For the cleanser, I found the detoxifying black cleanser on the strong side which actually makes my skin more problematic (unbalanced sebum production due to stripped skin, irritation, etc.) but as a once a week product it worked well in my routine. Its striking charcoal color and instant warming are sure to be stand outs, but the lack of beneficial ingredients and difficulty to use regularly are disappointing. 

Have you used either cleansers from Boscia? Any questions or tips about double cleansing? Leave it in the comments!

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9 Comments

  1. Juliet
    November 13, 2013 / 4:44 am

    I haven’t used these Boscia products, but I have been using their black mask. I don’t remember the name, but it dries and you pull it off… pretty fun but will rip hairs out if it gets too close to hairline or brows! ouch! That too has a tendency to over-dry and I have to be really gentle with my skin for a few days after using it. It must be the charcoal. The double cleansing method is fantastic though!

  2. RM
    November 13, 2013 / 6:06 am

    I too have used their purifying cleansing gel in the past and liked it quite a bit. It was my transition from Clinique to greener pastures about a year ago. Sadly, I’m still searching for the right clean product. Most natural cleansers left my skin congested, even the ones promising a deep cleanse, like Kahina’s. I have been using Dr. Alkaitis’s cleansing gel since late Spring and it’s been great at decongesting my skin without any dryness at all and still works well as the second step in my occasional double cleansing routine, the first being ED4OLO Vitamin B cleansing oil (similar to Boscia’s in that it emulsifies with water and rinses almost clean). But I need something different for my no double cleanse nights. Am waiting for your review of Yuli’s Halcyon!

    • Lara
      November 13, 2013 / 9:43 am

      Seconded! Halcyon review, please! I have dry and sensitive skin and am not such a big fan of oil/gel double cleansing. I always feel oils congest me and then the foaming gels strip, which I find counter productive. I think i prefer a milk, which does not foam but still gets rid of make up and grime. Most french eco brands have great non-greasy/heavy ones (eg shigeta). I am also a fan of micellar waters (again eco french brands have good ones), for heavier duty makeup or when i am too tired to use a normal cleanser after a big night out, or when travelling where tap water is a no no.

    • Juliet
      November 14, 2013 / 4:49 am

      RM, I’m also using OLO Vitamin B cleansing oil and doing Yuli Halcyon for the second cleanse (I’m double cleansing nightly) and it is working amazingly well! My skin is super prone to breakouts and congestion so my hopes weren’t high, but my pores actually look cleaner and the little black dots on my nose are smaller… the milia under my eyes even seem smaller. I seriously can’t believe that green skincare is working so well and OLO and Yuli are the only things I’ve tried so far.

      • RM
        November 14, 2013 / 5:04 am

        Juliet, thanks for the feedback. I do really like the oil cleanser but feel like every now and then, it freaks my skin out. Though that could be attributed to totally unrelated internal issues as they’re usually on my chin/jaw area (dam hormones and candida flare ups! Ugh!!). I do stop using it during those times though. Other than that, you’re absolutely right — nothing decongests my pores better than this oil. In the past I used to rely on regular trips to my facialist to have my clogged pores extracted. Now I can feel the gunk pop right out (yuk!) while I’m massaging with the oil, which by the way, I find immensely soothing and therapeutic.

        One question — do you use a wash cloth or equivalent to wipe off any oil residue before the second cleanse, or do you simply rinse with water and follow with Halcyon?

  3. Juliet
    November 15, 2013 / 5:39 am

    RM, No problem! I’m still new to green skincare so I love talking about it… I’m kind of obsessed. Yes, I get those huge cystic knots under my right jawline and they can stay for months! I guess no cleanser can help with those, but the one currently taking up residence on my face seems to be getting smaller faster so here’s hoping!

    Since the oil emulsifies, I really don’t use a wash cloth. I like to rub the oil on my face for a couple of minutes before getting in the shower. In the shower, I rub with water on my hands and it goes milky. Then just splash. It doesn’t seem to leave much residue, but I have pressed a wet washcloth against my face before moving on the Haycyon, but usually I don’t. The Halcyon seems to get any leftovers off without making my face feel dry! Hope that helps!

    • RM
      November 15, 2013 / 5:57 am

      Thanks Juliet. I know exactly what you mean by being new to green beauty and excited to talk about it. Me too!

      What seems to have really helped with the cystic acne is the spot treatment by Osmia Organics — http://www.osmiaorganics.com/organic-skin-care/best-acne-treatment/spot-treatment/
      Worked like a charm during my recent very severe bout. It cleared it up within days. Better than any retin A gel or tea tree oil treatment. I used it a couple of times during the day and at night, once it sunk in, I used a clay mask as an overnight spot treatment over the treatment oil (Evan Healy’s trick). A week later, they’re all gone and no new ones so far. Cross fingers.

      • Juliet
        November 15, 2013 / 6:06 pm

        I have read about that Osmia acne product. Sounds like I need to try it! Thanks!

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