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.
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.
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!
