Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser

Hey folks! Before I start with the review of my new favorite facial wash, I want to share a lovely comment that I received from Kim, a new Project Vanity reader (say hi!):

Hi Miss Liz! I'm a new follower of Project Vanity and I'm loving my stay here as a reader so far. Before I'd be a silent follower who would read every post religiously but never leave a comment. Your makeup reviews are very detailed and helpful but what I love most is the feedback section. It's a refreshing change from other blogs where comments sections are usually reserved for compliments and praises and whatnots for the blogger. Yours is very interactive and the comments have legit helpful content as well. :) Smart bloggers attract smart readers, eh? ;)

This is quite true. I am not able to reply to all comments unfortunately but I read everything as soon as I get them, and learn so much in the process. Like dupes of certain high-end products, application tips, and just general feedback on a product the commenter has tried. I also get ideas on what to post next time! So thank you, guys, for helping fellow beauty enthusiasts with your practical and unique insights.

On to the review! The Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser (P1,200) is formulated for oily-skinned girls who are also prone to pore blockage (blackheads). This promises to neatly absorb and sweep off all traces of sebum on your skin without actually stripping off its moisture barrier. Kaolin Clay, the public enemy #1 of oil, is its main ingredient.

The thing with kaolin clay is that it's so effective in absorbing oil that it ends up sucking your skin dry (at least in my experience). It's more commonly used in facial masks for deep treatments. How does it fare in a facial wash? 

This Kiehl's cleanser has a gritty feel to it, as in I can feel bits of superfine soil in the cream. This might be the clay! It's great because it helps exfoliate my skin while washing off the oil at the same time. It just feels a wee bit rough as I'm spreading it on my face, but these particles dissolve and foam as you massage them all over.

After washing, my skin feels smooth and fine and bright immediately. However it can feel a bit tight, but that's easily solved with a lick of moisturizer. I've been using this for two months and the effect still stands - my blackhead problem is practically non-existent and my skin is better than ever.

Tip: Maximize your cleanser by focusing your application on your problem areas (these are usually the nose and the area around it). Make sure that you massage the product in for a few minutes so that you can draw out all the dirt that's stuck there.

Of course, I'm on a great skincare routine right now, so the other products I'm using helps along. But cleansers for me are important in rooting out dirt and oil from the pores. Toners can't really do that, and I'm too lazy to exfoliate/ mask up for real every week. A facial cleanser that exfoliates gently and deep cleans after every use is a godsend.

I have to note though that I got bumps within the first week that I first started using the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore cleanser. I would get them along the bridge of my nose and cheeks! My skin felt blah and gray so I stopped using it for a week or so. My favorite cleanser then was the Etude House Wonder Pore but it was out of stock so I had to try a bunch of other cleansers but none of them worked for me! In utter desparation, I went back to Rare Earth to see if it would still give me bumps. Thankfully my skin has stopped reacting and it has been amazing since then.

I know you'll ask - which is better, this Kiehl's cleanser of Etude House's Wonder Pore? I find they do the same thing even though the textures are vastly different. They both help lessen oil and blackheads, while brightening skin overall. Wonder Pore is cheaper at P678, but my bottle lasted me for only a month and a half. A tube of Rare Earth is P1,200 but I've only used up 30% of it in the last two months. I think it can stretch up to 5-6 months of daily use so it actually ends up cheaper than Etude.

The Wonder Pore is still wonderful (and finally back on stock!) but I think I'll be purchasing the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser when I run out of cleanser. I can't predict which one will work for you (indeed if any one of them will), but at least you have pretty good choices if your problem is oily and clogged skin. :)

Soooo you know the drill. Let me know what your favorite pore product is, and if you've tried this particular cleanser already!

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