Over the past year, I’ve noticed a lot of really interesting green K-Beauty brands cross my radar. Earth’s Recipe is one such brand that combines naturally sourced ingredients with elegant textures and science-backed formulations. Today, I’ll be talking about Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser; a low-pH cleanser.
A Low-pH Cleanser
Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser is a gentle, low pH foaming cleanser that won’t strip the natural moisture from your skin. There are many reasons why it’s important to choose a cleanser with a low pH:
- Your skin naturally has a slightly acidic pH of around 5. It’s the optimal pH for your skin’s barrier — a combination of lipids, skin cells, and fatty acids — to flourish and protect against environmental damage and invaders. Using a high pH cleanser, one that gives you that “squeaky-clean” feeling, can damage your skin’s lipid barrier. This can cause irritation, dryness, that “taut” feeling, and inflammation.
- A high pH cleanser also creates an environment where acne bacteria can thrive. The bacteria responsible for most acne, p. acnes, grows best at a pH of around 6.5. When you consistently raise your skin’s pH with a high pH cleanser, you’re making it easier for p. acnes to colonize your skin.
I pretty much exclusively use low-pH cleansers now and I see a definite difference in the health of my skin. In fact, when I occasionally use a higher pH cleanser (in the process of testing new products to review), my skin instantly feels tighter, slightly irritated, and more sensitive. Some people with more resilient skin may be able to tolerate a high-pH cleanser, but why not give your skin its best shot at being plump and healthy?
Ingredients
Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser has a pretty awesome ingredients list, featuring sweet almond oil, niacinamide, and bamboo, birch, and cypress extracts, among many other botanicals. It’s sulfate and paraben-free. The full ingredients list is available on Be Mused Korea Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser product page HERE.
Texture
Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser has a sticky gel texture, very much like honey. It’s clear in color with tiny little white bubbles in it. It doesn’t feel sticky once lathered up though! It creates a luxurious lather that feels so refreshing on the skin and really makes washing my face a pleasure. I probably massage it over my skin longer than I really need to, simply because it feels so silky and hydrating. It also rinses off easily and my skin feels super soft after using it, not tight or dried out at all.
Results
All I ask of a cleanser is that it cleanse my skin effectively without drying it out. On both counts, the Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser performs admirably. I feel like it removes the daily grime from my face (I use an oil cleanser to remove makeup, but on days when I just wear sunscreen, the Stemwater Cleanser is all I need). In addition, I love the refreshing gel texture and how silky it feels on my skin, as well as how my face feels toned, refreshed, and softened after using it.
Earth’s Recipe Stemwater Cleanser would be great for all types of skin, but especially sensitive skin, as it is very gentle and hydrating. Is your current cleanser a low-pH cleanser?
