The secret behind a radiantly clear, smooth complexion isn’t really a secret anymore. It all starts with keeping your skin clean; like really, really clean. Yet over-cleansing and exfoliating can strip the complexion of precious moisture and leave it overly dry and prone to premature aging.

I have normal to dry skin and tend to be very weary of over-drying cleansing formulations, so when I got sent the Starskin The Master Cleanser Detoxing Sea Kelp Leaf Cleansing Foam (long, long name, I know!), I kept it aside for a good few weeks before I gave it a try. The ‘Master Cleanser’ sounded like it would really clear out everything on my face, and perhaps it was made for oily skin.

How wrong was I. This wee cleanser deep cleanses for sure (you really are left with this refreshingly clean after-feel), and it manages to do so without leaving the complexion feeling tight and begging for hydration. 

Product Claim

“Made with hand-harvested sea kelp. A rich, creamy cleansing foam packed with purifying marine extracts – SAFE to use on all skin types.” – From the Starskin The Master Cleanser Detoxing Sea Kelp Leaf Cleansing Foam packaging.

The packaging has 5 major claims:

• Daily Detoxing.
• Exceptionally Cleansing.
• Makeup Removing.
• Super Smoothing.
• Moisture Balancing.

Key Ingredients

This foam is loaded with leading Korean skincare ingredients:

• Sea Kelp: For moisturizing
• Glacier Water: For cleansing
• Clay: For nourishing
• Spirulina: For brightening
• Green Caviar: For softening
• Sea Cucumber: For purifying
• Hiziki: For rejuvenation
• Jelly Fish: For brightening (so this product is definately not vegan!)
• Peony Root: For balancing
• Licorice Root & Sea Fern: For smoothing

The Packaging

As you can see from the product click I took above, the packaging of this cleanser is rather unconventional! It doesn’t come in a tube or pump bottle, but rather a simplistic squeezy pouch with a plastic nozzle.

I rather like this minimalist, almost frugal style of packaging. It makes product access really easy, and you can really squeeze out till the last drop. I would also imagine this squishy packaging to be easy to carry when travelling.

The only downside is that it does not stand! I have it propped up on my bathroom rack, taking support off my other sturdy jars and bottles. Surely they can easily incorporate a base for this packaging (like a tetra pack of sorts).

Tezzy’s Experience with the Master Cleanser Foam

My first instinct when trying out anything new is to give it a sniff (yes, I’m pretty primal that way!). This cleanser has a rather soapy smell, if you know what I mean. It smells vaguely of lemon (even though this isn’t listed on the ingredients), and this scent can easily pass off as a dish-washing liquid (so yeah, I didn’t quite take to the smell of this product).

However, what I really like about this foam is its rich, creamy texture. You really need a pea-sized blob, and it foams up beautifully to cleanse the face.

After washing and patting dry my face, my skin had that really cleansed, clean feeling and best of all, it wasn’t crying out for the moisturizer.

The product claims to remove makeup too, but the bummer is its not meant for the delicate eye area. Isn’t eye makeup the most challenging part of makeup removal?!

It does a decent job at removing base makeup, although it falters a bit with long-wearing lipsticks. I wouldn’t rely on this foam entirely for makeup removal though. I always give my skin an extra sweep of cotton and extra virgin coconut oil to really remove every trace.

From the list of product claims above, the only one this foam seems to struggle with is makeup removal. Apart from this, it really does work wonders at cleansing rejuvenating the skin and keeping it soft, smooth and supple without the loss of precious moisture.

I am also impressed with how little product is required for each use. This 50 ml pouch will easily last for over a month.

What I Love About the Starskin The Master Cleanser Detoxing Sea Kelp Leaf Cleansing Foam:

• Keeps to its promise of giving the skin a deep cleanse, leaving the complexion feeling very clean, smooth and refreshed.
• It does not dry out the skin.
• All you need is a pea-sized dollop for each use. A little goes a long way.
• The packaging is quirky and innovative.
• It would be an ideal cleanser to carry when travelling.

The Negatives:

• Although very subtle, I did not like the scent of this foam.
• It cannot be used around the eye area.
• You cannot solely rely on this cleanser for removing every trace of makeup.
• The packaging does not allow the product to stand.

Product Availability

The Starskin range is exclusively available at Sephora stores across the Middle East.