New cleanser in a game | Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser

Cleansing is one of the most important parts of skincare right next to moisturizing and suncare. It doesn't have the sense to put expensive serums and toners when your skin is full of - let's say it - dirt. Every combo & oily skin types owners will tell you that picking a cleanser is hard, but if you find this one ideal product - it'll change your skin completely. Axis-y is a brand focused on balance, so it's not a surprise that the brand decided to release Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser.

About Axis-y

Axis-y is quite a young K-beauty brand. According to Axis-y's Facebook page, the brand was established in December 2018. The brand makes climate inspired skincare solutions. What does that mean? Our skin has to deal with lots of danger like pollution, UV radiation (free radicals) and the change of weather and temperatures. The real challenge for the skincare brand is to make a product that will be effective, and at the same time, it'll deal with our lifestyles. All products from Axis-y contain natural plant extracts, and the brand itself believes that skincare should be personal. The company keeps a great connection with customers on Instagram which I think is crucial for beauty brands - we might not always agree, but respecting each other is better than some companies who try to bully people for saying their honest opinion out loud. All Axis-y products contain 6-1-1 Advanced Formula which should work for problematic skin as well as for people in humid climates.

How to pick an ideal cleanser?

We all have different standards of cleansing. I used to struggle as a teenager to find ideal cleanser. Usually, the formulas were too foaming, harsh and back in the days, pH wasn't a thing. It has changed with K-beauty and double-cleansing - it's not like I only use oils or balms and foams - I use micellar water as well and my cleansing depends on the routine and skin condition. Some tips will help you find ideal cleanser. Ask yourself first - what is the condition of my skin? If your skin is dry then mild formulas like micellar water or milk will be the best, the pH of both should be around 5,5. If your skin is oily then foaming cleanser with pH around 5.5 is the best. If you use makeup then double cleansing should work better for you than using your makeup with one formula only. All formulas should be based on delicate surfactants and depend on preferences and skin condition - you might want your cleanser to be free from essential oil.

Why does the pH matters?

Skin pH is slightly acidic, it's something between 4.2 to 5.6 or even 6.0, but the pH around 5.5 seems to be the best. The wrong pH of the skin is problematic because it disturbs the natural balance of the skin which can lead to water loss, skin sensitivity, dryness and dehydration, but also acne. Bacteria P.Acnes loves when the pH is a bit higher than it should be, so every time I use a cleanser with a pH over 6 my skin keeps breaking me out.

Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser - Packaging

Axis-y has excellent aesthetics. The packaging which gives me this natural, but the professional vibe. It's far from the dermo-cosmetic look, but I prefer it. The turquoise bottle wins! The applicator is easy to use and two pumps of the product should be enough for gentle but successful cleansing.

Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser - Scent

The scent was my biggest problem in this formula. I won't hide from you that I'm not a fan of Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat. As long as I can tolerate Buckwheat scent, Quinoa and Amaranth are the worst scents for me even if both should be the main products in my diet since I can't eat wheat, oats and my diet currently is mostly focused on rice. The Quinoa scent is so unpleasing for me that it even beats fermented skincare products that smell like wine.

Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser - Texture

It's a beautiful gel texture full of tiny bubbles, but the magic happens when you add water to the formula. The foam is not big, but it's a gentle foam, it won't hurt your skin.

Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser - Ingredients

Water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Betaine, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Extract, Chlorphenesin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Ocimum Tenuiflorum Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Allantoin

Let's start with the most important part of the cleanser - surfactants. Decyl Glucoside is the first surfactant here and it's a vegetable cleansing product which should be mild for your skin. Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate is very similar to Decyl Glucoside. Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate isn't different. In general, Axis-y decided to go for mild cleansers to make sure that Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser is safe for the skin and removes dirt without destroying the lipid barrier.

Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract is an ingredient, which according to Axis-y stimulates collagen production. Glycerin is an ingredient which you probably know the best. It's one of the best moisturizers you can use in a skincare product. Betaine is derived from sugar beets. It's an amino acid that keeps your skin moist and you might want to use it in your haircare routine.

Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil is probably my least favourite oil, but lately, I have no allergic reactions to soybeans on my skin which is a great thing (but I take my meds all the time). It's an emollient that should work well with acne-prone skin. Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Extract is an extract form related to a famous essential oil. Tea Tree Oil is a good guy, it's super helpful in curing acne. It shouldn't be used straight on your skin, it needs to be diluted. It has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Tea Tree Extract also has positive effect on your acne-prone skin. 

Chlorphenesin and Ethylhexylglycerin are preservatives. They protect your skincare from fungus, yeasts and bacteria. Hydroxyacetophenone can boost the effectiveness of the preservatives.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is an antioxidant which you know as green tea. It's an ingredient which all skin types should like. According to Axis-y, it makes skin more vital. Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract is an unknown extract for me, but the brand promotes it as a rejuvenating ingredient that can help with blemishes and post-acne pigmentation. Under the name, Ocimum Tenuiflorum Extract hides Holy Basil. It's a source of phenols which makes it a great antifungal and antibacterial ingredient.

Centella Asiatica Extract is an ingredient that stays in skincare trend. Although during my internship I had no client asking me about Centella Asiatica, still I can't deny that this ingredient has the power to change your skin. Lots of ingredients used in skincare have a long history of use in medicine. This ingredient isn't different because Centella is a part of Ayurveda, a traditional (or if you prefer - alternative) medicine used by people for ages. Nowadays we associate it with India. Centella is a herb mainly used in skincare for its healing properties. It speeds up the healing process, that's why acne-prone skin loves it. If you're pregnant or you plan pregnancy then try to find body care products with Centella Asiatica because it can have a positive meaning on skin elasticity as well as stretch marks.

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract is an antioxidant and a soothing ingredient. According to Axis-y, you can use it after the sunburn but I would say if your skin is irritated - go for it. Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Fruit Extract is not a common form of Sweet Almond - usually, we meet the oil version of it. Sweet Almond is a source of vitamin A and vitamin E. Citric Acid is a mild AHA exfoliant but in skincare, it can help balance the pH of the product. When I say balance, I don't think about balancing the pH of the product to neutral (pH=7), but to the value similar to the skin pH (between pH 4-6, the ideal is 5,5). Geranium Maculatum Oil is a calming oil. Geranium Maculatum has different names like wood geranium or spotted cranesbill. Allantoin is a great soothing moisturizer which you might remember from the old days when Allantoin and Panthenol ointments were popular for kids.

My Experience with Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser

At first, the smell of the product was so strong that I thought, I'll have to give up on this product. The scent in the product is a key, but after 3rd or 5th use, it just didn't matter. The best way to test new cleanser is to test it when you have no choice because you have no fresh cleansers left to try. The formula is nice, I spent an hour taking macro-shots of this cleanser and you know what? I had to re-do the photos because my SD card decided to die with all 500 photos of various products including photos made for this post. When you add water to the cleanser - the formula changes into a tiny foam, it's gentle and it doesn't dry out the skin which is a key to success. I had no chance to check the pH of the product on my own and I didn't see the pH information on Axis-y's website, but it seems to be right around 5.5. I have no breakouts after using this cleanser and usually, my skin gets so bad when the cleanser has the wrong pH that I look like I'm a teenager with active acne. According to the brand, 2-3 pumps should be enough and I totally agree with this information. Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser should help you remove waterproof makeup - I haven't tried it on waterproof mascara because in general, I don't use cleansing foams to remove my makeup, but it does work on foundation with fixer (aka quite heavy makeup to remove). According to the company, this cleanser is cruelty-free and contains no animal ingredients.

Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser - Price & where to buy it?

180 ml of Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser costs $17 and you can get it straight from Axis-y website. There's also The 611 Skincare Set that contains Axis-y Toner (the review of Axis-y Daily Purifying Treatment Toner is on Kherblog), Gel Cleanser, Ampoule, Serum and Axis-y Cera-Heart My Type Duo Cream (the review of Cera-Heart My Type Duo Cream is on Kherblog) for $99.

I'm not a fan of Axis-y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser because of the scent, but I'm sure a huge number of people will love it since it's an affordable cleanser with good pH level.

Have you ever tried Axis-y products before? What's your favourite cleanser?

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*** This post was made in collaboration with Axis-y, even though it still shows my personal opinion on the topic and product**