When Confirm Trading offered to send me the Smöoth É Gold skincare range to review, the first thing that I wanted to try was the facial foam, thanks to the brand’s famous Smöoth É Babyface Foam which has a memorable series of funny commercials that cracked me up and imprinted the Thai intonation of the foam’s name in my mind!
Like the original, Smöoth É Gold Whitening & Moisturizing Facial Cleansing Foam (S$19.90) is soap-free and non-foaming (despite the name). However, it contains more ingredients than Babyface, more notably, marine collagen and elastin complex for anti-ageing purposes. According to the brand, soap ingredients and harsh foaming agents tend to leave a residue on the skin and strip the skin of its moisture respectively, hence their exclusion. I’m not sure what they mean exactly by ‘soap-free’ but I’m guessing they are referring to sulphates.
I put the wash to the test and found out why it is called a foam even though it doesn’t lather up – it looks like a facial foam, smells like a facial foam and feels like a facial foam…the only thing it doesn’t do is bubble up. :P I personally like the foaming effect of facial foams but I also use non-foaming cleansers like Fancl Facial Washing Powder, so I wasn’t thrown by its bubble-less nature.
True to its promises, it cleans gently and my skin feels comfortable and smooth, post-wash. I wash my face twice with this, when I double-cleanse with a cleansing oil for heavy makeup days. A test with a toner-soaked cotton pad after washing revealed no residue – in other words, it cleans well. If you usually wear a small or moderate amount of makeup, one wash should suffice for you. Gentle on the skin, this cleanser can be used a few times along the course of the day without leaving the skin feeling taut and dry. I haven’t seen any whitening effect on my face but I think this is worth a try, if you’re looking for something gentle yet effective.
In Singapore, Smöoth É products are exclusively available at Guardian stores.
