The support of small businesses has grown significantly throughout the pandemic. I was pleased to be gifted a cleanser from a small beauty company and I am more than excited to share this review with you all!

A few months ago I was gifted a cleanser from BHUMAN, a sustainable and cruelty-free beauty brand from Singapore. BHUMAN launched their first product in January 2020; a cruelty-free, vegan and zero-waste facial cleansing powder. Everything from their product ingredients to packaging was clearly well thought out.

The Product

The facial cleanser is a powder which was something I had to get used to. I had never used a cleansing powder before, so I was quite hesitant to try it. But hey, it’s good to try new things!

As stated on their packaging, “the [BHUMAN] cleansing powder is formulated without water providing a higher concentration of active ingredients”. Majority of skincare products are diluted with water, so BHUMAN decided to go in the opposite direction.  The company was inspired by powder formulas that are commonly used in south Asian beauty from countries such as Japan and Myanmar.

Using the product for the first time was simple: I just added a little bit of powder to my palm, some water and rubbed my hands together to activate the product.

The main ingredients in the powder include:

• Acerola Cherry – a soothing astringent which treats blemishes and problem areas.
• Thanaka – natural antioxidant which controls oil and cleanses free radicals exposed to the skin.
• Niacinamide – reduces sebum, hydrates and controls oil (my favourite!).
• 0.2% Lavender Oil – soothes and brightens the skin.
• Zea Mays Corn Starch – controls oil and reduces shine (that greasy look and feel).

The Good Stuff

I was surprised by the results. To be honest I was quite skeptical at first because of the ingredients and powder. My skin is so sensitive that it normally breakouts when I switch to a new cleanser. I always try to use gentle gel and balm cleansers which don’t foam, so I was concerned when I saw how foamy the BHUMAN cleanser got when I first mixed it with water.

However, I was impressed with the results! Within a week I noticed a change in my skin’s appearance and feeling. My skin looked more even and matte and slightly brighter than usual. It felt super smooth and CLEAN. I loved how refreshed and clean my skin felt after a wash. In this Australian heat and humidity there is nothing that I want more than a cooling cleanser.

The texture of the product itself was surprisingly creamy once I mixed it with water. The cleanser did not cause any irritation or burns. I was happy to say the least!

To Be Honest…

I was slightly concerned about the cleanser having lavender as an ingredient. Even though the cleanser contains a tiny concentration of lavender I was still unsure if my skin would react. I don’t like lavender in skincare because it normally causes itchiness and breakouts. Thankfully it did not have any bad reaction to it, however, if BHUMAN creates an alternative cleanser without the lavender oil I would gladly use it.

The next point is not too problematic, but I feel like it has to be brought up especially if you use Niacinamide. If you have been following me for a while you would know that I use The Ordinary Niacinamide 10 % and Zinc 1% serum. Because of the high concentration of niacinamide in the serum and the lower concentration in the BHUMAN cleanser my skin did get a little dry. It was not extreme, but I did notice this change after I started using the cleanser. My solution to this was to apply less of the serum at night (one drop instead of three) because I was using the cleanser twice a day. Although, if you have oily skin then this combination might be your skin saviour!

Do I Still Use It?

Yes! I doubt I will run out any time soon as the product came with a refillable bottle. It works well in combination with an oil-based cleanser for double cleansing.

Get Some

You can find this cleanser on their online store. They currently ship worldwide!

Rating: 8/10

-Kayla Shivana

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