Hands up if a cleansing mishap as a teenager had you traumatized from using exfoliating cleansers till your early twenties.
..Just me?
Cleansing is a relatively straightforward step in any skincare routine – You lather it on and rinse it off, c’est finit. However, as basic as it might seem; cleansing your skin properly with the right cleanser makes a world of difference in your skin’s overall appearance, texture and complexion.
The importance of applying your serums, moisturizers, eye creams, sunscreen, (you name it), on a clean fresh face can hardly be overemphasized. It helps your skincare products penetrate deeper into the skin and ensures your pores are not getting clogged. This keeps those pesky breakouts and blackheads at bay. As someone with oily skin, I find that not cleansing properly in the morning and at night contributes to a lot of breakouts and texture issues I face with my skin.
I found out about the Skinscience Glysal 5-2 cleanser after the founder of Skinscience Africa, who is also fast becoming one of my favorite Nigerian skincare influencers, Subuola recommended it on her Instagram story. According to her, it helped fade her hyperpigmentation so I just knew I had to give it a try. The Glysal 5-2 cleanser is an exfoliating cleanser that contains 5% Glycolic acid and 2% Salicylic acid, a power couple that helps to keep away both acne and hyperpigmentation.
With that being said, dear skincare lovers, here’s my full review of the Skinscience Glysal 5-2 cleanser and the top three things I noticed while testing out this product.
*Spoiler alert!* I will indeed be repurchasing this cleanser.
1. Bye Bye Acne!
First things first, it is common knowledge that salicylic acid is an over the counter acne treatment ingredient. You can find salicylic acid in cleansers, toners and in some serums. I have always preferred using salicylic acid in toner solutions as I never believed it would be as effective in cleanser form, plus I had an over-exfoliating mishap with my skin while in secondary school, so it is safe to say I was a bit wary of testing this product out. But guess what? This cleanser superseded all my expectations and put a lot of the skincare myths I had to rest.
Honestly speaking, after using the Glysal 5-2 cleanser, I do not see myself ever going back to my usual Salicylic acid toners and that says a lot as they have always been my go-to for clearing breakouts and keeping my skin clear. I use the Glysal 5-2 cleanser every night because of its high acidity and also because Glycolic acid can increase sun sensitivity. I follow it up with a hydrating essence or toner, a serum and a moisturizer. I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised with how much it cleared up my skin. Of course I still have the occasional pimple or breakout every now and then, especially around that time of the month, but this product worked wonders for clearing up my skin.
2. Hello To Smoother Skin
I have noticed a significant improvement in the overall appearance and texture of my skin, all thanks to the Glysal 5-2 cleanser. I was and am still pleasantly surprised tbh. Glycolic and Salicylic acid encourage cell turnover, get rid of dead skin cells and in turn improves your skin texture.
Bumpy textured skin has always been a skin concern of mine which was why I did not expect to see my skin so smooth when I started using this cleanser. Be that as it may, with the consistent use of this product over time and ensuring that I protect my skin barrier by hydrating it after each use of the cleanser, I have noticed a huge difference in my skin texture and that is a big plus.
3. Hyperpigmentation Is No Match For This Cleanser
Now, here’s the main reason why I was so excited to try out this product. Glycolic acid has been highly acclaimed for its ability to even out darker skin tones over time, resulting in less hyperpigmentation. Salicylic acid on the other hand has been proven to mildly improve your acne scarring, making this cleanser perfect for anyone struggling with hyperpigmentation.
There truly has been a huge difference in the overall complexion of my skin from the consistent use of this product. It has given my skin a nice glow and bear in mind that I was not using any other product targeted at these skin concerns. I only followed up with an essence and moisturizer to keep my skin hydrated and the combination worked wonders for my oily skin.
Read: To help with my hyperpigmentation, I tried Arami essentials’ HLR Drops
Final Thoughts
Overall, I give the Skinscience Africa GlySal 5-2 cleanser, four stars. It is an amazing product for my oily and combination skin girlies, just be sure to keep your skin hydrated after use. While this product has been a staple in my daily nighttime skincare routine, I am looking to reduce my usage of it to every other night and use mild cleansers in between to make sure I am not being too harsh on my skin. However, the SkinScience Africa Glysal 5-2 cleanser has become a staple in my nighttime skincare routine and I absolutely love it!
You can shop the Skinscience GlySal 5-2 Cleanser here!
