The reason why I posted the article on AHA BHA earlier was so I could see if this Hada Labo cleanser really meets the criteria for the AHA and BHA to work. Disappointingly, no. Firstly, the Hada Labo AHA/BHA Exfoliating Face Wash Foam claims to be skin pH balanced, i.e. pH 5. AHA and BHAs require a pH of between 3 and 4 to work, so at pH 5, there is no longer much exfoliating properties. Secondly, the concentration of the AHA and BHA should be at a sufficient level for the cleanser to have exfoliating properties. AHAs should be one of the first few ingredients on the ingredients list and BHA should be in the middle. If you look at the ingredients list, glycolic acid (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA) are the fourth and third last ingredients respectively. This means the concentrations are too little for the AHA and BHA to work. Essentially, it is just a normal foaming facial wash without any exfoliating properties.
So knowing that there are no exfoliating properties, and that it is just a normal cleanser, I think it does well as a normal facial wash. It cleanses thoroughly and does not leave my skin feeling dry or tight after washing. The foam that is pumped out is dense enough and feels comfortable on my skin. I like that I don't have to manually foam my cleanser like I usually have to do when I use Fancl Washing Powder. But if I look at the ingredients, Fancl is more gentle on the skin than Hada Labo, ingredients-wise.
All in all, if you are planning to buy this cleanser, you should not expect it to have any exfoliating properties despite the claims made. It won't help with removing blackheads or sloughing off dead skin. I felt a little cheated when I researched more about AHA and BHAs when I was going to review this product, only to find that the pH and concentration don't meet the criteria at all. But as a normal cleanser, it works well and I like it. The price is about $15.90. So not too expensive, and quite affordable for a drug store product.
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