The More Affordable Alternative to Holifrog's Sacred C Powder Wash

Tatcha popularized enzyme powder wash in the US. It's a gentle way of exfoliating your skin without harsh scrubs or chemicals, even suitable for daily use if your skin fancies. This is also a great way of taking fewer liquids with you for jet setters.

Powder wash is nothing new in Asia, there are many different variations since its creation, such as vitamin C powder cleanser. Before we go on, do active ingredients in cleansers actually do anything, given we wash them away so quickly? Our research shows that it depends on how long you keep them in contact with your skin. To maximize the effect, try to keep cleaning your face a tad longer, at least 60 secs. Also, the added advantage of vitamin C in powder form is it won't oxidize as quickly compared to serums.

Ok…now to the star of the show, the

Holifrog Sacred C Powder Wash

($44). It is essentially a fancier version of your usual powder wash. It is formulated with ascorbic acid (vitamin c), papaya enzyme, kojic acid,  and different kinds of 'natural' powders other than rice bran power, like blueberry and raspberry power. As it contains Kaolin, you can also use less water to work it into a paste and use it as a mask before washing it off as a cleanser.

If Holifrog is Prada sandals, then the more affordable option we found is Birkenstock - the

Han Skin Vitamin C Glow Powder Cleanser

($28), less luxurious yet equally effective. It has a really simple ingredient list of ascorbic acid and papaya enzymes, activate on contact to gently dissolve dead skin to give you a perfectly smooth complexion. The cleanser is fragrance-free and cruelty-free, and affordable like most K-beauty. The packaging also makes it easier to get the powder out compared to Holifrog's.