Do you find choosing cleansing foam problematic? Because I do, but Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser is a positive surprise. This K-beauty foam is gentle, and it contains the latest it-ingredient: PDRN. Can a PDRN foam change your cleansing routine for the better?
What's PDRN, and why is it so popular?
PDRN is a shorter form of the ingredient polydeoxyribonucleotide. It started to become a popular K-beauty ingredient in 2024, but it's not a new ingredient. PDRN was studied in Italy in the 80s. I found some information that the first treatment based on PDRN was Placentex, but since it was an article, not a research study, I'm not 100% sure if that information is accurate.
PDRN are fragments of DNA, its size is between 50-1,500 kDa, and they are mostly obtained from salmon sperm. There's some similarity with human DNA, that's why brands go for salmon instead of human placenta - yes, PDRN can be derived from placenta. The reason why companies love PDRN is simple. It's an ingredient with huge potential. It's supposed to boost collagen and elastic production, but also boost the healing process. That's not wrong, but we should focus on something else. PDRN can activate A2A adenosine receptors. These receptors promote a process called angiogenesis, which is a process in which new blood vessels form from already existing vessels. It supports the creation of new cells and boosts fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin. That's not all, this receptor is related to the inhibition of the inflammatory response. PDRN sounds good, but we have to remember that before PDRN skincare, PDRN was used for injections. PDRN in skincare has some limitations, the biggest one? Size of a molecule.
Since PDRN is derived from salmon sperm, this ingredient can't be vegan-friendly, so are the brands that promote vegan PDRN scamming us? No, they aren't scamming us. PDRN can be derived from plants. VT PDRN Essence 100* is based on PDRN derived from ginseng. Innisfree is using Green Tea PDRN™ in Innisfree Retinol Green Tea PDRN Skin Booster Ampoule*. If you're worried that vegan equals worse, I strongly believe that it's not true, because the amount of research related to ginseng and ginsenosides (the active compounds of ginseng) is huge.
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser is based on salmon, so it's not vegan-friendly.
What's a cleanser?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a Cleanser is "a substance used for cleaning, especially your face". That's correct. If we want to be more specific, we might add that a cleanser is a substance that contains cleansing agents, another name for them is surfactants.
Cleanser is a product that removes dirt, sebum and products (makeup, sunscreen), but before cleanser, there was soap.
There are different types of cleansers. Some people use soap to cleanse their skin, some prefer micellar water, milk cleanser, cleansing oil or cleansing gel.
Does pH in cleanser matter?
Yes! Back in the day, toners were supposed to balance the pH of the skin after cleansing. Right now, toners have other purposes, like nourishing and adding moisture to the skin. If you use a water-based cleanser, you might want to choose products with a pH similar to the skin. A higher pH of the skin is bad for the natural skin barrier, it can disrupt the function of the skin barrier and cause infections or irritation. Higher pH of the skin is also a good environment for acne.
If you have acne and you have tried a series of products but nothing helps with your skin condition, you might want to check your cleansing gel and its pH.
What's double cleansing?
Double cleansing is mostly associated with Asian skincare routines, especially Korean ones. I even found some articles (not research papers) that this method of cleansing comes from the 14th century. Sadly, I couldn't find a source for this information.
Double cleansing is a method of cleansing dry skin with oil-based products like cleansing oil or balm and following it with cleansing foam or cleansing gel. Between these two steps, we use water (not too cold, not too warm) to emulsify the oil.
Using double cleansing is supposed to remove makeup and make sure that the impurities are left on the skin.
Meet the brand: Heveblue
Heveblue is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2022. It's a brand focused on natural ingredients and superfoods to create formulas suitable for sensitive skin. Heveblue calls itself an "ingredient maestro" for sensitive skin. The name Heveblue comes from the French "Rêve Bleu", which means pure dream. The brand doesn't only focus on skin, but also on the environment. Heveblue uses FSC-certified paper boxes, and removable labels are printed with soy ink. The brand is still searching for other practices they can adapt to make products friendly not only for users, but for the environment.
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser - Packaging
I'm a bit surprised because Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser comes in a paper box. Inside, you can find a bottle with a pump and a removable label. The bottle contains 200ml of product.
The paper box is made from FSC-certified, eco-friendly paper. The ink used for packaging and labels is based on soybeans. The bottle itself is a PET bottle that's recyclable.
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser - Texture & Scent
The best thing about Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser is the lack of scent. It's a watery cleanser that turns into white foam, there's no pigment added, but naturally, the water has a bit of beige tint.
What's the pH of Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser?
According to the brand, Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser has a pH of 5.5. This pH is the best for skin since skin's natural pH is around 4.7-5.6.
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser - Ingredients
Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Water (463,540Ppm), Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water (102,900Ppm), Portulaca Oleracea Extract (98,000Ppm), Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Decyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Dna, Salmon Egg Extract(1,500Ppm), Madecassoside, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Benzoate, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid
Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Water (463,540Ppm) is a source of vitamin C. It's also a hydrosol obtained from broccoli. It has refreshing properties, and it's supposed to help with moisture and skin protection. Water is often hidden in cosmetic products under names such as "Aqua" or "Eau". It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. Water in skin care products must meet specific standards. It should be clean and free from minerals, microorganisms, or other substances. Typically, water constitutes the majority of the product's content.
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water (102,900Ppm) is a soothing ingredient. Centella asiatica is known by several names, including Asiatic pennywort, tiger grass, and Gotu kola. Centella Asiatica's roots are in Ayurveda. This ingredient is successful because Centella is a source of triterpene saponins - madecassoside and asiaticoside. Portulaca Oleracea Extract (98,000Ppm) is a source of polysaccharides, flavonoids, betaxanthins, betacyanins and glutathione. It's one of the plants used in Korean traditional medicine, but in skincare, this antioxidant has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Depending on the product, its origin can be natural or synthetic. It protects against TEWL (transepidermal water loss), a natural process that occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs and a natural moisturizing factor. It's practical in hair care. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it—just the opposite—it protects your skin from irritation. Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a mild surfactant. It's an amphoteric surfactant, so it has both positive and negative ions.
Decyl Glucoside is a non-ionic surfactant that works as an emulsifier and thickener. Butylene Glycol is a common ingredient in products. It's not only a solvent. We use butylene glycol because it helps the active ingredients penetrate, protects products from drying, and moisturises the skin and hair. This ingredient can prevent hair loss and strengthen hair. Sodium Chloride is nothing but a well-known salt. In skincare, sodium chloride is a thickener. We also use it as an exfoliant.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic solvent and preservative. It protects products from microorganisms by boosting other preservatives. At the same time, it can moisturize the skin and has no unpleasant effects on the epidermis. Sodium DNA is nothing but popular lately, PDRN. Sodium DNA stands for sodium deoxyribonucleate. It's an ingredient usually derived from fish DNA or, as some people say, "from fish sperm". This ingredient is supposed to be great for skin repair and regeneration. It helps with the moisture of the skin as well. Just remember that Sodium DNA in skincare won't fully work as PDRN injections, even if this ingredient looks very promising.
Salmon Egg Extract (1,500Ppm) is a source of antioxidants like astaxanthin and omega-3. Madecassoside is a bioactive part of Centella Asiatica. It's an antioxidant and can stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis to promote wound healing. It has soothing effects, and it might have anti-aging properties if we combine it with vitamin C. Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract is a source of oleic acid, linoleic acid, squalene, lecithin, vitamins and minerals. It's a moisturizing extract with soothing properties.
Maltodextrin is a stabilizing ingredient that can hydrate your skin and absorb sebum. Ethylhexylglycerin is a preservative with subtle moisturizing and antimicrobial properties. Disodium EDTA neutralizes metal ions in the formula to keep products fresh. Potassium Benzoate is a preservative. Hexylene Glycol is an emulsifier. Citric acid is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), a delicate exfoliant and buffering ingredient that adjusts the pH of the formula.
How does Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser work?
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser might seem to be a simple cleanser, but it's more than just PDRN. Heveblue loves patented solutions, that's why the use of Effipulp® (Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract and Maltodextrin) shouldn't be a surprise. This patented ingredient has moisturizing properties, and there's a big chance that it's based on upcycled avocados.
I always have problems with finding ideal cleansers, the main issue is the pH. Thankfully, Heveblue says it clearly in their materials that this foam has a pH similar to the skin's natural pH. If you have acne-prone skin, the pH of the cleanser should be important to you, because too high pH creates an ideal environment for Cutibacterium Acnes (previously known as Propionibacterium Acnes). That's why I have trust issues towards cleansing foams, but Heveblue made sure that the pH is right for sensitive and acne-prone skin.
I enjoy using this foam, it's delicate, it removes sebum from my skin very well without leaving my skin squeaky clean - that's something I avoid, because if a cleanser has too harsh surfactants, you will see the results for sure. Too harsh surfactants can be irritating for sensitive skin, but they can also make your skin super dry right after cleansing. That's why I'm more likely to go towards delicate foams like Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser.
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser really impressed me, because every moment I used it, I didn't have this thought of "oh God, when will this foam end". Towards the end, it was more like "oh no, it's going to end soon". I feel like Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser can be a universal foam for all skin types.
Where to buy Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser and how much does it cost?
Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Bubble Cleanser is available on Yesstyle* ($23.71/200 ml) and Stylekorean* $28.70/200 ml). Feel free to use my referral code BETWEENDOTS to save on your YesStyle order or BETWEEND0 to save on your Stylekorean order.
Have you ever tried Heveblue before?
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