Cleansers! I can't seem to get enough of them. I think they're up there with foundations as my most purchased items. I've bought some that I love, and some that have just been a complete waste of money, so I thought I'd share the best and worst with you.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish: I don't think I need to go into too much detail with this one. I've mentioned it in a post before and everyone and their mum seems to have raved about it. I've tried a lot of other hot cloth cleansers thinking they'd be just as good, but nothing really compares to this one. It smells beautiful and although it's a thick, creamy cleanser, it leaves skin unbelievably refreshed and takes away every scrap of make up!
Botanics Soothing Cleansing Balm: This is similar to the Liz Earle as you wipe it off with a cloth soaked in warm water, but as the name would suggest,it has the consistency of a really thick balm, something I've never come across in another cleanser. You massage it on and it melts away any make up and impurities on the face and leaves skin super soft and radiant after its polished off.
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap: In the mornings I prefer to use more of a lathering cleanser to really wake up my skin and the Liquid facial soap is one of the few I've found that doesn't dry out my skin. It takes away everything without leaving that horrible tight feeling. Really need to buy a new one of these as I'm down to squeezing out the last of a sample tube!
And on to the worst...
Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion: I bought this thinking it would be a really quick and easy cleanser to pop on a cotton wool pad and take everything off. However, when I tried it it basically did nothing. It was heavy, smelt horrible and didn't take off any of my make up leaving my skin feeling anything but refreshed. I never really understood cleansers that aren't used with water and after trying this I'll be staying away from them in the future.
Burt's Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser: I had such high hopes for this as I love Burt's Bees as a brand and had heard a lot of good reviews. But when I used it, it didn't lather up as I expected it too and just felt sticky and oily on my skin. It was hard to wash off as well and left my skin with a really greasy residue that wouldn't come off until I exfoliated it away. I was so gutted because it smells heavenly, but it just didn't do anything for me.
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam: I'm really on the fence about this cleanser as I do still use it occasionally. A few months ago my skin got really awful and I invested in the whole Anti-Blemish range from Clinique. After about a week of using them though, it was even worse. I have quite oily skin most of the time, but it was becoming dry and flakey, and the blemishes weren't even much better. I stopped using it right away and my skin went back to normal and actually cleared up on its own. Also, because it comes out as a foam, there was nothing substantial to it and it pretty much just dissolved away. Because of this, I really don't believe spots and blemishes should be treated with really strong and abrasive skincare that's designed to strip every last drop of oil away. In fact, I've found that adding oil to my routine helps even out the tone and imperfections better than something acne-targeted. I do use this every now and then for a few days after my Cleanse & Polish if my skin is becoming overly oily but I wouldn't reccomend this as a main cleanser.
