With the spatula provided, I scoop a small to moderate amount of the balm. I work it all over the face first, then over my eyes in gentle circular motions. When the makeup starts to melt away, I'd wet my hands and continue to massage it in. As the product comes into contact with water, it emulsifies into a milky, thin consistency and further dissolves all traces of makeup. Then I rinse my entire face with water and splash away any residue.
This is seriously the best cleansing balm I've ever tried and one of my holy grail products. It's so easy to use but more importantly, quick and effective. It leaves my face feeling clean and clear but not stripped at all. I like that it is reasonably priced too, I can usually find eBay listings for about $20 and one tub lasts me for 3 months.
I was given a sample of the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm when I was in America, which is more than double the price of this and it does not compare. While the Clinque one isn't the worst I've tried, it's nowhere near as effective as Clean It Zero. I find that the Clinque balm tends to cling onto the face, there's an oily residue that lingers even as I try to rinse it off.
The in-between step of my double cleanse is to wipe away any left over foundation in the hairline and down the neck since I don't use Clean It Zero on those areas. For that I just use the Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Water with some cotton pads because I don't want to wreck my muslin cloths or towels with makeup. After I clean around the edges, I turn the cotton pads over and just soak up the water that remains to dry my face, in preparation for the next step.
The last step is my favourite step. 2-3 years ago, the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser was all that the UK bloggers talked about but it was never easily accessible in Australia. I came across a starter kit in the Birchbox store in New York, which had the cleanser and two muslin cloths in a zip pouch. I'm kicking myself for not buying a few more now! This is the first non-drugstore cleanser I've ever used and it has changed my life.
I know you can use this to remove your makeup as well as cleanse, but I prefer using it as just a deep cleanser. It pumps out as a rich cream and it doesn't lather up even as I work it in. Like with the Clean It Zero, I can use it over the eyes and it doesn't irritate or sting. To remove the cleanser, I rinse the muslin cloth in 'hand-hot' water, wring it out and use it to gently wipe off the cream. I repeat these steps a few times. The cloth itself works as a gentle exfoliator, buffing away dead cells to reveal a fresh, clean and glowing complexion.
To say this stuff is heavenly is a complete understatement. The eucalyptus scent is so relaxing and the soothing sensation just envelops my face. It also has other amazing ingredients for your skin such as cocoa butter, beeswax, glycerin, and rosemary and chamomile essential oils. It gives the impression of a home-spa treatment and a treat - it definitely is.
I have noticed a huge difference in my skin's overall texture ever since using this cleanser and hot-cloth cleansing method. My face is much more clear, soft and supple. I've hardly had any blemishes.
It makes me wonder how for years, I just used Cetaphil as my cleanser. I can't rave enough about it!
I'm already dreading the moment I finish this because the only way to purchase it is from the Liz Earle website and there is a flat rate shipping of £15. I will definitely do a big order in the future to stock up as well as try more Liz Earle products but I am going to try the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel next to see how it compares.
What is your current cleansing routine? What are your favourite cleansing products that you can't live without?
chloé
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