by Colleen
Cleansing balms are the latest trend in skin cleansing and although they have been around for a while, some brands having a cult like following (Eve Lom) have brought them to the forefront again with cosmetics companies developing new ones.
Cleansing balms are oil based cleansers that are solid at room temperature. They melt on contact with your skin and can then be massaged in to remove makeup then rinsed off with either water or a damp cloth often in muslin or flannel. They thoroughly cleanse the skin of makeup and impurities but still manage to hydrate and keep your skin very soft. If you are like me and hate the “tight” feeling your skin gets after cleansing, you will be pleased with cleansing balms, just smooth, hydrated and soft skin.
I tried out the Eve Lom cleansing balm in Sephora and although I was impressed with the soft skin I was left with and the fresh eucalyptus scent, the steep price ($55) was not enough to convince me to leave my current favorite cleanser, Micellaire foam from Nuxe with rose oil.
Fast forward to today, and here I am on a trip abroad, far away and I forgot to pack my skin cleanser! You would think for a makeup artist I would not forget something so important! I was more concerned with packing and choosing my inflight spa cleansing and mask routine that I forgot about it.
Upon arrival I dropped by the Faceshop (a Korean skin care brand a bit like the Body Shop) and I purchased a cleansing oil balm. Enriched in Borage seed oil and bean fermentation water, the solid melts instantly on contact with the skin to become an oil cleanser that removed all my makeup. Adding water to rinse, the oil was easily emulsified and was rinsed away cleanly. It left my skin soft and smooth without the tight feeling that leaves me reaching for the nearest moisturizer. I’ve taken such a liking to it that I’ve taken the time to give myself a facial massage. (click here for the best face massage tutorial I’ve seen on Youtube)
They are also super convenient if you travel as they are a solid so no worries about spills and you can even take them in your carry on ( oh another thing to add to my inflight routine!)
I am going to stock up on this Faceshop seed fermentation cleansing oil balm before I leave ( I like that it doesn’t contain mineral oil and the formula is quite natural) but when I run out I will try some of the ones below.
Have you tried cleansing balms?