Contrary to popular beauty beliefs, dewy skin doesn’t come from a bucket load of illuminisor. It all starts with your skincare.
A dry and dehydrated dermis won’t glow, no matter how much makeup you slap on (and this can sadly, even make your complexion look worse). The answer starts with a nourishing cleanser (and finishes with a gentle toner and a nourishing moisturiser).
Cleansing balms nourish while they cleanse, which means you’ll never have that tight and dry feeling post-wash. This tight feeling is bad. Never rejoice in this feeling! Instead, you want skin to feel clean, but refreshed. Not like your face screaming out for your moisturiser! A cleansing balm not only ticks this box, but also really helps to remove built up makeup, SPF and general grime on your skin. The oils within cleansing balms (plant based, not mineral oils) actually help remove oils from the skin as, “like attracts like”; the oils in the balm attracts the lingering oils in skin and helps to dissolve them, to easily wash away.
So, which cleansing balms do I love best? I’m going to rock the boat and say that I DIDN’T like one of the most popular on the market, and a top seller in the UK. It just didn’t seem to blend into skin, even with the warmest of water, washcloths and rubbing. Blendability and creaminess upon application is a must for me. Based on this, there are my top picks.
Happy Skincare Cleansing Balm
This amazing cleansing balm is comprised of a 100% natural and 85% organic blend of shea butter, aloe vera juice and essential oils. Designed to remove both stubborn makeup and grease, it has an added bonus of smelling naturally sweet with hints of Lemon Myrtle, Sandalwood, Mandarin and Vanilla.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
This is a pricier option for a cleansing balm, but does come with good reviews. It’s certainly mineral oil free, paraben and SLS free. It doesn’t contain collagen though (like the name may suggest) but does have a nice base of almond oil.
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
This is another great option. A lightweight cleansing balm that easily becomes a fluid, creamy oil cleanser once rubbed into skin, without being greasy.
Lastly, some tips for using a cleansing balm:
- Don’t look open the tub when it’s cool and think ‘meh’. Oils will solidify and the ingredients can separate when they are cold. Once scooped out and warmed, they will combine and soften. You can also run the tub underneath warm water pre-cleanse if you really want, but rubbing the product with warm fingertips upon application will easily do the job.
- Due to the above, do warm the products between your hands before working into the skin. Otherwise, it can ‘drag’ across the face, which isn’t good news for any skin, and is especially bad news for mature skin. Once warmed, it’s lovely though.
- Do use a face washer/ wash cloth/ flannel to massage it into the face for a thorough, yet gentle cleanse.