I’m a diehard fan of cleansing balms. I’ve bought and experienced around four of them from different brands. I love indulging in the whole cleansing ritual, experiencing different packaging, fragrances and textures. It’s almost very therapeutic. There’s something about cleansing balms that just amazes me. Their ability to effectively, yet ever so gently remove and dissolve all makeup from your face is just so awesome.
First of all, a cleansing balm is an oil-based cleanser which tackles difficult impurities from one’s skin. Further, when it comes in contact with water it emulsifies and turns milky which further assists in washing off the product from the face along with all the impurities it has dissolved – for example your makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum and all the dirt and grime from your face. Unlike regular face washes, cleansing balms are generally applied on dry skin and then washed off using water.
My latest purchase is the “Oat Cleansing Balm” from the very well-known brand – The Inkey List!
Unlike my past cleansing balms, which have always been in jars, this one comes in a tube. With a jar cleansing balm, you also have an additional spatula tool to scoop the balm out from the jar, which you don’t get in this case because you just have to squeeze the product out like you would with your regular cleansers that come in a tube.
Now I’d like to take you through my experience with this product so far. I’m almost at the very end of it and my opinion on the product has come to form only after I’ve made use of the product for a fair amount of time.
- THE TEXTURE – Most cleansing balms I’ve tried have had a very buttery and easy to use kind of texture to them. However, in this case the texture has been a little difficult to work with. In fact, during my first few usages, it was extremely difficult to squeeze the product out of the tube. I had to use both my hands for the task and it ended up creating quite a mess at the mouth of the tube. Also, in the last few squeezes the texture / consistency was not so thick but the oils in it began to separate. So, whenever I’d try to squeeze the oil like substance would come out first and then the actual balm. With all this being said, I think it is safe to say that I’m not such fan of its texture.
The separation of the oils and solids in the formula!
- THE EFFICIENCY – It does the job well. It removes all the makeup effectively. However, I’d like to add that in my experience I’ve found that this wasn’t as effective in makeup removal as all my previous four balms I’ve used (for example – The Good Molecules – Instant Cleansing Balm; The Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing balm by Farmacy Beauty).
- THE APPLICATION PROCESS – Previously, with my other cleansing balms, because of their smooth and lightweight texture I could use them directly on my dry skin and then wash the product off with water. But with The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, because of its hard texture you have to work on a damp face (this is also part of the instructions on the packaging – apply the product on a dampened face), but given the nature of cleansing balms – they emulsify / or turn milky as soon as they come in contact with water. Yet again, it’s a little difficult to work with it because you can’t use too much water or the product will wash off, and you can’t work with no water at all because the product is hard and doesn’t melt easily.
The solid form of the texture! 
The texture upon contact with water (Emulsification)
- VALUE FOR MONEY – The entire brand – “The Inkey List” is very affordable. They have some very amazing products across their range, and all of them at very reasonable prices. The Oat Cleansing Balm is priced at AED. 50 on the website www.lookfantastic.ae for a 150 ml tube which is a great price. So, if you are someone who wears very little makeup or just uses sunscreen during the day, then this cleansing balm is a good and affordable one to add to your routine, without breaking the bank.
All in all, it’s a great product. Apart from a few difficulties with regards to its texture there’s no other drawbacks. It’s affordable, it’s fragrance free. I believe it even works well with sensitive skin and it doesn’t dehydrate your skin. I’d like to rate it a 3.5 on 5!
