It’s been a long time since I wrote about my favourite cleansers on the blog and given the fact that I’m a bit of a cleanser junkie, I’m always trying out new ones so it’s inevitable that my favourites change/expand in length. That’s not to say that I don’t still love the cleansers that I have raved about previously, there are none that I have recommended previously that I have outright changed my opinion on, and some of them will even make another appearance in this post. But the skincare market and science are constantly evolving and new products are always coming my direction and it would be a shame not to share my new loves with you all.

Cleansing my face after a long day is one of my favourite things to do. I love the satisfaction of seeing make up melt off and that freshly cleansed feeling on my skin before falling into bed. It’s a few minutes of “me time” and to be really frank, it’s one of the few things I do that makes me feel like I’ve got my sh!t together.

Balm cleansers tend to be ones I love most, especially for an evening cleanse, this is predominantly because I love the experience that a balm cleanser brings to a cleanse. Another reason I tend to gravitate towards a balm is that I also (whether it’s controversial or not), love a good scent in products and some of my favourite balm cleansers have the most amazing, spa-like scent which adds to the overall relaxing and pampering experience. The first balm cleanser that springs to mind and was 100% on my last list is the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. This is definitely one of my favourite cleansers of all time, it’s just such a beautiful product. I have been fortunate enough to have been sent the balm in PR as well as having bought multiple pots of it with my own money, it’s up there with my HG products. The scent is incredible, extremely spa-like and very relaxing. Spend a few minutes in the evening working this beauty into your skin and you’ll be able to pretend you’re transported to a treatment room in your local spa (if only for a few minutes, but still). The formulation literally melts down my make up and SPF with ease and feels extremely nourishing on the skin. It washes off easily, leaving now oily residue behind, just baby soft, clean skin. A HG product for life.

A relatively new discovery in the balm category and one that I am aware I am very late to the party with is the Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm. I currently have both the rose and the neroli scents in my collection (both of which are amazing) and have used the original balm too, all of which I have loved. This balm is another treat for the skin, it deeply cleanses whilst nourishing, hydrating and softening the skin. Combined with the rose or neroli scents in particular, it’s another “experience” if you will. The cleanser starts out as a balm which, when activated on the skin, transforms into an oil like texture melting down make up and breaking down any grime on the skin. On contact with water, it transforms again into a hydrating milky substance, which, like the Emma Hardie balm, leaves no greasy residue when washed off. The formulation contains no mineral oils which is great for those that find their skin reacts to such products. I’m told that this can also be used as a hydrating mask but can’t comment on that use myself (I have an obscene amount of masks as it is myself). A little goes a very long way and whilst this is one of the pricier cleansers in my collection, the cost per use really works out to be good value in my opinion.

Another big hit that I discovered during the course of last year is the Jordan Samuel The Aftershow Treatment Cleanser which has become a firm “repurchase” product, I love it so much. The formulation of this one is a unique gel to oil that is specifically designed to remove the heaviest of make up whilst leaving behind a beautiful, fresh faced glow. The cleanser should be massaged into dry skin, as a first cleanse, to really break down dirt, oils and grime. The gel texture is perfect on dry skin to allow you to get a good ‘grip’ which aids a good massage. The gel contains a light emulsifier that emulsifies the product on contact with water to help remove dirt. Again, I find that this gives a great, deep cleanse without stripping the skin in the slightest. My skin feels soothed, nourished and hydrated after use and the fruit acids such as sugar cane, contained within the formula helps gently dissolve dead skin cells, that leaves my skin baby soft and noticeably glowing. After using this product, there’s no chance of any make up being left behind after use. The cleanser also comes in a sensitive skin option that doesn’t contain the fruit acids for those that feel that it might be too much for them.

Finally, another love is the very affordable Neutrgena Hydroboost Water Gel Cleanser which activates with water to cleanse the skin whilst adding a moisture boost at the same time. Perfect for those with drier skin types, it contains a dose of hyaluronic acid in the ingredients list to help inject and lock in moisture and leave skin supple and nourished. I love the fresh, clean scent of this cleanser and the price tag even more. Often found in the 3 for 2 offers at Boots or Superdrug, I would highly recommend picking this one up. The texture and scent make it a great morning cleanse for me that really helps waken my skin up. My only gripe is that it has been known to sting my sensitive eyes the tinest bit, but given I don’t use this as an evening cleanser, I’m not spending time working it into my eyes to remove eye make up so it’s not a problem per se, just a minor gripe.

This is by no means my extensive list of cleansing loves, but rather a, “these are some of the cleansers I’ve been obsessed with over the past 6 months” type list. And no doubt, in another few months, I’ll have discovered more that I love, or will have returned to some old favourites!

Are you a cleanser junkie like me? What are you currently reaching for? Tell me in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Lynsey xox