Cleansers Comparison: Balance Me, Clarins, L'Occitane, Liz Earle and Dove

It's all about cleansers today. I have a selection of five that I've been using/testing in the past months, so this post was long in the making. You can find a review of another lovely cleanser that didn't include because the post would be too long here -> L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil. 

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel

Texture: Pure Melt has such a unique texture that starts off as a thick gel which when massaged into the skin turns into a thick oil and when water is added it emulsifies. You can see all three steps on the picture. The concept is a bit similar to the L'Oreal's Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, but Clarins Pure Melt is much, much thicker.

Performance: It does the best job at removing make up, especially when it comes to waterproof mascara (it is an oil based cleanser after all). There is a slight filter left when just rinsed off with water, so I prefer using a washcloth to completely remove it. As most oil-based cleansers it makes my vision very cloudy.

Scent: A nice pharmacy type of scent and very pleasant.

Price: My 50 ml tube was 12€ on eBay. The price of full size (125 ml) on Clarins' website is 33$ (24€).

Verdict: I like it because it removes makeup very well and has a unique texture, however, my skin didn't look as good as when I used other cleansers and my forehead became bumpy again. The cloudy vision bothers me a bit as well.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Texture: A rich, thick cream that is easy to massage into the skin.

Performance: It removes most of the makeup, even waterproof mascara, but only if I'm not wearing a lot of it. Thicker coats of mascara just pose to much of a challenge for it. The muslin cloth that comes with it is a much better quality than the one with Balance Me cleansers, but I still prefer washcloths.

Scent: Minty and very similar to Airways bubble gums. Not particularly strong, but noticeable.

Price: 100 ml starter kit 17.75€ on Liz Earle site (plus delivery for Europe 7.25€, rest of the world a whooping 22€. Seriously, why? Though, I hear they have excellent service, include generous samples and super pretty bags).

Verdict: This is my second favourite so far. It feels luxurious and removes makeup nicely (I still use a separate eye makeup remover), however, my skin doesn't look as nice as when I use Balance Me. I love the mint green packaging.

L'Occitane Brightening Cleansing Foam

Texture: I generally dislike foams, because they feel so watery and leave my skin dry, but this one was a pleasant surprise. It's so soft and almost creamy, quite a luxury to use. Ingredients here.

Performance: It's quite a gentle and comfortable cleanser. It doesn't take off all of the makeup, but I find it nice for the morning cleanse. It leaves my skin nice and fresh without getting tight after a few minutes.

Scent: Strong floral, like wildflowers. I'm not a massive fan of it, but it's not unpleasant.

Price: 50 ml 9.20€, full size 150 ml about 20€, eco refill 300ml 28.50€

Verdict: Nice for mornings (or nights after you've removed the makeup), but the scent is too strong and even after months I haven't got used to it. Still, it is my favourite foam cleanser and I would consider repurchasing it to continue using it as a morning cleanser.

Dove Pure & Sensitive Beauty Cream Bar 

Texture: The same creamy bar feel of the regular Dove soap. These are my favourite bar soaps.

Performance: This is pretty hyped up on MUA, so when I saw this version in DM I didn't hesitate to buy it. It's so easy to use, gentle, doesn't irritate my eyes and doesn't leave my skin too stripped, however, the next day I noticed a dry patch on my nose. I used it a few more times, but then stopped, because it turned out to be too drying for my skin. I also noticed my skin started getting oilier.

Scent: Unscented, but if I really put my nose to it an almost non-existent typical Dove scent

Price: 1-2€

Verdict: Really easy to use, but too drying for my skin. I like that it's unscented and really cheap. I'll use it for the rest of my body where my skin doesn't tend to get dry.

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

Full review here.

Texture: A liquidy balm with small oatmeal scrub particles. It's meant to be applied on dry skin, massaging it for 30 seconds, then water is added with makes it smoother, but it doesn't emulsify. The scrub particles aren't abrasive at all. It comes with a muslin cloth, which is absolute rubbish and I use a washcloth to remove it.

Performance: It's similar in performance to the Liz Earle one. It removes most of the makeup, except heavy layers of waterproof mascara. It doesn't sting my eyes and doesn't make my vision cloudy.

Scent: Sweet, similar to Kiki candy. The smell of childhood.

Price: 22-23€ on Look Fantastic and Naturisimo.

Verdict: My favourite cleanser so far. My skin looks and behaves best when I use it.

So Balance Me wins in my books (my skin looks really good since I started using it) and I like the L'Occitane foam for mornings, but I'll still test a few more cleansers. There are still some on my list to try and I already have Nubian Heritage African Black Soap coming my way.

I hope this was helpful and have a great day!