Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse!

When I was younger, cleansing was never a big part of my beauty routine. I used wipes, left it on all night, washed it off with shower gel the next morning – pretty much anything except use a proper cleanser. Then, I became obsessed with cleansing, and I still am to this day.

It really is the first stage of your skincare routine – if you don’t cleanse properly, there is no point really in applying serums, moisturisers, eye creams and the like.

However, cleansing is still a bit of a pain –  and, particularly when, like me, you love a bit of makeup! Dark mascara and black liquid eyeliner, coupled with bright red lipstick means my cleanser has to work hard. And I can’t be bothered with two bottles – one for eyes and one for the face, or the hassle of using both.

So, the new breed of all-in-one cleansers are just perfect for me. In the last few years, I’ve become an Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm junkie. I love the stuff. But I’ve recently been trying a few others, all of the all-in-one variety, and all from skincare brands, because I think it’s just as important to get the right cleanser, as it is splashing out on a moisturiser.

So, the four I have been testing are, as pictured, left to right: Sisley Eau Efficace Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover (£69, johnlewis.com), Origins Clean Energy Gentle cleansing oil (£19, origins.co.uk), Lancome Huile Eclat Remove-All Deep Cleansing Oil (£21, houseoffraser.co.uk), Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil (£29, bobbibrown.co.uk).

I’ve been using the Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oi,  as you can see,  for a while now, and it has been wonderful to my skin. My skin is slightly dry, and this cleansing oil, with Kukui Nut, Sunflower Oils and Jasmin Flower is gentle, but removes everything, easily. You add a little water to make an emulsion, and basically sweep it over your face, and either rinse off, or use wet cotton pads to remove eye makeup and lip colour. it removes everything, effectively, and is gentle on the eyes.

The Sisley Gentle Make-Up Remover has a pump that reminds me of the nail polish remover pumps at manicure stations. Just push your cotton pad down on it to get cleanser on it. Genius! This water cleanser is really gentle, with a delicate perfume. Do eye makeup first, then lips, then the rest of the face, and repeat if you want. I did find this slightly ‘tightening’ on my skin, which has a tendency to tighten, particularly in the winter. But the ease of use of this cleanser, the size of the bottle, and the brilliant Sisley ingredients in it, means I would definitely recommend it, even if it is quite a lot of cash to wash your face!

Lancome’s Hulie Eclat smells wonderful with White Lotus and Rose de France.  I actually think I love this the best of all of them  – again, it’s an oil that turns to a lotion with water added.  Apply it straight to the face to dry skin, move it over your eye makeup, and the add warm water to emulsify it, and then rinse thoroughly.  I’ve been using this for about two weeks, and it really suits my skin. I use it in the shower in the morning, and at night, I have used wet cotton pads to have a more targeted removal of makeup when I’ve had a lot on. It seems like it is going to last a long time as well – you really don’t need a lot at all, just a pump or two.

Origin’s Clean Energy also has Kukui Nut oil as well as sunflower, olive and safflower, and is really gorgeous to use. It has a grapefruit, lemon and orange aroma to renew the senses, and is brilliant to use first thing. I’ve only just tried this, but again, it’s an oil that transforms to an emulsion with warm water. You can also use a cleansing cloth to remove…my only problem is that when I do that, with my eye makeup, the clothes need cleansed constantly!

So, take my advice and look after your skin from the cleanse first, and try one of these premium cleansers! They may seem steep in price, but I have seen reviews where the Lancome Cleanser has lasted 10 months, so that’s very good value for money in reality, for an excellent product!