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 Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
Score: 9.5/10
Price: £12.75 for 100 ml (click here to find some gorgeous special Liz Earle Naturally Active offers on our site)
As we say, the highest-scoring product we’ve ever had: one woman gave it 11 out of ten and we’ve never found anyone who didn’t like it. From the international brand founded by a former beauty journalist, this creamy cleanser is used with hot water and its own muslin cloth (which also works as an exfoliator). Testers loved the fragrance, from pure essential oils of rosemary, camomile and eucalyptus; it also contains cocoa butter and almond milk. We made it a star buy because it is middle-priced and lasts for months.
Comments: ‘My skin felt really clean, fresh and soft after this’ • ‘left skin feeling velvety and radiant; texture just right – felt rich’
• ‘loved this product – amazing difference on greasy chin, with noticeably closed pores’ • ‘took off full Saturday night make-up, including mascara, easily’ • ‘the muslin cloth was satisfying: good to see all the muck that came off my skin’ • ‘very uplifting fragrance’.
 Nude Cleansing Facial Oil
Score: 9.16/10
Price: £28 for 200 ml (but you can take 10% off that at www.beautyexpert.co.uk, if you click here; discount is automatically applied at checkout)
Targeted at normal to dry skins, this luxurious, detergent-free oil is enriched with omega-3 and vitamin E oils. After massaging into skin, a little water transforms it into a milk that can be rinsed away. We applaud Nude’s packaging policy: 40 per cent is made from post-industrial recycled plastic.
Comments: ‘Fabulous! Skin felt very moisturised and soft’ • ‘much richer and less drying than my usual cleanser’ • ‘excellent packaging, with easy lift-off top’ • ‘love the floral smell’ • ‘worked on waterproof make-up; no trace on my pillow’ • ‘easy to use, skin felt velvety’.
 REN N0.1 Purity Cleansing Balm
Score: 8.94/10
Price: £28 for 150 ml (but you get 10% off at beautyexpert.co.uk, if you click here; discount is automatically applied at checkout)
This new pump-action cleanser marks REN’s debut in the cleansing balm category: luxuriously silky, it should be warmed in the palm then massaged over the face, before adding water to emulsify into a rich milk. Testers loved its soothing action – and rose fragrance (becoming a signature for REN…)
Comments: ‘Simple, clean packaging and great pump-action dispenser’ • ‘looks complicated but really simple once I got the hang of it’ • ‘the texture was just incredible, an absolute pleasure to massage in; incredibly moisturising, much oilier and greasier than any cleanser I’d normally use but I ended up loving it for that’ • ‘heavenly smell – I can’t praise this highly enough’ • ‘dissolved make-up like an absolute breeze’.
 Trilogy Cream Cleanser
Score: 8.7/10
Price: £19.01 for 200 ml; (you get 5% off at www.victoriahealth.com, plus free postage & packing, if you click here)
Trilogy, a New Zealand brand that is a personal favourite of ours, is committed to producing skincare free from synthetic fillers, artificial fragrances, mineral oil and parabens. Alongside the rosehip oil (a signature ingredient) are jojoba, almond and carrot oils, plus a dash of orange blossom.
Comments: ‘Perfect texture – creamy-rich but not greasy or too thick; easy to dispense and removed waterproof eye make-up; skin felt very moisturised’ • ‘one of the best products I tested: skin felt clean and soft with no need for toner; a little goes a long way’ • ‘liked the floral smell – fresh and natural’ • ‘perfect dispenser and fabulous at cleansing’ • ‘liked the fact that you can recycle most of the packaging, though the glass bottle is a pain to travel with’ • ‘took off all my make-up, including dark red lipstick and lots of dark eyeshadow’.
 Pure Lochside Organic Orange Cleansing Oil
Score: 8.43/10
Price: £28 for 100 ml at www.purelochside.com if you click here
Testers really enjoyed this product from a small Scottish brand founded by Fiona Tutte, an experienced aromatherapist. Made in small batches – and packaged, unusually, in cute jute bags rather than boxes – this pump-action oil won special praise for its delicious orange fragrance. For best results, use with an organic muslin cleansing cloth.
Comments: ‘Worked a treat on my bright blue Dior mascara, which usually takes three morning scrubs!’ • ‘one application got rid of heavy make-up and waterproof mascara’ • ‘loved the packaging’ • ‘the orange smell woke me up’ • ‘left skin soft and moisturised’.
 Dr Hauschka Cleansing Milk
Score: 8.4/10
Price: £21.44 for 145 ml at www.drhauschka.co.uk if you click here
The ingredients in this gentle cleanser are grown organically and biodynamically (in rhythm with the phases of the moon); they include fennel extract, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and clay, with fermented grains ‘to assist in breaking down the impurities in the skin’.
Comments: ‘Silky lotion was easily applied and melted off make-up, leaving parched winter skin hydrated, fresh and comfortable’ • ‘cleansed effectively – gentle but thorough; left skin very moisturised’ • ‘delicious product, more like a treatment than a cleanser’.
 Vaishaly Cleansing Balm
Score: 8.37/10
Price: £59 for 150 ml at www.vaishaly.com if you click here
A ‘hero’ product created by leading facialist Vaishaly Patel, this melts into skin and is emulsified with water, so it swooshes away. (We still like to use a muslin cloth.) Based on sweet almond and olive oils, plus an arnica, ginkgo and calendula complex, it’s soothing to dry, itchy complexions. Pricy – but a bottle lasts well over six months.
Comments: ‘Fantastic at taking off make-up (with muslin cloth), leaving skin like silk. I would buy it’ • ‘stylish, simple packaging’ • ‘lovely essential oils, uplifting and relaxing, so it’s perfect for morning and night’ • ‘took off make-up, including waterproof mascara, with no irritation’.
 The Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter Cleanser
Score: 8.33/10
Price: £31.95 for 70 ml at theorganicpharmacy.com if you click here
The Organic Pharmacy was founded by Margo Marrone in 2002, and this award-winning cleanser was a debut product: a solid balm (again, use it with a muslin cloth) enriched with shea and cocoa butters, together with antioxidant carrot, all infused with aromatic camomile, rosemary and lavender essential oils. Several testers commented on its greasy nature – so best for very dry skins.
Comments: ‘A real treat: took longer than usual to do the routine but it left my skin feeling great’ • ‘made skin feel very clean but not at all dry’ • ‘worked immediately on dry face; easy peasy!’ • ‘best for extremely dry skin, as left oily film’ • ‘needed a damp cloth to wipe off properly; pretty nice to use’.
 Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing System
Score: 8.33/10
Price: £39 for 100 ml at spacenk.co.uk if you click here
From the ‘natural facelift expert’ of TV’s 10 Years Younger, this ‘facial in a box’ has a cleansing balm (with essential oils of orange, neroli, bergamot and mandarin) which can be ‘customised’ into an exfoliant by adding the crushed rosehip seeds also in the kit. Testers felt it was quite costly for the length of time it lasted.
Comments: ‘My greasy, acne-prone skin really improved using this and stopped feeling tight’ • ‘both easy to use: I used the balm in the morning and both at night, which left my skin wonderfully clean’ • ‘ten out of ten, except for the Barbie-pink-and-white packaging!’ • ‘brilliant booklet with massage tips’.
 A’Kin Rose & Geranium Pure Creamy Cleanser & Toner In One
Score: 8.33/10
Price: £13.99 for 225 ml at www.victoriahealth.com if you click here (you get 5% automatic discount with free postage and packing)
This light, creamy cleanser from an affordable, natural Aussie brand leaves even sensitive skins cleansed and mildly toned, due to the witch hazel in the blend. With vitamin B5, shea butter, plus a naturally cleansing element of Panama bark, this is designed to remove lip, face and eye make-up in one swoosh. Two testers gave it ten out of ten.
Comments: ‘I loved this wonderful-smelling product; it’s the best cream cleanser I’ve tried and all natural; a definite improvement in the texture and smoothness of my skin’ • ‘refreshing and nice smell of roses’ • ‘I wear a lot of make-up and found it very efficient at removing all of it; left my skin lovely and soft with no tightness’ • ‘my daughter has very sensitive skin and loved it too’.
 Boots Essentials Cucumber Cleansing Lotion
Score: 7.15/10
Price: £1.49 for 150 ml at Boots stores; click here for Store Locator (though not every store may have it)
Products don’t come more no-nonsense than this: an INCREDIBLY inexpensive lotion which doubles as a toner, so Boots promise, and is lightly but distinctively scented with cucumber, with an accordingly cool feel on the skin. Can be wiped or rinsed away.
Comments: Testers say: ‘Lifts off foundation, blush and powder instantly – though mascara needed a specific remover; light, creamy, clean cucumber smell; left skin soft and moisturised’ • ‘really great basic, at a great price’ • ‘worked very well with a cotton wool pad, or wet washcloth to wipe off; very gentle product and good budget choice’ • ‘very cooling and not too girlie, so you could easily share’.
 Skin Blossom Organic Bloom Gentle Cleansing Milk
Score: 7.39/10
Price: £5.09 for 150 ml at www.lovelula.com (to take advantage of your 5% insider discount, add the code bb10 at checkout)
A finalist (but not a winner) in the 2009 Soil Association Organic Beauty Awards, this 88% organic light cleansing milk is cruelty-free, vegan, free from artificial fragrance, colour and petrochemicals, and gets its make-up melting power from sweet almond oil, glycerine and aloe vera.
Comments: Testers say: ‘Easy to use; silky texture that spread smoothly; removed some mascara, but not all brands; skin lightly moisturised’ • ‘rather “amateur” packaging, but if I‘d blind-tested it I’d have been very satisfied’ • ‘didn’t need a toner – and no make-up on my pillow!’ • ‘not greasy; face soft and silky, no tightness and lovely glow – could do with a better dispenser’.
 Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash Mask
Score: 7.1/10
Price: £3.79 for 150 ml at www.boots.com if you click here.
Unusual, this. We’ve never before encountered a cleanser which can double as a mask, but that’s just what this promises: use daily as a refreshing wash, or leave on to deep cleanse pores. The Visibly Clear range, as the name suggests, targets spots and blackheads, with a patented technology they call MICROCLEAR®.
Comments: Testers say: ‘Simple to use and effective at controlling my spots without drying’ • ‘removed make-up easily, but you need an eye make-up remover too’ • ‘as good as my more expensive cleanser’ • ‘good creamy texture that spread easily’ • ‘a little goes a
long way, so cost effective; gives a fantastic deep cleanse – skin feels superbly soft’.
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