Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: Review

Today, I thought I'd review one of my favourite products EVER.

A lot of you have probably tried Liz Earle's hero product, the Cleanse & Polish (£14.25 for a 100ml starter pack with two muslins)- I've been using it for about five years now, and really haven't found anything better. Their tag line is that they only need to sell one cleanser, because this suits all skin types, and I have to agree- my skin's changed from oily to normal/combination while I've been using it, and I've found it still works well, and friends/relatives of mine have all loved it despite having wildly different skin.

The cleanser itself is quite creamy in texture, and smells absolutely gorgeous- the eucalyptus really comes through so it smells really fresh. One pump is enough to do the whole face, and you must apply the product to dry skin or it doesn't really work properly. This product is also gentle enough to apply to the eye area- I've never had any irritation from it whatsoever. The 'polish' part of the name comes from the muslin cloth (rinsed in hot water) that you're supposed to use with it- you'll get some people who say that it's fine to use with cotton pads or even just rinsing off with water, but the muslins add an exfoliating step to the cleansing routine.

You can see how creamy the texture is from the picture- amazing!

What I love about this is that it takes off all my eye make up- I never use a separate remover. I do have trouble if I wear waterproof mascara (it takes a bit longer to get off, and a bit more product), but as that's a rare occurrence, it doesn't really bother me! I did a little swatch to show you how it takes off eyeliner and lipstick below:

After one wipe with the muslin

After a few more wipes!

As you can see, it doesn't come off completely with just one wipe of a muslin, but it's pretty good! One thing is that is annoying is that the muslins do get soft and lose their texture after a while, but I guess there's not much that can be done about that. Another thing to note is that some of my lipsticks actually stain the muslins, so be careful!

Have any of you tried Cleanse & Polish? Do you love it as much as I do? Let me know!
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Four Essential Steps in Skincare

"There are no such things as ugly women, only lazy ones"- Helena Rubinstein

What annoys me is that a lot of women seem to think that makeup is there to cover up all the lumps and bumps on your face. While it can certainly be used to hide dark circles, a few spots etc., makeup shouldn't be used as a mask- instead it should be used to enhance your skin, to show off your natural beauty. There's nothing beautiful about an inch thick layer of makeup trying and failing to cover up badly looked-after skin.

Obviously some women do unfortunately suffer from bad skin, but a lot of women just don't bother caring for it. They're lazy. A good way of looking at this is by thinking of makeup as paint, and your face as a canvas- you wouldn't use a dirty canvas to paint a picture on, would you?

The key is to look after your skin. And yes, this might take some time out of your daily routine, but there are only four essential steps you really need to follow, and once you get into a routine, it'll become second nature.

And all those that use face wipes? Don't kid yourself you're looking after your skin. They should only be used in absolute emergencies. 

So, the four essential steps in skincare are:

Cleanse

Do this twice a day- once before bed, to wipe away the grime and dirt that builds up during the day, and once in the morning, to get rid of the sebum produced during the night. Don't bother getting a separate eye make up remover as well- just get a cleanser that does it for you.

Tone

People often neglect this step, but it is just as important as the others. Toners restore the skin to its natural pH after cleansing, and help to re-hydrate it. One thing i would say is try and stay away from toners that are mainly alcohol, as they won't do your skin any favours.

Moisturise

Regardless what people say, those with oily skin do need to moisturise- it's an important step for anyone. What a lot of people don't realise, however, is that our skin changes with the seasons- most people need to move to a richer moisturiser in the winter, and a lighter one in summer.

Exfoliate

The fourth step in your routine only needs to be done once a week (after cleansing, before toning). There's really no point in piling on the moisturiser or using masks if you don’t exfoliate, otherwise you’re just applying product to dead skin. People with sensitive skin might have reservations, but there are plenty of exfoliators out there that are gentle on the skin, instead of scrubbing half your face off. 

So, if you follow these four steps, you should get closer to achieving skin that serves as a blank canvas for whatever makeup (if any) you decide to wear!