There are many others I have used and loved for a short time - Vaishaly, for instance, was great until I began to feel it was just too rich for my shine-prone skin (and then it began to cause a few too many breakouts...)
The Organic Pharmacy softened skin beautifully, but because it doesn't emulsify (neither does Saaf's balm), I found I wasn't getting quite as 'clean' as I wanted, and after a few days, I'd notice some blocked pores where the cleanser just wasn't coming away as neatly as I'd have liked it to. Oskia, too, produce a fine cleanser - and it has the edge on the aforementioned two, because it emulsifies beautifully, but once again, I feel it's better for ageing skin in need of nourishment than younger complexions seeking balance and purity.
With this in mind, here are the two that I shall always return to:
ESPA is an absolute staple. The formula just seems nice & easy for me - never stings, never causes excessive oiliness, not too 'nourishing', emulsifies very well & rinses clean away. Lovely, lovely. Oh, and the pot's a generous size too, so this one tends to last me about 3 months.
Omorovicza is another favourite, but for a different reason. If ESPA were the staple, then OM would be the special occasion cleanser (the pot is, unfortunately, on the small side), but it does have a really fab knack of hoovering out those pores and making everything look that bit clearer. I'd recommend it to people prone to impurities and breakouts as the mineral mud infused within the oil-based cleanser has an obvious purifying effect (without ever having caused me to wake up to a spotty complexion the next morning). I also like the melty texture, the fresh salty-clean scent and how soft the skin feels afterwards. It's good, good stuff this.
So, it's a facial flit between Om and ESPA - and should the deciding factor be some money off (hey, who doesn't love a discount!) then Omorovicza might just take the balm biscuit, because they're offering all Miss Malcontent readers a 15% discount on the Thermal Cleansing Balm up to the 30th June 2010, when purchased online at www.omorovicza.com. The code is missmalcontent_3853
For those who are already sold, enjoy! And for those who are not... sure you can't be tempted?
7 comments:
Have you tried the Emma Hardie one? That emulsifies very nicely.
I still find in the summer I need to double cleanse with a foaming wash though - I am very very tempted by the Omorovicza.
Dear Miss Malcontent, i have been following your blog for a while and greedily consumed all your past posts at one go, I love it, I am a big fan! I now go round Selfridges and Libertys hunting down things you recommend - I've mentioned your blog to a couple of the Selfridges assistants. Now I find I NEED this Omorovicza cleanser, but in future please only recommend things I can spell...
Hello! I love cleansing balms and have just swapped to the Oskia one from Eve Lom. I have dry but spotty skin and it's done wonders - I think its all the nutrients in it. I find balms that have to be removed by cloths are too much. Love all the reviews - thank you!
Thanks for this Miss Malcontent. I purchased a travel size version of the Espa and was very impressed, thanks to the discount think I will try the Omorovicza (sp?!) too!
Thank you again for such a comprehensive response to my questions.
Hmmm... I have the Omorovicza one but it did make me breakout after just two uses. Did you find this? I am prone to congestion (every pore seems blocked, agghhh) and wonder if this is too rich for open pores?
Annie
Hi Anonymous - ooh, no, I've really not found that with OM. In fact, it feels far less rich to me that several other balms, which contain rich anti-ageing and nourishing essential oils... but, of course, it does contain mineral mud, so though in not the sort of quantities that you'd find in, say, a deep-cleansing clay mask, the mud will always encourage a purifying action which can bring things up to the surface. I always say this, and unfortunately it will never stop being true, but everyone's skin is different - and for me, I feel it 'hoovers' out pores without bringing up spots, but for spot-prone skins the clay might be a bit too 'purifying'. Of course, there's also always a transition period with a new skincare product & said spots might be temporary - the clay drawing out existing blockages, but not 'causing' new spots, so to speak. At the end of the day, you're the best judge of your skin - but bear in mind that it is hard to gauge a product's suitability until the 4 week mark has been reached [unless it burns, stings or irritates of course, in which case I'd ditch it in minutes!]. MM x
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