In praise of Eve Lom Cleansing Balm
Eve Lom's award-winning cleansing balm is a cult beauty buy - and for good reason. It is, hands down, the best cleanser I have ever used [sorry Liz]. A greenish, waxy, thick balm that's oily and a teeny bit gritty to the touch, the cleanser contains a blend of chamomile, clove, eucalyptus and hops aromatherapy oils to cleanse, decongest and soothe. It melts onto skin to remove every last trace of make-up and leaves skin exfoliated and perfectly clean without any hint of dryness. After one week of use, my skin looks brighter and clearer than it ever has before.
Using it is like having yourself a little mini-facial. Following the detailed instructions provided, you first massage the cleanser onto your face and neck in a 7-step routine which stimulates the lymphatic nodes to drain areas of congestion and eliminate toxins. Next, you soak the supplied muslin cloth in hot water, wring it out, and hold over the entire face for 5 seconds. This bit you repeat 3 times, so you've got a succession of hot compresses softening the skin and activating the essential oils. Then, you use the cloth to exfoliate and remove all traces of make-up and cleanser before rinsing it in cold water and using as a cold compress. There's no need for a toner or astringent afterwards, and no need for moisturiser if you've oily, erupted skin.
It all sounds wildly complicated and time consuming, but honest to God it's not. After a couple of uses, you could perform the lymphatic massage in your sleep, and the whole ritual now takes me just 3 minutes flat.
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Yes, it's on the expensive side, but a 100ml tub - €70 - should easily see you through 6 months of daily cleansing. Anyways, I won't be without mine. I like to tell my fiscal conscience that since I'm cutting out the need for toner, sure I'm practically making money.