Where to purchase: Available on Cult Beauty HERE
Price: £31.00
Volume: 100g
Made in: Japan
What is it?: A Milky-textured Cleansing Balm that aims to remove makeup
Brand Description: An über-soft, balm to oil to milk formula that’s literally like butter, fast melting and gentle on the skin + eyes but tough in its makeup melting capacity – NOTE – I agree with all of these statements. I do think it feels like butter and I do think it’s tough on makeup without irritating the skin.
Supposedly Good for: All skin types
What I think: I think anyone can use this as long as you’re not sensitive to essential oils or fragrance (as this contains both).
Vegan?: Yes
Cruelty Free?: Yes
Packaging: Plastic tub which also came with a see-through hygiene tab. No spatula included however 😦 So I opted to use my spatula from the I’m From Fig Cleansing Balm. NOTE: You can really get a good look at the packaging if you watch the Youtube video (down below) as it will also show the interior + the hygiene tab.
Directions: ”Scoop a dime-sized amount and use fingertips to apply to face. Massage onto dry skin to gently dissolve make up, dirt and excess oils. Rinse with warm water or wet cloth. Follow with your normal cleansing or skincare routine.” – from the Wishful Website.
How I use it: I use this to melt makeup off. I use this as both a first and second cleanser.
Key Ingredients: Infused with malachite (don’t think this does anything scientifically to the skin). Green tea – antioxidant. Ascorbic Acid – may be used to brighten the skin? Or as a preservative. Malic Acid – AHA. Also contains cherry blossom – apparently conditioning?
Full Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyethylene, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Malachite Extract, Prunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C – for possible brightening effect?), Malic Acid, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Water / Aqua / Eau, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance / Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Titanium Dioxide / Ci 77891, Blue 1 Lake / Ci 42090, Yellow 5 Lake / Ci 19140.
MY YOUTUBE VIDEO DISCUSSES MORE OF THE INGREDIENTS IN DETAIL (see below)
Interesting to see Malic Acid in here (an AHA) so I guess it helps to gently exfoliate the skin while you rub the product in (but I don’t know how effective actives are in cleansers since you wash them off pretty quick). The titanium dioxide I think helps bring out that white / milky / white colour in the balm.
NOTE: The Incidecoder have a full ingredient breakdown HERE
Texture: This is the softest cleansing balm I’ve ever tried. Now I will say that I haven’t tried many (Check my Cleansing Balm Reviews HERE) – but so far, this takes the cake for being the softest. It really feels like butter, just melting into the skin. There aren’t any waxy bits or lumps when rubbing into the skin (this seems to have a very low melting point). It takes little to no effort to scoop product out.
This product spreads easily as it melts into an oil and is easy to rub across the skin (with no tugging). It does have a fragrance to it, so when the oil melts, you also smell the limonene BUT it’s not actually so strong and pungent that it ruins my experience.
I can rub this into the eyes and it doesn’t burn when removing makeup.
When adding water to wash off, this emulsifies (turns milky) and is easy to wash off. My skin is left with some of its natural hydration removed (but literally all cleansers do this to me).
Texture Video – a very soft balm
Youtube Video: Live swatches, packaging shots and TESTING the makeup removal effectiveness compared to the other two products!
You can see in the video how effective this product is at removing makeup AND how it compares with other products. (spoiler – they all struggle to remove waterproof eyeliner).
Fragrance?: Yes – Limonene, Parfum and Citronellol – would not recommend this product to skins sensitive to fragrance. the reason why I stomach this is because you wash off balms / cleansers, so there’s little time for it to do damage (which is also why there’s not much point using an AHA/BHA cleanser unless you’re extremely sensitive to acids).
Good at removing makeup?: I think it’s pretty good! Yes, it has a hard time with waterproof Kohl or waterproof Mascara – it does melt some off, but I always need to go in with a micellar water for really tough black liner. This has been the same for every other cleansing balm I’ve used. But once again, this has been great for helping break down and dissolve makeup all over the face. And if this is used as both a first and second cleanser, then I barely need to go in with a micellar water for the eyeline/lashline.
Stings the eyes?: Didn’t sting mine! I’m able to rub and get in there.
How long have I been using this?: Until completion! so about a month and a half (used with my sister).
The Effect?: Cleansed skin (I find every cleanser will remove at least some of my skin’s hydration and this does get worse with double cleansing – but I’m not going to knock this product as it hasn’t been any worse then the other products I’ve used. The Krave matcha hemp hydrating cleanser stripped my skin more than this.
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What I like:
- Really smooth (not waxy or lumpy) texture (feels almost like milk on the skin)
- Melts super fast
- Extremely soft (easy to scoop out adequate product)
- Effective i.e. it does melt down makeup well (better than the I’m from Fig Cleansing balm AND The Squalane Cleanser from the Ordinary
- Didn’t irritate my eyes / my skin
- Easy to wash off (due to the emulsification)
What I don’t like:
- Lots of unnecessary ingredients that I understand definitely do ‘enhance’ the sensory experience for some people i.e. colourants, fragrance etc – these are unnecessary and I would prefer them not to be in there.
- Didn’t come with a spatula (I have had to use the one from I’m From – their Fig Cleansing Balm.
Overall Rating and Conclusion: 4.2/5 – Not a fan of fragrance, colourants or essential oils (this is just a personal preference, please don’t think they’re dangerous!) so I can’t give this full marks BUT the fact that I love the texture and the feeling of this product regardless of the fragrance etc, I think shows how nice this feels to the touch and also not just how nice it feels, but how effectively it removes makeup. Yes it can’t remove my waterproof pencil eyelined eyes BUT it can help dissolve my waterproof mascara, and tbh I always need a micellar water no matter what cleanser I use, for waterproof eyeliner + mascara. It melts away most other things too (but I do need a bit of micellar water help with intensely pigmented matte lipsticks). Any cleanser I use strips my skin of some moisture, and this does the same thing but at least it doesn’t leave my skin painfully tight. I have used it to completion and didn’t seem to have issues i.e eye stinging or anything. It’s the buttery soft, milky texture and the effectiveness of this product that makes it a good purchase!
Would I repurchase?: Yes I will be, a very soft texture. I didn’t realise cleansing balms could feel so soft, milky and smooth – I thought they had to be a tad bit gritty and waxy feeling!
Dupe?: I haven’t tried many cleansing balms, and out of those – I can’t say any feel exactly like this. Those are usually a bit more waxy and less milky. So so far, this product is quite unique. But I may find another dupe soon enough!
My Skin Type: I am acne prone and have slightly dehydrated combo skin. My skin is usually tight where the cheeks and eye area is and the outer parts of my face. My T zone is oily. My skin isn’t a fan of thick/heavy formulas so I opt for lightweight formulas to prevent it from clogging up. My skin doesn’t like essential oils either and I try to avoid fragrance when I can.
Disclaimer: I am a skincare enthusiast and not a skin expert. I am not qualified to give out dermatological advice. This type of advice should only be given by a medical practitioner. Upon trying / using any of the reviewed products on the blog, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings and please seek medical advice if needed.
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