My fickleness regarding cleansers is a well-known fact. I rarely stay with one product, and more often I rotate between several cleansing methods on any given month. But lately I've been so happy with the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser from Liz Earle and the matching toner, that I'm as close to skin care monogamy as I can ever be.
It works like this: You slather your face with the cleansing cream and thoroughly massage it, including your eye area. It feels like any lotion or even cleansing oil: you'll get the sensation of pores opening and gunk moving out (a bit weird if you've been using rinse-off soaps and gels for a long time). Then you get one of the muslin cloths nice and wet (hot water) and polish it all off, leaving the eyes till the end. The muslin is quite gentle, but just abrasive enough to give you a nice exfoliating without rubbing your face raw. A quick rinse in cool water followed by patting dry with a soft towel and you're all set.
I was surprised to see how well the cleanser removes eye makeup, including mascara. The only problem is that some mascaras leave semi-permanent stains on the cloths. But maybe I should do more aggressive laundering.
A toner is not really necessary, especially not if a cleansing system is as efficient as the Liz Earle one. But I have a thing for toners, especially in the morning. It helps me wake up and look a bit more alive even before I have my tea. The Instant Boost Skin Tonic smells like perfume (lavender, rosemary and some flower extracts) and feels wonderful. Looking at the ingredient list, the toner is much more natural and far less chemical than just about anything I currently have in my cabinets. The main ingredient after water is aloe vera juice and there are other extracts and essential oils that seem to be in high concentration. My only complaint is the cap, that seems to let too much toner out and is quite wasteful. Other than that it's fast becoming a favorite product (and I just discovered that my husband has been secretly using it, too).
Liz Earle products are available online directly from the company's website and also at Fred Segal in Santa Monica and Brownes & Co Apothecary, Miami Beach. I got the products as PR freebies.
It works like this: You slather your face with the cleansing cream and thoroughly massage it, including your eye area. It feels like any lotion or even cleansing oil: you'll get the sensation of pores opening and gunk moving out (a bit weird if you've been using rinse-off soaps and gels for a long time). Then you get one of the muslin cloths nice and wet (hot water) and polish it all off, leaving the eyes till the end. The muslin is quite gentle, but just abrasive enough to give you a nice exfoliating without rubbing your face raw. A quick rinse in cool water followed by patting dry with a soft towel and you're all set.
I was surprised to see how well the cleanser removes eye makeup, including mascara. The only problem is that some mascaras leave semi-permanent stains on the cloths. But maybe I should do more aggressive laundering.
A toner is not really necessary, especially not if a cleansing system is as efficient as the Liz Earle one. But I have a thing for toners, especially in the morning. It helps me wake up and look a bit more alive even before I have my tea. The Instant Boost Skin Tonic smells like perfume (lavender, rosemary and some flower extracts) and feels wonderful. Looking at the ingredient list, the toner is much more natural and far less chemical than just about anything I currently have in my cabinets. The main ingredient after water is aloe vera juice and there are other extracts and essential oils that seem to be in high concentration. My only complaint is the cap, that seems to let too much toner out and is quite wasteful. Other than that it's fast becoming a favorite product (and I just discovered that my husband has been secretly using it, too).
Liz Earle products are available online directly from the company's website and also at Fred Segal in Santa Monica and Brownes & Co Apothecary, Miami Beach. I got the products as PR freebies.
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