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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Cleansing Staple: Clarins Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream

Good news: I'm back! The family has gone back home and I'm free to take up my blogging duties again! Having them here has allowed me to gain a bit of a much-needed perspective against my make-up loving habits but I'm also happy to get back to my normal life and more spacious and quiet home. Expect a lot more posts to come!
I'm sure you've heard me taking before about The Beauty Mouth's weekly skincare clinics; she's an amazing resource if you've got problematic skin. Caroline convinced me to step away from harsh foaming cleansers and look for a cleansing balm to incorporate into my skincare routine; however, it seems that the US market doesn't have a large part of the options she was suggesting on her blog. Which is why, as soon as I've heard her talking about the Clarins Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream for Dry or Sensitized Skin ($40 for 200 ml), I jumped onboard and ordered this gigantic tub of the stuff.
The packaging is a simple white plastic jar with a screw-on lid and a stopper inside; it also came with a clear plastic spatula. Compared to a normal moisturizer tub, this is at least twice as big, so not very handy to take along on any trips - you could always decant though. Inside, there's a thick cream that reminds me a lot of peach yogurt but with a scent evoking an old-school moisturizer like Nivea.
Clarins suggest to scoop out a small amount, warm it up in your palms, press evenly into the skin and then lift your hands off of your face, creating something like a suction to lift off the impurities. I also tried simply massaging it into the skin and both methods seem equally effective. I then remove the remnants with a warm damp flannel cloth as per Caroline's suggestion, and I find that I like the flannels much better than the muslin cloths, which feel thinner, more abrasive and loose heat a lot more quickly than the flannels do. I just ordered a pack of 15 flannel baby wipes on Amazon - so that even with changing them after every use, they still last for over 2 weeks.
My face does feel very soft, supple and moisturized after I use the Clarins Cleansing Cream and there are absolutely no traces of dirt or make-up left on my skin; although I do use a separate eye make-up remover since the Clarins cream tends to 'cloud' my vision a bit. The whole experience feels very luxurious and pampering, like being in a spa. That being said, I only reach for the Clarins Cleansing Cream in the evenings; I find that I have no time or patience for the whole routine in the mornings so I use a soap-free face wash then.
 Overall, I think that my skin really benefits from a thorough cleansing routine in the evenings, especially given that I wear both make-up and sunscreen practically every day, which may tend to clog your pores a bit more. I would prefer if the Clarins Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream wasn't quite as heavily scented and removed eye make-up a bit better, but other than that, the product performs very well. I'll still be on the lookout for an even better balm cleanser but for the time being, I enjoy using the Clarins cream.

Have you tried cleansing with a balm before? What is your favorite evening face cleanser?

5 comments:

  1. This seems great! I've always been interesting in a cleansing balm and I know Clinique makes one in a purple tub. I've also seen a few by Asian brands. This one seems pretty good and the tip about the flannels is helpful. How does your skin feel after removing this with the flannel? I've gotten really accustomed to cleansing with a foaming cleanser after cleansing oil or cleansing water.

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  2. I've tried really creamy hot-cloth cleansers with muslin before, but never a balm. I think it'd probably be too rich for my oily, acne-prone skin. But I do love the whole cleansing ritual that comes with using a muslin cloth or flannel and a creamy cleanser. It always makes me feel more pampered

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  3. You've convinced me on this. It will be my newest skincare investment.

    Thanks for the review!

    Xo
    http://secondhandspring.blogspot.com

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  4. Thanks for the review - I'll definitely try this; I normally use either cleansing milks or cleansing creams anyway, and the ingredients on this look great. Thanks also for the link to the beautymouth - very interesting site.

    By the way, when she says flannel, I don't think she actually means using a cloth made of flannel. In the UK they call regular terrycloth washcloths flannels.

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  5. I love Clarins! Is the best for my super sensitive skin. I normally use Pure Melt Cleansing Gel, plus the tonic at night because i like my skin to be hydrated, and in the morning i use Gentle foaming Cleanser with sheabutter which i love cuz you can use it in the shower and skin feels cleaner perfect for the morning :) I'll give try to this hope it will work perfectly.

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