As winter is melting away, cold winds still persist and, combined with central heating, this can lead to a very dry complexion. Your skin needs extra care to keep it soft and supple. This March, Sarah Mann Yeager has the scoop on the seven best balm cleansers to promise you that “step into spring” glow without stripping your skin of its essential moisture.

For most of the year, you will find me removing my makeup with a micellar water and then following up with a good dollop of foaming face wash aided with a sonic cleansing brush. There is nothing I like more than the squeaky clean feeling I get from this, particularly as I have a tendency to oiliness in the warmer weather. Moreover, because most high SPF sunscreens are water resistant they need a bit of heavy duty removal.
During this in-between season, I can almost feel the moisture content of my skin start to drop with oiliness replaced by dry flaky patches and a tight dry feeling when I wash my face.  It is at this time that I reach for the comfort of balm cleansers which leave my skin super clean without stripping it.  Their high content of essential oils and waxes makes for a gentler cleansing experience that cossets the skin with the enhanced benefits of aromatherapy.
All of the cleansers can double up to remove makeup but as I am a die-hard double cleanse kind of woman, I prefer a dedicated eye makeup remover. Therefore, I stick to my usual cleansing routine and then follow up with the balm.  Each balm has been tested on a pre-cleansed face, massaged in and then emulsified with water before being removed either with the cloth provided or with a competitor’s muslin cloth.
I am fortunate that I do not have any nut or seed allergies but if you do, please check the ingredients carefully as some contain sesame and sweet almond oils.
Over the years I must have tried at least twenty balms and these are my top seven; they all perform outstandingly but have varying attributes that might make one more suitable for you than another.
A special mention has to go to Emma Hardie’s cleansing cloth which is a work of pure genius. Muslin on one side and microfibre on the other, it is a sheer joy to use; supremely effective with a cushiony softness, it really is the best of the bunch.

 

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