Product Review: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

So this review is for a bit of a cult product- it seems to win loads of beauty awards and I saw it on loads of beauty editor lists and features until I was finally swayed by Sali Hughes and decided to try it myself. I had a lovely SA who did a very thorough testing on my face. The basic principle is very easy: you rub the cream, which smells herbal in a very gentle way and feels very rich, all over your face, in circular movements. You can rub it over your eyes as well as it also removes make up- I didn't find it at all irritating. Apply it as though you're applying your face cream; try to really get it in. This is the cleansing

Once that's done, you take the muslin cloth (or any cloth, as Sali describes, although I am using the LE muslins) and wet it in quite hot water- as hot as is comfortable for you. Take the hot cloth and use it to wipe off the cleanser. Rub it all over your face with gentle scrubbing motions, and think of it as a light exfoliation (which is basically what it is). This is the polishing step.

The idea is that the rich cream is soothing, smoothing and moisturising, and the scrubbing with the cloth exfoliates. Using the hot water opens up pores so the scrubbing is extra helpful.

I was sold as soon as I tried it. The difference is stunningly noticeable; this is not a subtle change. My skin felt smoother and softer after one use. The smell is wonderful. The ritual is nice as well.

Extra info- I have combination skin that veers wildly between being dry and oily and is usually both. I used to break out a lot but don't any more, and my skin is not very sensitive so it's rarely irritated by products. I do have some problems with discolouration from earlier breakouts. Discolouration, texture and radiance are my chief skin concerns.

This cleanser doesn't help with discolouration (which I didn't expect it to!), but it works on both dry and oily parts of my face. It was lovely during the winter and is also really nice during the summer, but for me it really comes into its own when it's very cold and dry and skin is wind-chapped or flaking and irritated by indoor heating. It was like giving my skin a cuddle. My skin feels really clean afterwards, smooth and radiant and not at all tight and dry which is what I've experienced with most cleansers.

I would recommend this to almost anyone without blinking; it's incredible on dry skin, it's great on oily skin as well. Fellow oily/combination skinned people- use something that loves your skin, and leave the drying products behind! They strip your skin of natural oils and it ends up producing more to compensate. The cleanser is £13.25 for 100ml but it lasts fairly long. I do most of my face with one pump, and use two if I'm feeling indulgent (or dry). Some people double cleanse with it, but I haven't tried that yet as my skin feels so nice after one thorough cleansing that it feels almost excessive and unnecessary.

Full disclosure- Since discovering this, I've introduced it to two friends (male* and female) who raved about it, and bought it for my mum and sister who are dangerously addicted to it now. They both completely love it (and when one runs out, they are prone to stealing the other's) although their skin concerns are quite difference- my mother's are aging and texture, and my sister's are dryness and dullness. It does seem to work for most people.

So this is the best cleanser I've ever tried, and I can honestly say the hype is fully deserved.

*Hilariously, they actually do the same cleanser (I don't think there were any differences in formula) for men, but with different packaging. My guy friend honestly said he preferred the men's packaging, so I guess their marketing dept knows what it's doing.