Review: Liz Earle - Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser has been somewhat of a holy grail product in the land of beauty. I really like to take care of my skin but I'm not one to splash out on expensive products just because of the label. However, I got my hands on this product via a giveaway so I was quite keen to try this out. 

I actually intended to review this midway through the year after I'd used it for a few months but I've decided to do a review now and you'll see why as you read on...

For those of you who don't already know, the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish is a rich concentrated cream designed to remove dirt and make-up from your face. You simply rub it all over your face, as you would with a moisturiser, and then polish it all off using a warm muslin cloth. You finish off by splashing cool water over your face. 

On paper, I thought that this was an excellent idea for using in the evening. I hate splashing loads of water onto my face over the sink because it just goes everywhere. I'd heard a lot about how Liz Earle is great for sensitive skin and how gentle it was, so I felt a little more at ease about trying this out. 

When I first used this, I loved how gentle the cream felt on my face. Even near my eyes, it didn't cause any irritation or stinging at all. The consistency is a bit like a moisturiser, except it doesn't absorb into your skin. Once I'd thoroughly massaged my face with the cream, I picked up the warm muslin cloth and started polishing the cream off. This is where I started to feel a little more apprehensive...

My skin is quite sensitive and I felt like the muslin cloth was a bit too harsh for me. I can understand how this actually works as an exfoliator too because boy did it take off some skin cells! 

After using this for a week, I started to get a few spots. I hardly EVER get spots anymore as I am so careful with my skin, so this was a bit of a nasty surprise. After a fortnight, I found that my skin was getting increasingly dry and that was the point when I knew I had to stop using it. I was getting red patches on my face and my skin just felt very uncomfortable. 

For me, I think that the downside of this product was the harshness of the muslin cloth, and also the fact that you don't thoroughly wash off the cream. Residue can easily cause bacteria to get trapped in your pores and cause a breakout. This, along with the fact that my face was raw from the cloth, was definitely not a great combination. 

Once I'd stopped using it for a few days, my skin cleared up and the dryness disappeared. 

I wanted to love this product so much as I love the concept but it just doesn't work for me. This just goes to show how different everyone's skin is. This product is raved about by a lot people including those with sensitive skin, but it was a bit too much for me.

What are your thoughts on this product?