I absolutely love cleansers and cleansing my skin each night is a ritual I actually really look forward to. There’s something about the process of removing all the make-up, dirt and grime, then using a cleanser purely for the benefit of skincare, whilst exfoliating with various removal tools such as flannels and sponges. I’m also a big fan of Erborian, a relatively new (to the UK, at least) skincare brand that perfectly merges the high-tech French skincare philosophies with the beautiful, skin-loving techniques of Korean rituals. The results is a wonderful harmony of products that work extremely well and are a pleasure to use. Erborian have recently launched their 1-2-3 Detox Ritual which is inspired by the Korean cleansing technique that involves a cream or oil cleanse, followed by a water cleanse, followed by a very gentle exfoliation. There are four lead products in the 1-2-3 Detox Ritual range, a solid oil cleanser (so…a balm then…), a cream cleanser, a foam cleanser and a collection of beautiful Konjac sponges. I’ve been having a play with the collection, so here are my thoughts:
I’ve been using the products slightly differently, with the Solid Cleansing Oil as the main make-up remover, then either the Cleansing Creme aux Herbes (cream cleanser) or the Double Mousse (cleansing foam) to follow. I then use the Konjac sponge to remove the second cleanser, which, as I’m writing this, probably shortens the life of the Konjac sponge since it’s probably better as just a post cleanse exfoliator, but I just love using it in this fashion! I actually really love using it to remove masks too, but again that’ll shorten it’s life span quite a bit. The Erborian Konjac Sponges are available in three types; Natural – pictured, suitable for all skin types; Charcoal for a deeper, more mattifying cleanse and Green Tea to add antioxidants to your routine. I am a massive fan of Konjac sponges and I very rarely cleanse without them. I’ve tried all sorts from all over the place, both high-end and low-end, and the Erborian one is definitely one of the best ones I’ve tried; it’s wonderfully soft, but the edges are just ragged enough so that you can get a little more buff to your exfoliation which is great for any rough, dry or uneven areas. Each Konjac is £10 which is quite steep considering they’re only supposed to last around a month, but if you can afford to then I’d recommend giving these a go. You can find them here – link.
The Solid Cleansing Oil is a total star and I product I really rate, as it’s dense enough to remove very heavy make-up (and especially heavy coverage foundations and concealers) with minimal effort, yet, as it’s a balmy oil, it moves around the skin well allowing for good slip and a very easy first cleanse. It has a fragrance that I find upsets my eyes, albeit minimally, but those with sensitive eyes or skin might want to ease themselves in gently. Another great thing about this oil is the packaging; so many of these balm-style products come with scoops that don’t actually fit into the tub, so they’re left out to either get lost of grubby from sitting on the shelf. The Erborian Solid Cleansing Oil comes with a lid inside the tub, where the scoop sits, so it’s always there the minute you need it. The final big selling point for this product is that you really don’t need a lot and it’s a very decent sized tub, so the price point of £29 is very decent for something that works brilliantly and will last a good few months. Here it is – link.
One of the things I really like about Erborian is that they constantly surprise me with their products, as a lot of them are unlike anything else I’ve come across. A good example of this is the Cleansing Creme aux Herbes, which is a fresh-scented gel-cream formula that feels like a kind of silky, gel-balm on the skin. I would like this a lot more if I didn’t have to use so much of it to feel like I’m having a thorough cleanse; I think if I were to use this every evening I would finish it within a couple of weeks. It’s the sort of product that you might want to put aside for facial nights, unless you don’t mind replacing regularly as it isn’t overly expensive at £24 here – link. The final product is the Double Mousse, which is a light foam that you apply to dry skin, leave for 30 seconds, then remove. I like the fact that this had a treatment-style element to it as that made it feel like a mini facial, plus it left skin feeling extremely smooth – especially when removed with the Konjac – and there was a definitely a deep cleansing element. I’m quite used to balm cleansers at the moment so I found this left my skin feeling quite tight and dry afterwards; nothing that a quick hit of moisture spray or essence didn’t cure, but it’s definitely noteworthy. It’s £22 here – link – and in contrast to Cleansing Cream aux Herbes, I would imagine this will last quite some time. I wouldn’t say I’m blown away by either of these cleansers, although, having read quite a few other reviews, I’m definitely in the minority and my skin is notoriously tricky to please, so if either tickle your fancy then do check them out. I absolutely love the Solid Cleansing Oil – what a fantastic make-up remover – and I would highly recommend trying it if you’re a double cleanse fan.
*PR Samples
