How you can come clean

JANUARY is about frugality. Money is tight so beauty products take a hit.

This doesn’t mean I stop buying them — a gal’s gotta wash her hair — but it means I expect them to work harder, to do more. Instead of fancy, feelgood products, I want multi-taskers. A good start is a cleanser.

Cleansers come in all shapes and sizes — and fancy concoctions. You can massage on oil; foam up a lather; or go traditional with a smear-on, wipe-off formula. But some cleansers can’t be used on the eyes, so you need different products.

I don’t have room on my bathroom shelf, or spare change in my wallet, for a multitude of cleansers — and there’s no need. The best cleansers will take off your eye make-up, clean your skin, and lightly exfoliate. You can also get cleansers that will ‘tone’ your skin.

My favourite is Bobbi Brown’s soothing cleansing oil, €37. It’s not a budget-friendly price, but it comes in a large bottle, and lasts for a very long time.

Formulated using jasmine flower extract, kukui nut oil, and a blend of Italian olive, organic sunflower and jojoba oils, this oil is as soothing as it promises. It gets rid of eye make-up, too.

If you’ve heavy eye make-up on, you need to massage it in and make sure it gets to work on thick mascara (your face ends up looking like you’ve been rubbing charcoal all over it), but everything washes off with a splash of water. Perfect.

Human+Kind’s new multi-tasking wash-off facial cleanser, €14.95, promises to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise in one simple step. It also works on eye make-up, so it is one of the most complete cleansers out there. The cloth that comes with the cleanser takes care of the exfoliation.

While the cleanser may claim to moisturise, your skin will still need specific moisturising afterwards, but you can’t have everything.

Philosophy products are hard to buy over the counter in Ireland, but the award-winning ‘purity made simple’ cleanser, from €9.66, is worth seeking out online.

If you’re looking for something with a more natural edge, then A’kin rose and geranium creamy cleanser and toner in one, €18.50, could be just the ticket. Enriched with shea butter, it’s a good choice for skins that have been dried out by the harsh winter weather.

You can massage it on and rinse or wipe it off (wiping is better for drier skin types). It removes eye make-up and is a cleanser-and-toner in one.

But while today’s cleansers may be upping their fame, multi-tasking is nothing new when it comes to the quest for the clean.

Eve Lom’s famous cleanser, €48.31, once described by Vogue as “probably the best cleanser in the world,” was one of the first to pioneer the use of muslin cloths. Four plant oils combine to create a cleanser that is truly lovely to use. And used with the cloth, it exfoliates, tones and improves circulation. What else could you ask for?

Stuff we like

Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil, €37.

I’ve yet to find a cleansing oil that is more effective. It removes the day’s dirt, grime and make-up with ease, and makes you feel super-clean without leaving your skin tight. Plus, despite it being an oil, it washes off completely, without leaving residue on the skin.

Human+Kind Wash Off Facial Cleanser, €14.95.

This new cleanser from an Irish company, focussed around natural ingredients and simple, multitasking cleansers. The cleanser feels great on the skin, and really removed make-up well with a soft, shammy-like cloth The morning after there was no post-cleansing tightness. Only complaint: you can’t use it on the eye area.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple, from €9.66.

This one should be renamed ‘cleansing made simple’, because that’s exactly what it does. It’s a very effective cleanser that feels soothing on the skin when you apply it, and washes everything off gently. And, like all Philosophy products, the simple packaging looks great on a bathroom shelf.

Eve Lom Cleanser, €48.31.

Once you go the way of Eve Lom, it’s hard to go back. Lom’s simple, no-nonsense approach to skincare is what has attracted women all over the world to this product, and it was one of the first to use the muslin cloths in a cleansing routine. They’re great — much better than a face cloth. This cleanser is a joy to use.

A’kin Rose & Geranium Creamy Cleanser & Toner in One, €18.50 at bathandunwind.com.

If you like the gentle scent of florals, then this is a great natural cleanser that keeps things creamy and more traditional.