The best cleanser in the world? Probably (Eve Lom Cleanser)

Member Name: clara29

Product:	Eve Lom Cleanser
Date:	18/05/09 (602 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An all rounder that actually promises what it delivers - better skin!

Disadvantages: Starts at £48 for 100ml so can be a bit pricey for some

** How I heard about it **

Readers of glossy beauty publications will all be aware of cult beauty products. Ones that stand the test of time despite the young pretender's constant efforts - ones like Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream, Crème de la mer and yes, even good old vaseline!

Products such as these always intrigue me because magazines are pushing the latest 'new best thing' every issue and to be honest, I find it hard to believe that they are not only promoting it because they have been given it free etc. I mean how good can a face cream be if by just 1 month later there is another, better wonder product on the market?
Plus they usually cost the absolute earth so unless you are super rich, it's not an option to keep buying different products to see which one does actually deliver it's promises.

I had read about Eve Lom cleanser quite a few times in different magazines. It has been around for circa 20 years now and has earned a bit of a cult status around beauty editors, make up artists and consumers - other wonder products come and go but this seems to remain a firm favourite. In fact Vogue calls it "probably the best cleanser in the world"


** A bit about Eve Lom **

Eve was born in Czechoslovakia and married Pink Panther actor Herbert Lom in France. Determined not to be another bored Hollywood housewife, she started studying beauty therapy specialising in lymphatic drainage, nutrition and cranial Osteopathy

In 1983 whilst living in London, Lom started up her own salon and launched her self named brand.


** What made me decide to buy it **

Okay so I had read and been intrigued by the constant references in magazines etc, but knew it was pretty pricey so I still didn't rush right out and buy it.
What finally swung it for me was reading an interview on the Femail.com website - a rare interview with the lady herself Eve Lom.

Look up a picture of her and you will see that although she is 59, she looks incredibly beautiful but she still has wrinkles. She isn't botoxed and lifted to within an inch of her life and doesn't intend to be either! She says she is horrified by a society in which we all want to stay young forever, and points out the irony of pumping our faces full of chemicals such as botox yet insisting on natural organic food. She just comes across as an incredibly wise woman and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the interview.

She describes how the main cry she hears from women these days is "I'm confused" because we are bombarded with such a variety of products on the market, creams, masks, peels, serum - agggh!!!

'That's me' I thought! I have problem skin anyway and just don't know which way to turn to begin to treat it.

It's appropriate to mention that I researched it on Ciao (this was before I joined) and it really helped!

So off I went to Space NK, one of the stockists of Eve Lom with my mind 90% made up that this cleanser was going to be the first premium beauty product in my bathroom.

The other 10% of my mind was made up after a brief chat with the sales assistant. She told me how it was the one thing she had used for years and had passed it on to her 18 year old daughter who suffered from bad breakouts. Now she said, her skin is wonderfully clear and she attributes it to this cleanser.

So I handed over my £48.00 for a 100ml pot and thought "ooh that's a small pot". The assistant assured me you need only to use the smallest amount and it will last for at least 6 months. 10 months later and I have probably got a third of it left so although the initial layout seems hefty, it is definitely long lasting therefore value for money.

** The product **


The packaging is a white pot with gold lettering - simple and classy just like the lady herself (classy I mean, not simple!!)

Notable ingredients: Egyptian chamomile, hops, clove and eucalyptus oil and cocoa butter

What it claims to do?:

Cleanses, tones, exfoliates all in one, removing even eye make-up.
Improve radiance and tone of skin.

What you get with it:

- The cleanser
- A muslin cloth (you get one but these can be bought separately if
you would like extras)
- A booklet on how to use

I opened the pot and the product was a sort of green / yellow colour - sounds revolting when I describe it like that but it looks natural and is not off-putting in the slightest.

The smell is distinctive, reminds me of winter spices and Christmas - I think that's the clove! Some might not be too keen but it's one of my favourite things about it.

I'm not usually one to pay much attention to an instruction booklet but after spending £48 I thought it was pretty important that I got the most out of it, so I read it!
It basically outlines the all important 7 steps of massage.
The reason for this is the steps outline a massage technique based on lymphatic drainage. The aim is to improve the texture and circulation of your skin at the same time as cleansing and exfoliating leaving you with not only squeaky clean skin, but with more radiance and less puffiness.

It seemed like a lot to bother with first thing in the morning, particularly as I'm a 'splash my face with water and go' kind of girl, but then I thought, well maybe that's why I get breakouts in the first place so make the effort girl! Plus the sales assistant assured me that I would get used to it and would get it down to a couple of minutes in no time at all.

My skin is fairly dry so it advises me to use it once a day at night time (for oilier skin you can use it the morning too).

First you fill a basin with hot water. Then you get a small amount of the product (about a 10p size) and massage it all over your face and neck, including around your eye area.

At this stage the product felt really thick and a little grainy with the exfoliant. It felt extremely luxurious to use. I looked in the mirror and the cleanser looked all glossy, a bit like I'd smeared myself with vaseline!

I had the instruction booklet propped up and followed the 7 steps which took quite a while on my first go but with practice I have indeed got the routine down to a couple of mins! There are accompanying pictures so its easy to follow.
You basically massage and use mild pressure to decrease puffiness in key areas (eyes, forehead, mouth, jaw line etc).

Then you soak the muslin cloth in the basin of hot water, squeeze it out and press the cloth onto your face for about 5 seconds, repeating this process 3 times. This steams the face, opens the pores and allows the product to really clean your skin.

Next you use the cloth to exfoliate and remove the product by gently rubbing it in small circles around your face.

Finally, rinse the cloth in cold water and hold over your face in order to close your pores.


** Results **

Before getting into the Eve Lom routine, my skin was blotchy, dry and had breakouts so bad that I couldn't bear anyone to look at me. I know that sounds awfully self pitying and pathetic but I'm just telling you honestly how it affected my confidence at the time.

I have used many cleansers before and they have either made no difference or actually made it worse.

I am so happy to say that 10 months on, this product has made a considerable difference to my skin. I do still get the odd spot which is fine, but by and large I have the clear skin I always wanted.

The cleanser leaves my face feeling ultra soft and although I am trained to moisturise after cleansing, I really don't feel the need to because my skin doesn't feel tight and dry in the slightest.

It has definitely improved the tone of my skin too, it just looks a bit brighter and fresher. The puffiness around my eyes and jaw line are noticeably less too.

I must admit that I do use this about 3-4 times a week now rather than every single night - if I have been out, this is the last thing I want to do if I'm a little worse for wear  but the effects haven't waned. I'm pleased as punch with it and will definitely be buying it again.

Yes it's a little pricier than average but in it's worth remembering that it's a cleanser, eye make up remover and exfoliator all in one.
I honestly recommend to anyone with problem skin, or someone that just wants to have an all rounder that last's ages.

Also posted on ciao as ciaomiaow

Thanks for reading xx

Summary: It's improved my skin no end, so worth its weight in gold!!