Confessions of a Scrubber (Liz Earle Cleanser)

Member Name: zusy

Product:	Liz Earle Cleanser
Date:	23/04/04 (2377 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Leaves skin glowing & soft, easy to use, last months, very gentle, even on eyes

Disadvantages: somewhat expensive, Only available by mail order?, Your boyfriend might nick it all the time!

Paying nearly 20 quid in order to scrub off your makeup with a cleansing cream and a bit of muslin seemed ridiculous to me, and yet I had read so many rave reviews in magazines, celebrity testimonials claiming this as their must-have product, I admit that curiousity got the better of me and I decided to give it a go.

I purchased my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser from QVC, and I would highly recommend this way of shopping for expensive skin-care treatments because they have a genuine, no-quibbles 30 day money back guarantee: this means you can try the product for 30 days and, if not delighted by the results or even just not sure you want to keep it, you can return the packaging (even if it's empty because you've used all of it!) and they wont even ask why - just put the money back in your account. There's absolutely no way you could try this product (or any other cosmetic) decide you don't like it and ask for your money back in a normal shop.

NATURAL INGREDIENT S:
The cleanser contains the following active ingredients: almond milk to soften and smooth; cocoa butter to moisturise; chamomile to help calm sensitive skin; hops to help tone and soothe; rosemary to stimulate the circulation & eucalyptus oil to cleanse and purify.

HOW TO USE:
It is recommended for all skin types and comes with a muslin cloth to use in conjunction with the cleanser in the following way - Phase One is the cleansing action: You gently massage onto dry skin over the eyes, face and neck with your fingertips to soften, purify and stimulate the circulation. Now you move on to Phase Two, the polishing: Use with the pure muslin cloth to gently dislodge dead skin cells to reveal clean, fresh skin.

This is achieved
by dipping the cloth into hot water (NOT boiling, obviously! The water should be just hot enough without scorching your hands - running the cloth under a hot tap is sufficient) and working it over your face in a wiping motion. Do not scrub hard, instead pay attention to problem areas such as the T-Zone (forehead, nose, chin) and rinsing the cloth with each sweeping away of makeup and grime.

MY EXPERIENCE :
From the very first time of using this cleanser, I totally fell in love with it and have re-ordered several times. Yes, it's expensive, but I have found it to be the very best general cleanser/makeup remover I have ever used (and let me tell you, I have tried literally hundreds of different brands!) Basically, it does what it says on the bottle - it cleanses and soothes, it attacks blackheads and inlaid grime, it helps prevent breakouts and skin irritations and it even removes stubborn waterproof mascara (which, for those of you who use waterproof know, can be an absolute nightmare to remove without scrubbing at your eyes and ending up looking as though you've been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson).

I have to be very careful about wht products I allow both on my skin and near my eyes - I have very sensitive skin that is prone to breaking out in a rash or feeling sore if I use highly perfumed or very strong formulations. I also wear contact lenses and have found that many cleansers that claim to remove eye makeup and are fine for use by lense wearers, have actuall left a filmy layer of oil on my eyes, or have stung to high heaven and made my eyes all bloodshot - not an attractive look, really!

With Liz Earle's cleanser, I have never irritated my eyes or skin, and it leaves me glowing and soft. I love the whole experience of using it, and it smells divine (very subtle herby/lav
ender/camomile-ish sort of a scent - and all natural, no perfume added here).

TOP TIPS:
As I said, I would advise you to order this from QVC (from their website if you don't have access to their tv channel) because then ou can try it for 30 days and see if you like it without being obligated to keep it/pay for it if it doesn't live up to your expectations.

The website address is: www.qvcuk.com - do a keyword search for Liz Earle Cleanser, or just browse through the Health & Beauty department until you come to the range.

I would also suggest that you order the 200ml tube rather than the smaller pump bottles. The pump bottle may be easier to use (they deliver the correct amount in each pump of the plunger) BUT once you get to the very last bit of cleanser, you cannot get it out of the pump bottles as the tops don't come off, and the bottles are too hard to cut open with scissors.

This may sound miserly, but with such an expensive cleanser (well for me, anyway) you want to be ble to use every last drop! By getting the larger tube, you can then cut it open and find a surprising amount still left inside - enough to last for a good week extra, I have found!

The item number to order this size is: 214874 and costs £19.00 with £2.95 as QVC's p&p charge. The 200ml tube comes with 2 muslin cloths (which are washable, so you can use them again and again - they get softer with each wash, though, and so if you like the exfoliating effect I'd suggest you throw the older ones away with each new purchase. You can also buy the muslin cloths separately).

I'm a total convert, I wouldn't dream of again trying to save money but actually harming my skin by using a cheap cleanser that you need twice as much of, and which claims to be natural but in fact con
tains colourings and synthetic perfume and chemicals in order to achieve a nice colour and smell.

Liz Earle's entire range has been awarded various medals, but her Hot Cloth Cleanse & Polish by far outstrips the rest and has been named by The Beauty Bible book as the NUMBER ONE cleanser in the world, which isn't bad going, eh?

Liz Earle isn't just some flighty bit of skirt who puts her picture on the bottles, by the way - she has genuinely come up with the formulas herself (she experiments with herbs and flowers grown in her own garden and makes up formulations at home which are then translated into the formulations we can buy). Liz Earle also used to be a professional makeup artist in film & television, and as such knows a thing or two about caring for skin and how to efficiently and gently remove even the most stubborn of makeup products.

Oh yes, and I know a thing or two about removing stubborn makeup myself: I'm a bit of a goth and wield an eyeliner with passion and dedication. It's awfully nice to have finally found something that can swipe it all off at the end of the day; something that doesn't leave me looking like a blotchy-faced, swollen-eyed panda!

I know it's expensive, and it my not be for everyone, but if you have tried lots of other cleansers or makeup remoovers, it's worth giving it a go - if you don't like it, you cn send it back and be none the worse off.

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