Ultrabland

I'm sure everyone remembers when the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm made its rounds on Youtube. However, I seemed to get the vibe that while everyone loved it, it wasn't a product they were ready to purchase for themselves. Cleansing balms are generally very expensive, even Lisa Eldridge says she only used her Eve Lom balm once a week. And yet despite their price tag, Caroline Hirrons and everyone else down the skin care ladder, praise their benefits. I was intrigued by cleansing balms initially, especially because it seemed that there weren't many on the Canadian market: Clinique and the Eve Lom (if you want to order it from Sephora). But, when Caroline mention the Ultrabland, I knew I had found the affordable cleansing balm that would fit into my regime.


The funny thing about Ultrabland is that I worked at Lush and I had never considered it. I wasn't trained in the skincare so I never learned about the products in depth but still the impression I got about Ultrabland was that it was more of a make-up remover. Right off the bat, I'm going to say that's wrong. I'm not currently wearing waterproof makeup and still I find this product takes a long time to remove my eye makeup and I end up few less eyelashes. So I use this as my second cleanse at night, with my first being Bioderma.

The smell of this product is unusual and difficult to place but I've come to the conclusion that the scent is very reminiscent of beer, like the kind of spilled and dried up beer you get at pub tables, not very pleasant considering Lush's reputation. That aside the product has a light consistency not as thick or dense as a balm or butter, more of a whipped butter. Actually, it's quite like when you've whipped butter and sugar together in colour and consistency. The balm also has a slight grit to it that isn't too exfoliating but nice for a product you use every day.

I take about a nickel sized amount and massage onto my skin for about a minute and remove with a flannel. I've tried using this product in the shower and washing of with water but it was so ineffective I could scrape it off with my nails. This is not the type of product that melts or turns into a cream with water, you need the grit of a flannel to remove it. Consequently, I would not recommend this product for someone with oily or acne prone skin, or anyone who is wary of blocked pores.

Overall I'm happy with this product, despite the scent I do understand the hype about cleansing balms, they feel luxurious and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and nourished (although this is because there is product skill left on my face) and I haven't noticed any breakouts related to using the product. However, I purchased the smaller size and at $17 I still felt it was a little pricey especially considering I'm halfway through it and it's been nearly 2 months of use. Maybe that isn't bad but I don't usually go through cleansers that quickly. I am tempted to try some cleansing oils at a similar price point, but if I don't find anything I love. I'll be happy to return this.

Does anyone think that cleansing balms are worth the price?
xx jenn