So THIS Is Why Everyone Raves About Inkey's Oat Cleansing Balm

Charlotte’s thought on Inkey’s Oat Cleansing Balm

• Skin type: Dehydrated, sensitive, combination in parts

• The product: INKEY Oat Cleansing Balm, £ 6,50

For me, a good cleanser needs to be easy to massage in, removes all makeup first time, leaves skin feeling clean but not ‘squeaky’ and easy to wash off, without leaving any residue behind. I normally use a balm as a first cleanse, followed by a cream cleanser and then remove both with a warm, damp flannel. In the morning I tend to single cleanse with something hydrating and then in the evening I double cleanse to make sure everything gets removed.

The Inkey Oat Cleansing Balm took a little warming up in my hands, but once its slightly warm it melts into the skin easily and lifts away makeup. In the morning it helped to remove any oils and impurities that had surfaced on my skin overnight, but it didn’t feel like it was stripping my skin from any essential moisture. After using it my skin felt soft, smooth and hydrated, and it didn't aggravate my more sensitive areas of redness and eczema.

I tried it AM and then PM too. I liked it for both, and if I only had one cleanser or was travelling, I'd use it for a first and second cleanse, but day-to-day I'd reach for it more as a way to remove makeup.

For me, I found it to be really effective and rivals a lot of the other cleansing balms I've tried in terms of removing makeup but also leaving skin feeling soft and hydrated. Apparently you can also use this as a treatment mask to hydrate and soften skin AND to shave your legs so I'll be trying that out too. Love a multi-use product.

I think any and all makeup wearers or anyone who wears SPF daily and who needs that second cleanse would love this and I think it would work well for most ages. Because it's fragrance-free it worked well for my sensitive skin too.

Vanessa’s thoughts on Inkey’s Oat Cleansing Balm

• Skin type: Oily-combination

• The product: INKEY Oat Cleansing Balm, £ 6,50

I wear makeup most days of the week, so a two-step cleansing routine in the evening is absolutely necessary for me – I’ll start off either with a cleansing balm or cleansing oil and then finish with a gel cleanser. I find cleansing balms very soothing – but the most important thing for me is that they remove my makeup swiftly and don’t sting my eyes, the latter of which happens more often that I like!

I never really use anything other than a gel cleanser in the morning, so I tested Inkey’s Oat Cleansing Balm as part of my evening routine. I’ll start off by saying that I love the packaging – I always think of cleansing balms as formulas packed in tubs rather than tubes, which can be a messy affair. This tube, however, is great – super fuss-free and easy to manage.

As for the texture, I liked it from the get-go. It’s very thick, rich and creamy, and feels lovely on the skin. I used it both on its own for the purpose of testing, and before a gel cleanser. The latter is how I preferred using it – a two-step cleansing routine is so ingrained in me that I could never steer away from it. However, whilst I did ‘feel’ like I had to go in with a second cleanse not only because it’s what I’m used to but also because of its thick texture, I will say that the times I used it on its own it left my skin feeling super smooth and the complete opposite of stripped.

As a regular makeup wearer, I did feel like I had to use quite a significant amount to get rid of my makeup. How easily it came off mostly depended on how long I’d been wearing it for – if it had been a long makeup-wearing day, it would come off pretty easily. If I’d been wearing makeup for just a few hours, I would definitely need to ‘work’ the formula a bit more and use more of it. But this didn’t surprise me given that I normally use my fingers rather than a cloth, and my makeup is heavy sometimes. It never felt uncomfortable or like I was giving my skin a hard time!

I can see why this is one of Inkey’s most popular products, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as it’s such good value for money. I can also see why this would be best suited to those with drier or even sensitive skin – it feels like a soothing yet efficacious formula. If you wear little to no makeup and would rather avoid a two-step routine, this could be enough for you. If, like me, you have oily skin, you might find the texture a little too rich – and, as counterintuitive as it may seem, a cleansing oil might work better for you.

Stephanie’s thoughts on Inkey’s Oat Cleansing Balm

• Skin type: Normal with hormonal breakouts

• The product: INKEY Oat Cleansing Balm, £ 6,50

I normally cleanse once in the morning – sometimes just by rinsing my face with water and then I’ll double cleanse in the evening. I tend to prefer a balm cleanser for makeup removal and a cream cleanser for that second cleanse.

For me, I’d deem a ‘good’ cleanser one that removes makeup easily and leaves skin feeling clean but not drying it out.

I really liked this product and I was really pleasantly surprised by how easily it removed makeup (even mascara). It’s quite a thick consistency but it melts down into a balm quickly with a bit of water.

The oily, balmy texture melts onto the skin really easily with a little bit of water and it was gentle on the eyes (my eyes can be quite sensitive so stronger scents etc can irritate them). My skin felt clean and my makeup was pretty much removed after first cleanse which was impressive. I did also use it for my second cleanse too and skin still felt hydrated.

I only used the Inkey balm cleanser while testing this and going forward I will continue to use as it my first cleanse to remove makeup. I thought the tube was great as you get a lot of product and you don’t need to use too much so it feels like this will last me a long time. It also removes mascara without too much rubbing which is good.

I’d recommend this to anyone wanting an effective makeup removing cleanser.

THE VERDICT ON INKEY'S OAT CLEANSING BALM

Our testers loved how effective Inkey’s Oat Cleansing Balm was at removing makeup, including mascara. As a double cleanse, they suggest using this first and the big win is that it works on all skin types, oily and sensitive included.

All of them recommend using it in the evening and admit that a little goes a long way although Vanessa needed more to remove heavy makeup.

With each of our testers continuing to use the balm, it’s no surprise that’s it’s one of Inkey’s bestsellers.

MORE FROM INKEY

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If you’re breaking out, INKEY Glycolic Acid Toner, £ 13,00, INKEY Salicylic Acid Cleanser, £ 12,00 and INKEY Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches, £ 9,00 are the perfect tag team. And your body and scalp can get in on the Inkey action too. The INKEY PHA Body Water Cream, £ 13,00 will keep your skin hydrated from top to toe while INKEY Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment, £ 15,00 gets rid of itchy, flaky scalps.