I'm sure all of you have heard of Soap and Glory by now. The British brand have been made famous for their quality products with fab scents and reasonable price tag. I myself am a big fan of their "Flake Away Body Polish" and their "Clean On Me" shower gel which both hold a secure place in my skincare routine. After loving these products I decided to try out their range of skincare products, starting with their "The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser". Online reviews compared it to cult products such as Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish and No7's Hot Cloth Cleanser so I thought I'd give it a go before splashing out on Liz Earle! I have been using the product for approximately 2/3 months now, so I have a fair idea of how well it works.
I have normal/combination skin which gets a few dry patches in winter and a few break outs when I'm stressed (exams, I'm looking at you!) but generally I'm very lucky and have fairly good skin. I do lean towards having slightly sensitive skin but tend to get the occasional rash more on my arms and legs than my face, so I was fairly confident this product wouldn't aggravate my skin. I like a cleanser which makes my skin feel deeply refreshed and squeaky clean, removes make up easily and leaves my skin feeling soft.
The packaging of the product is absolutely gorgeous. The product comes in a baby pink and pastel blue box with a hot pink lining. All the text on the box is cleverly written and fun - I'm a sucker for S&G's puns! The packaging of the product itself does not disappoint either. Its metallic silver and hot pink colour scheme really helps it to stand out in your bathroom cupboard and the packaging itself is robust and looks as good as new even now. My only criticism is that the tube tends to 'dent' with use. However, this is only a minor cosmetic annoyance as the packaging has not split or cracked and makes it very easy to squeeze out the desired amount of product.
The product also comes with a free muslin cloth. I personally am a big fan of this freebie, as it is very soft while still being gently exfoliating and robust. Mine has been through the wash a few times now and the only wear and tear has been that the label has faded slightly which doesn't annoy me in the slightest. Also, I'm loving the pink stitching! Little details like this really sell the product for me and make it definitely with its pricetag.
Onto the product itself. It is a medium consistency white cream with a similar consistency to toothpaste. It blends easily into the skin with gentle massaging motions. I was slightly disappointed by the scent after smelling the delicious hand food. It says it contains panthenol (no idea what that is), sweet almond, orange and lavender oils. It smells more like lavender than anything else and is moderately perfumed so is definitely not for those adverse to scents. Following the instructions on the back of the packaging I gently massage it onto my face and eye area over my makeup for roughly a minute. While it does smooth into the skin nicely, I've found that it soaks in too well! It nearly disappears into my skin instantly which makes me feel that it will clog up my pores instead of cleansing them. I then leave it for one minute as instructed and remove it by pressing it off with the muslin cloth. I soak the cloth in hot water, squeeze out the excess and press off the little still left on the surface of my skin. I usually end up resorting to rubbing in order to get my pores as clean as possible!
I find that it does an good job of removing face make up but struggles with mascara or eye make up. Don't even attempt to remove waterproof mascara with this product - not worth the hassle. It leaves my skin feeling rather average. I like my skin to feel cleansed and squeaky clean after cleansing but this product definitely does not do this for me. It leaves me feeling like I have used a cream cleanser rather than a deep pore treatment which this product claims to be.
On the other hand, you definitely get your money's worth as this product lasts for ages! I have been using it near enough daily for 2/3 months and I'd say I have 3/4 of the product still left. Definitely worth the £10 price tag if it suits your skin.
After a few months use I have found that this cleanser does an average job of keeping my skin clean - fine if my skin is behaving but does very little to clear up breakouts. However I do think this product would be suitable for those with good skin or those with dry skin who want a hot cloth cleanser which won't leave their skin parched. It does a good enough job of keeping my skin happy and I will use it up. However I will save for the Liz Earle instead of repurchasing this product.
Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser is available for £10 from
Boots in the UK, for $20 from
Sephora in the US and from
their website for international shipping.
