Hot cloth/cream cleansers - educate me!

[Laquila]

I am mid-30s, combination skin with the remnants of very erratic hormonal acne. I usually keep it fairly under control with La Roche Posay Effaclar foaming face wash, Effaclar Duo, Neal’s Yard rose facial oil and Toleriane moisturiser, bit I was recently given some Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and LOVED it. After a few days, my skin flared up, so I stopped using it and have since been using Bee Good Propolis and Honey Cleanser and more recently, Burts Bees Chamomile and Willow Bark (?) Cleanser. I’m really liking the latter at the moment it eventually I might go back and try the Liz Earle, as I don’t know if it was that that irritated my skin.

Does anyone use the Burts Bees one long-term and do you double-cleanse? Is it mainly the exfoliant action of using a muslin or flannel that makes the difference?

I’m a recent convert to hot cloth cleansers. I’m using one from Superdrug and am impressed with the results for the price!

Thanks BlueEyed - I did buy an emergency one from Superdrug when I was away with no Cleanser at all but I wasn’t that keen on it. Is yours in a green squeezey bottle?

Do you use a cloth? Even without a specific cleanser using a muslin or flannel to clean your face makes such a difference. Smoother, clearer pores, just better.

The flannel must be very clean, I picked one up from the side of the sink once, and ended up with horrific spots. You've got the same skin as me, hormonal acne, I use the same cleansers too, keeps it fairly under control.

Thanks This and Mrs9c - I’ve been using Liz Earle muslins or cheap flannels, but I only usually use them twice a day and then bob them in the wash.

I feel a fool for using foaming washes for all these years 😂

I use the Boots Protect & Perfect one (or whatever it's called).

Just as an aside though I was prescribed Lymecycline by my GP after making an appointment just before Christmas because I was so fed up with my skin - hormonal rosacea although usually not too bad. I took it for about 4 months - my skin cleared after about 6 weeks - and have not taken it now for about 2 months. No reoccurrence of it yet.

I used to use Ponds cold cream with a plain flannel and hot water. Took off makeup and as I have dry skin it gave a bit of moisture

Also the Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin hot cloth cleanser was my go to after this - don't know if it's available any more but was perfect for in shower... just don't get it in your eyes!

I was a huge and I mean addicted to Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser. I didn’t even realise there were others around. Anyway about 4 years ago someone on here recommended the Superdrug one and I haven’t used Liz since. The Superdrug one is just as good, the muslin cloths useless but I now get some muslins form LE once a year. The Superdrug one is less than £3 at the moment, so I bulk buy.
I tried the Waitrose one too recently, it’s good and others over the years but I always go back to Superdrug.
I also double cleanse it’s essential imo.

Cleanse and Polish did exactly the same to me.

I now use a Toleriane Gel Cleanser and take it off with a warm wet cloth.

I love Cleanse and Polish- the Superdrug green (radiant) one that people call a dupe for LE was awful- smells really artificial and really irritated my (not terribly sensitive) at all skin- I think it was the scent in it. The Vit E from Superdrug is much nicer and I usually have a tube of that.

Be wary of the Burts Bees- I also had that and my skin was red, and irritated and blotchy. BB stuff is natural- but that doesn't always mean kind to skin. I think it has something like eucalyptus in it somewhere.

Others I really like are Elemis, Body Shop cleansing butter and Boots Botanics balm which is a solid which melts into an oil on your face. That's my favourite for summer.

Muslin cloths are much softer and gentler than flannels- when I started HCC years ago, I used flannels and my skin was raw.

I find microfibre clothes too flimsy. I have dry, sensitive skin that doesn't tolerate chemical exfoliators so a flannel works for me. I try not to have the water too hot or sandpaper my skin with the cloth. The IKEA ones with repeated washings are a good texture

Lately I've been using a cream cleanser with a hot cloth / you can pretty much use any cleanser as long as it works for you!

Willow Bark (in, I assume, the Burt's bees one) is a water-soluble version of salicylic acid. It may be that action of unblocking pores that's working particularly well for you.

I will only use REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser. I double cleanse at night using a clean white flannel, then cleanse again, once, in the morning.

It smells divine, and removes every scrap of make-up but is gentle enough to use on your eyes and it never stings. I have converted all my friends and buy it for my teen DDs, and they have beautiful skin.

I use Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin hot cloth cleanser and I also have the rich mask for dry skin from the same brand which I use every couple of weeks or so.

I like to use the hot cloth cleanser before putting on make-up for a special event as I feel it sort of makes my face feel a bit plumper. I also use the Boots No. 7 protect and perfect night cream as a moisturiser under make up (I use that and the serum as actual night cream when I'm sleeping, and a totally different day cream as I'm funny with SPF stuff).

Ooh thanks everyone - this is v interesting!

Fools I used to love that Botanics oil balm - I can’t actually remember why I stopped using it.

I also really like the No7 Beautiful Skin Gel/Balm Cleanser too, so will give their version of the HCC a go if it’s on offer.

ScreenQueen that’s I terstibg about willow bark. I do like acids generally, up to a point - I’m a fan of Liquid Gold but didn’t really like Pixi Glow. I also quite liked the Azelaic Acid from The Ordinary but the texture was a bit weird.

Confusssed I am a massive fan of rose things generally. Have you tried the SuperFacialist rose Cleanser?

Body shop do a camomile one

I love eve lom - original and best in my opinion :)