I recently struck a deal on Swedish eBay and got myself the very hyped Banila Co. Clean It Zero cleansing balm for a very good deal. The one selling it had only used a tiny bit of it (with a spoon), and though the Purity formula is supposed to suit sensitive skin, hers reacted and so she sold it further.
For some time, micellar waters have been my go-to first cleanse. I think I’ve tried a dozen of them. Some have made it to the blog, others have not. However, during winter I switched my first cleansing routine to only use an oil or a balm-based cleanser. Though I haven’t found my absolute favorite yet, my love for micellar waters has declined. While I do like their quick swipe-and-off nature, oil cleansers are just simply superior to breaking down makeup and sunscreen. It could definitely just be a coincidence, but I’ve just experienced a much clearer complexion when using oil cleansers on a regular basis than when I used to use micellar waters. Not to mention the possible factor of cotton pads scratching and aggravating the skin. Nevertheless, double cleaning has been very helpful for my skin overall.

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Banila Co. | Cleansing Balm Purity

★★★★☆

Banila Co. is a Korean beauty brand that’s most known for their Clean It Zero cleansing balms. They offer them in four different formulations, Classic (Normal/Combo), Radiance (Normal/Dry), Reservatrol (Combo/Oily), and Purity (Sensitive). There’s also a foaming cleanser and cleansing water in the range. The one I’m testing is their balm for sensitive skin, which is formulated without mineral oil, a few other ingredients and they’ve replaced fragrance with essential oils that are located last. You know I’m not the biggest advocate for using essential oils… But I came across it cheaply and thought they might not do much in a rinse-off product. The balms come in a 100ml jar with a spoon for an easy and hygienic application.

I’ll leave the ingredient list down below, but note that the Clean It Zero balms have recently been updated. They have now a new look and some formulation updates. For instance, for the Classic balm, mineral oil has now been replaced with natural ester oil, butylated hydroxytoluene is gone and skin-friendly vitamin E acetate is in its place, and butyl parahydroxybenzoate has been replaced with phenoxyethanol, an ingredient naturally derived from green tea to provide a fresh, rose scent. – Information via SokoGlam (PS get 20% OFF your first order at SokoGlam by clicking this link!)
Purity is now called Purifying, Reservatrol is now called Revitalizing, and there’s a whole new balm for dry skin called Nourishing.

INGREDIENTS: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Water, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Carotene, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Capryhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Abies Sibirica Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.

Experience

The owner before me must have had extremely sensitive and compromised skin as my skin just doesn’t seem bothered by it at all. The way I review it will be based on comparison to my experiences with Emma Hardie (which I loved) and Pixi cleansing oil (that I disliked).
So what I do like about it is that it comes with a spoon. I also love how easy it washes away with only water, no cloth needed. The fragrance of the essential oils are there, but very mild. I personally don’t like the scent, it doesn’t smell as wonderfully therapeutic as the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm. But it will do. It melts to a very watery consistency. And though I like that it’s far away from that thick and grippy texture Pixi cleansing balm has, I’d love for it to be slightly balmier as you massage it in.
It dissolves my makeup and sunscreen perfectly and provides a great base for my second cleanser. My skin feels hydrated, clean and calm, and you don’t even need to use a lot of product!

Conclusion

It won’t become my favorite solely based on the texture, as I’d like it to be slightly thicker. Not to mention that I’d prefer it to be completely fragrance-free or contain less irritating fragrant oils. So it’s a solid four stars. I’d love to try the other formulas, especially the original now that they’ve ditched the mineral oil. I’ve seen a travel set of all four on eBay and Amazon, but hopefully, they’ll update it with the renewed packaging and formulations.
Whether I prefer cleansing oils or balms is still up to debate. I find both formulas to be similar but also different. For instance, I have a cleansing oil that has a thicker viscosity than the Clean It Zero Purity balm. A balm doesn’t have to be thick, and an oil cleanser doesn’t always have to be very liquid. It’s more about finding one that feels nice to use and that your skin likes too!

What’s your favorite balm cleanser?
Share in the comments below!

Where to buy
SokoGlam | iHerb | Amazon | Peach & Lily | YesStyle

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