Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Review

Alohaaaa everybody! :)

It's a bit saddening that I haven't post on here for a while, been posting away on my personal blog instead! I legitly have so much product reviews to share with you all, but uni has been keeping me busy and now I have 2 weeks study break, supposedly should be "studying", but my brain took it as holiday.... oopsie daisie... :P And here I am, procrastinating... by posting a review! ;)

Today's review is based on: Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm

Before I start, here's a little story of cleansing oil and I - our relationship was never really close.
Ever since I got my first concealer (my makeup journey), that's when I got my first and *so far* the only cleansing oil (from Elianto), in which I have been using for the past couple of years. I have never really thought of it as a mega important part of my skincare/makeup regime, I treated it basically as a go to oil remover to remove waterproof makeup when I go to party/clubbing. It is difficult to travel with a bottle of cleansing oil - I have to repackage into a traveled-size bottle and most of the time, it leaks out during long flight hours, eventhough I have tightly stored away in a zipbag. Moreover, I just don’t like the way when I try to get it on my face, they often drip out of my hands or down the front of my arms. Eurghh the frustrations.
So yesterday, while Ellie and I were shopping at Absolute Beauty, she kept on saying that the Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm is really good, she even tested on her hands and let me tell you, it smelled amazing, even more amazing when you applied on the face, but I will tell you later on below.

So what is it *if you haven't figured out*? 
It is a “sherbet type cleansing balm” that promises to remove dirt, makeup, and oil without drying the skin or stripping away your skin of beneficial oils and doesn't leave any residue behind. Its papaya extract works to naturally exfoliate the skin and acerora extract is rich in vitamin C which helps to brighten.

My first impression:

This comes packaged in a sturdy little tub container. It’s made of plastic, but looks like frosted glass. It just have that elegant yet sleek feel to it, and let me tell you, I’m a big fan of the smooth, pink, metallic look of the lid. It’s an exciting tub to have sitting on my cupboard.

When I opened the lid, I was quite shocked but very impressed that a plastic spatula comes with the tub, so there's no excuse on being lazy and sticking any fingers in there! I have a thing with fingers against tub products, so for those who have doubts like me about the unhygienic potential of tub packaging, have no fear!
From the list of ingredients stated on the packaging, I can see that it doesn't have any added fragrance, but when I smeared on my face, it has this pleasant floral-fruity smell hint to it. The smell is not overpowering and it completely fades off as the product is rinsed off with warm water.



   How do I use this?

The packaging doesn't have any English printed beside from the product name. The product description and instructions are all in Korean. Luckily with the help from Google, the instruction simply translates to: massage the cleansing balm onto the face and then tissue it off. As I mentioned earlier on, I'm not that kind of person that likes to remove oil cleanser with a tissue, so instead I tried a new method: massage it over my face, wet my hands with warm water, massaged a bit more and then rinsed off completely. To my surprise, it works! The warm water emulsifies into a milky lather when come in contact with the balm, hence when it reaches the final rinse off stage, it comes off completely clean, leaving no trace of makeup residue behind.
TIP: If you want to remove eye makeup on the waterline, use a Q-tip/cotton bud to remove it.
For this review, I tried this cleansing balm on the "Benefit: They're Real Pushup Liner" - for those who use this, will know how waterproof and smudge-proof this eyeliner is! Thus this is why I thought it would be a good example to try to demonstrate.
Demo Part 1
Demo Part 2
(somehow cannot directly attached the video here - check out at my YouTube by clicking the links above if you are interested to watch the demonstrations)
Result: All clean. No residues left behind. Impressed.

Final thoughts:
I only have been using this cleansing balm since yesterday and it has immediately secured a place in my night routine, as a makeup removing cleanser. So far, it has been superbly easy, pleasant and effective. My face is left completely clean and neither does it feel really "dry" afterwards.
For you people with sensitive skin, my friend, Krystal has informed me that it "smell so good", "easy to apply", "feel hydrated after use and feel so clean" and "even my sensitive skin loves it".

This sounds like a total tick for all types of skin types to use.
I can definitely see myself bringing this in future travel trips as I do not think I will have any issue with product seeping into my luggage.
To prove the statement that it leaves no impurities behind, I think I shall try and use this on days where I don't wear makeup, aka only sunscreen on my face. Throughout the day, when you are outside, the skin does collect environmental impurities. I will update here when I have done so.

Remember how I said earlier on that I'm not a fan of cleansing oil packaged in a bottle? Now it's different. Because here comes the cleansing balm. It pulls me closer into loving cleansing oil, but without any of the negatives. Instead of a bottle of liquid oil, cleansing balm is a soft, sherbet-textured solid that melts into an oil when it's applied on the skin because of the heat.
But is it as effective for removing makeup as a cleansing oil is?
Well I can tell you, a definite yes it is!

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Not Messy
• Non-drying
• Cleanses makeup thoroughly
• Gentle Ingredients and contains no irritants (perfect for sensitive skin!)

Cons:

None.

Soooo.....

Would I buy it again? Yes! It's only $25 from Absolute Beauty - totally worth it!
Would I recommend it to someone else? Yes!

So what are you waiting for? ;)

Hope you all enjoy the review as much as I did posting it :)

See you all next time!

Stay tune!

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Updated (28th Oct): This product has become my holy grail for cleaning makeup and everything off my face for a fresh look. I'm currently on my 3rd tub now *for those who are wondering :)* (been using for 6.5 months now)

Love,
Velene xoxo

*this is blogged according to my own personal opinions and was purchased by myself*