REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm Review

Hey lovely ladies,

After reviewing REN Wake Wonderful Night Time Facial for you last week, I have today a Cleansing Balm from REN. Ever since I discovered cleansing oils/balms a couple of years back, my whole cleansing routine has changed. I don’t even recollect when/if I had last used a makeup remover at the end of the day. I have only one makeup remover in my kitty – the one from MAC – just to rectify any mistakes while doing makeup, let’s be honest – for my eye makeup days! So, let’s get down to it and find out more about this cleansing balm.

Product Details:
Which skin type is it good for?
✔ Normal
✔ Oily
✔ Combination
✔ Dry
✔ Sensitive

What it is:  A rose-infused, hydrating cleansing balm that transforms from balm to luxurious oil to creamy milk, gently yet thoroughly melting away impurities on the skin. Solutions for dryness, redness.  Rosa Centifolia No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm is a luxuriously rich balm-to-oil-to-milk cleanser that melts into the skin, lifting away dirt and impurities and effectively removing heavy makeup and waterproof mascara. Skin is left purified, hydrated, and refreshed.  It is formulated without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. This cruelty-free product is vegan, non-comedogenic, and formulated without gluten, mineral oil, and detergent.

Top tip: use as a 10-minute hydration mask for skin that needs some T.L.C. The scent of rose oil enhances the mood with its stress-relieving aroma therapeutic properties.

Ingredients:
5.1 oz/ 150 mL

• Bisabolol from Roman Chamomile: Calms redness and soothes the skin.
• Rose Oil from Moroccan Rose: Relieves stress and has aroma therapeutic properties.
• Davanone from Pink Violet Leaf: Calms redness and soothes the skin.
• Prebiotic Oligosaccharides from Natural Sugars: Protect and maintain the skin’s defense barrier by supporting the good bacteria.

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Ethyhexanoate, Glyceryl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Tribehenin, Glyceryl Behenate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Oil, Viola Odorata Ex-tract, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Lecithin, Benzyl Alcohol, Oryzanol, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Eugenol, Linalool.

Price:
$32 for 100ml tube.
$48 for 150ml Tub.

My Experience with REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm:

Quick info on my skin type – I have combination to oily skin. It goes through periodic monthly acne, so I have acne scars. I’m on the wrong side of 30s, so struggling with bit of sun damage, not wearing sun screen your whole life will show up some time, right?? And my skin gets dull and dehydrated – thanks to my horrible diet and terrible sleep patterns -I’m a mother of 2 – there are only so many hours in the day!! 🙁

IMBB changed my life – quite literally when I got to try the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil – thanks to IMBB’s Sponsored product scheme! I would never have picked up that product on my own to TRY – considering the price point! Quick update – I’m on my 3rd bottle now!! The product rocked my world and changed my night cleansing routine forever. Since using it, I have never gone back to using traditional makeup removers/micellar water/makeup remover wipes / etc. I do however, try other cleansing oils and balms – from time to time, just for a change, only to come back to my trusted green bottle of Shu – every single time!

Since, I loved the last product from REN, I decided to pick up a couple more things. This product is a cleansing balm from REN. In texture, it’s quite like a coconut oil. You know how coconut oil solidifies a bit in winters, it’s squishy to touch and melts in your hand, just like coconut oil.

Before I get into the efficacy of the product, I need to cover packaging. I didn’t cover it in the beginning because for this product, packaging plays a huge role and is linked to the texture of the product. The product comes in a 100 ml tube and a 150 ml tub. Logically speaking, one would prefer to go with the tube, right? Easy to carry, easy to dispense, hygienic. It’s a “no-brainer” really, except in this case, it isn’t. The density of the product and its texture is not conducive to a tube packaging. When I tried the product for the first time, I had to press the tube and it deflated almost entirely before any product came out. I started wondering if I had received a used tube. My second usage was even worse. When I tried to squeeze the product out, the oil squirted out followed by some product. I am not sure whether the ingredients separated in the tube or it’s a scenario where the balm started to melt due to the hot weather. Either ways, I suggest buying the tub packaging rather than the tube one.

Fragrance: Apart from the texture of the balm, the first thing you notice is the fragrance, there is a distinct rose smell. I kind of like it, but since it’s fairly strong, it may not be to everyone’s liking.

Application: Application is fairly straightforward, you rub the product in your dry hands which causes the balm to melt pretty instantly. You then apply this melted balm-oil to your dry face and give it a thorough massage. Once through, you need slightly warm water to emulsify. It can then be wiped off the face with a muslin cloth, thoughtfully provided with the product.

Efficacy: Does the product work? Well, yes! But with caveats. I’m listing down the pros and cons:

1. It does effectively take off all makeup, surprisingly so. Even waterproof makeup including waterproof mascara comes off with this. I actually used a cotton pad soaked in the MAC makeup remover just to test whether it was effective because I was getting the feeling that it wasn’t going to be working. There was no residue on the cotton pad!
2. However, the flip side of it is that this stings! It stings in the eyes like crazy. So, I would not advice you to be using this to remove your eye makeup. The fact that it works just becomes incidental.
3. This means that your cleansing routine just became a 2-step process. You need to remove eye makeup and then remove rest of the face makeup with this balm.
4. Coming to the emulsification with water – point 1 – you need warm water. I r-member this with the Sephora Cleansing Oil too, it worked if you used warm water along with it. With normal water, it wouldn’t emulsify.
5. Point 2 – the emulsification isn’t as thorough as in case of my Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil. The oil in this case is ever so slightly thicker and does not emulsify as effectively.
6. Point number 5 results in your face having an oil film post rinsing. It isn’t quite as bad as in the case you were to rub your face with coconut oil or something, but it’s distinctly there.
7. To get rid of this oil film, you need to go in with a muslin cloth/flannel/towel and wipe your face.
8. Once you have wiped away the film with muslin and rinsed your face and patted it dry, your skin feels unbelievable soft and supple. There is this feeling of extreme hydration. There is no stretchiness, no tightness, nothing. Your skin does not feel normal, it feels distinctly supple, without feeling oily. This was quite a new feeling for me!
9. There is also a suggestion that you can massage the balm into your face and leave it on for 10 minutes as a hydration mask. I have not tried it but I am sure it will work beautifully since a 2-minute massage had such a resounding difference in skin hydration.
10. Having said that, I feel it’s gals with dry skin who would most benefit from this product, especially when used as a hydration mask.

Pros of REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm:

• Can be used as a cleanser as well as a makeup remover too.
• Extremely effective in removing makeup, dirt, grime, and excess sebum.
• Does not cause the skin to feel light.
• Leaves the skin feeling EXTREMELY hydrated and supple.
• Skin feels nourished.
• Excellent for gals with dry skin.
• Easy to dispense and apply.
• Easy to store and carry.
• Breaks down even waterproof makeup.
• Cruelty-free product.
• Vegan.
• Non-comedogenic cleansing product.
• Formulated without gluten, mineral oil, and detergent.

Cons of REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm:

• Stings the eyes, so while it can remove waterproof mascara, you probably wouldn’t want to use it as an eye makeup remover.
• Leaves an oily film which needs to be removed with a muslin cloth.
• Makes your cleansing process longer – remove eye makeup, massage the oil, emulsify and then wipe clean with a muslin cloth, and then again rinse.
• Wouldn’t suggest for people who have concerns with fragrance in their skincare.
• Avoid the tube packaging.

IMBB Rating:
3.8/5. I think the idea of the product is great, just something went lacking with the execution. First the packaging itself needs to change, I think they need to get rid of the tube packaging altogether. They need to re-look the formula to ensure it doesn’t sting the eyes – so people could actually use it to remove eye makeup (as is mentioned in the claims) and ensure that the cleansing process is one step. Wiping off with muslin isn’t as big a deal as I would have thought it to be because they have anyway provided a cloth with the product and also because the end result post wiping off the excess is just amazing. Your skin feels nourished! It’s difficult to explain – it really has to be experienced.
Would I Repurchase/Recommend REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm?
Nope? I am gonna be sticking to my beloved Shu Uemura!!

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