Tried & Tested: REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser & Organic Surge Anti Aging Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser review

Think of Hot Cloth Cleansers, and usually only one brand will come to mind - Liz Earle.  I've been a long time fan of Liz Earle's cult Cleanse & Polish for years, but after testing out these two different ones, has my mind been changed?

For those unfamiliar with Hot Cloth Cleansers, they are basically a cream cleanser that you apply to dry skin and remove with a warm/hot cloth or flannel.  The majority on the market also double up as makeup removers, so they're a great option for the first step in a double cleanse routine for the evening.  There are lots of Hot Cloth Cleansers out there to choose from, so I've road tested two from REN and Organic Surge to see how they compare with my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish.       

Organic Surge Anti Aging Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser* (150ml, £12.50, link)

This is the first product to be released from Organic Surge's up and coming new Anti Aging range and features a more sleek and high end look.  Their Hot Cloth Cleanser features a special brightening formula that also rejuvenates, conditions and protects, whilst still being suitable for sensitive skin.  It has lots of skin loving ingredients such as Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Orange Peel Oil, Damask Rose Oil, Star Anise Oil and Rose Geranium Essential Oil to name a few, so I was eager to give it a go.  The packaging features an easy pump application and I found that 1-2 pumps per use was sufficient enough depending on how much makeup and sunscreen I was wearing that day.  This cleanser feels really luxurious to use as it's got a lovely thick and buttery texture with a pleasant light floral scent.  I massaged it into dry skin and it removed all of my makeup (including waterproof mascara) instantly.  Afterwards, my combination skin felt smooth, clean and comfortable - the oily parts didn't feel tight nor stripped, and the drier parts felt nourished and hydrated.

REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser* (150ml with a complimentary cloth, £16, link)

I often use REN's Rosa Centifolia 3 in 1 Cleansing Water in my skincare routine, so when I saw that they had a Hot Cloth Cleanser from the same line, I knew I had to try it.  This cleanser features ingredients such as Rose Water, Cocoa Seed Butter, Beeswax and Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract to deeply cleanse, decongest, smoothe and purify and is suitable for all skin types.  It features the standard pump packaging that I've come to love with these cleansers (no fiddly squeezy tubes or pots to deal with here), and again I applied 1-2 pumps per use.  The texture is incredibly similar to the Organic Surge one - lovely thick and buttery with a gorgeous subtle floral scent.  It removed my makeup like magic (including waterproof mascara), and I noticed that my skin felt silky soft and was thoroughly clean afterwards.

How do they compare to Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish?

The biggest main differences between these two and C&P are the scent and ingredients used.  Whilst the ingredients are all quite similar, there are some differences between them, so it's a case of going with what ingredients you already know work for your skin or doing a bit of trial and error experimentation.  For example, some people have breakout issues caused by Shea Butter, so try the REN instead etc.  Scent can also be a big dealbreaker - C&P has a very strong menthol scent, whereas these two both have a much more lighter floral scent.  Price wise, C&P retails for £13.25 for 100ml, so Organic Surge comes out the cheapest.

Which do I prefer?

To be perfectly honest, I like them all!  I love the cooling menthol scent of C&P so I think I'll always have it in my skincare routine, and it'll be great to rotate it with one of these to get the best of both worlds.  If I had to be super fussy and choose between the REN or Organic Surge, I may pick the REN simply because it made my skin feel a fraction more soft than the OS, but really, they both work well and do pretty much the same thing.

Do you use a Hot Cloth Cleanser?  

What's your favourite?

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