The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm

The double cleansing method has been part of my skincare routine for years now! I can’t think of anything better to remove effectively all my makeup and the sunscreen filters I use every day!

Skincare How to cleanse your skin properly Facial cleansing isn’t always done properly, yet it’s probably the most important step in a skincare routine. Today let’s take a closer look at the best way possible to cleanse your skin, and all there is to know about it! Read more

Double cleanse, if you are not familiar with the concept, means that you first remove your makeup with a “greasy” product (an oil or cleansing balm) that will dissolve all pigments, sunscreen and fine pollution dust, and then cleanse the skin of excess sebum and impurities with a mild cleansing gel/milk or cream that rinses off with water.

In my evening routine, there is always an oil or makeup cleansing balm. A few years ago, it was difficult to find this type of product everywhere, but nowadays, most brands sell them, at various prices!

So I wanted to try the Oat Cleansing Balm, an affordable and gentle oat-based makeup cleansing balm by the UK based skincare brand The Inkey List. Here is my review and my thoughts on it!

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, product presentation:

Let me tell you something. Between cleansing oils and balms, my heart isn’t torn: I definitely prefer cleansing oils!

I don’t love that most of balms are usually in jars (the pump bottles of the cleansing oils are so much more practical!). Some of them are far less easy to emulsify than oils, and you have to remove them with a damp cloth to rinse them properly. I apologize to Saint Caroline Hirons, but washcloths/ flannels are not my thing 😆 (they rub my skin, and then you do separate laundry with them… Nope!)

So when I saw that The Inkey List, the innovative and affordable British skincare brand launched a cleansing balm in a tube, I said deal! (Well, actually, it’s when I saw its price, that perfectly complemented this small Cult Beauty order to allow me to have the free shipping costs, that I said deal! 😉 )

And I also like its rather short formula, with soothing oat extracts, very appealing! My skin has changed a lot in the last few months (due to tretinoin). It’s much drier than before and more sensitive sometimes, so the idea of using a gentle, rich product to remove makeup sounded good to me!

The formula of the Oat Cleansing Balm is indeed quite short and sweet.
It contains mainly:
– fatty substances to dissolve impurities: sweet almond, sunflower and oat kernel oils,
– emulsifying ingredients to allow an easier rinsing
– and also colloidal oatmeal and oat kernel oil used here for their soothing effect.

In short, a fairly simple, no fuss product, nothing crazy on paper. But if it does the job well, it’s typically the basic product you like to come back to and that, huge plus, won’t break the bank!

Unfortunately, when I tried it, it didn’t really convince me…

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, my experience:

A balm in a tube is practical, but it means that its texture must be sufficiently “loose” to be able to melt quickly so that it can be easily collected and applied on the skin. As a result, the balm will inevitably lose a bit of its smoothness and creaminess.

And that’s the first thing I noticed when I used it: the texture of the Oat Cleansing Balm; both not creamy enough, and too greasy. You have to use a good amount of it to be able to massage it properly on the skin, and, as a consequence, I find that it emulsifies quite badly if you just use your wet hands. In fact, it tends to leave a greasy film on the skin if you remove it this way.

To be sure to remove it properly, you have to use a washcloth. I already said above what I think about them: not my cup of tea!

Furthermore, I wasn’t amazed by this product when it came to removing my eye makeup. I really have to insist for a long time to be able to remove all my mascara… Which is a bit annoying!

If you add to that the fact that the smell isn’t great either (it smells a bit like like grease), it’s not the most luxurious and sensorial product…

In short, it’s certainly not very expensive, and it’s practical thanks to its tube format but overall, its a meh product IMO.

In conclusion:

In short, I won’t repurchase The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm and I’m not sure I’m going to finish it either, to tell you the truth 😅

If you want a great cleansing balm at a decent price that does the job, K-Beauty knows how to do it. I talked about the Heimish All Clean Balm and the cult Banila Co one (in this post) which are excellent options that are just a tad more expensive than The Inkey List (but worth it).

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm retails between $13 and $15 depending on the retailers.