So first things first – I’m not a beauty blogger, try as hard as I might at make-up, it’s just not happening for me! Nevertheless, I read this article about the best skincare routines for different skin types I’m still an everyday person using skincare products everyday (or at least when I’m motivated enough to step away from the face wipes and use something proper!), so I thought a review of a product like this might be of use to some.
I also have to confess that I haven’t actually even tried the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser that Aldi’s Lacura Hot Cloth Cleanser is supposed to be an “exact dupe” of – whoops! I’ve had the Liz Earle version on my wishlist for a long time, but I find it hard to bring myself to spend £10+ on beauty or skincare so it hadn’t actually made it into my routine yet.
I’ve actually started trying to be a bit more serious about my skincare recently and invested in a few good products – maybe I’ll try and review these sometime, but I mostly went for Murad who I’d tried a few samples of before and read good reviews of. When I saw all the headlines that Aldi had released their own version of cult favourite Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, I decided it was worth giving it a go. I’ve always been up for trying products from Aldi and Lidl’s special offers – in fact, all my favourite gym wear is either from Aldi or Lidl – and I haven’t been disappointed yet.
On first impressions, the Aldi Hot Cloth Cleanser doesn’t look quite as fancy in its branding as Liz Earle does, but give it a chance – packaging isn’t always everything! The Aldi version was also £3.99 compared to Liz Earle’s £28 for the same size bottle – 200ml with a muslin cloth included. The bottle itself isn’t quite as appealing aesthetically as the Liz Earle one which comes in a pump type bottle that dispenses (I assume) the right amount every time; the Aldi version is just a plain old squirty tube. This doesn’t bother me at all though, even though I am frequently won over by pretty packaging, I’m definitely not of the opinion that it makes the product any better!
The big draw of both the hot cloth cleansers is that they’re a 2 step product using the muslin cloth. You first apply the cleanser to your face, massage it in, then heat the cloth up in hand-hot water and lay it over your face – this is the cleanser stage. You then use the muslin cloth to polish the cleanser off your face – exfoliation stage – before splashing with cold water. I’m a sucker for marketing, so something that isn’t just a standard face wash and flannel (which is what these would be by any other name) always works for me.
So let’s focus in on the Aldi cleanser. The product itself smells lovely. I’ve been told it’s “exactly the same” as the Liz Earle one, and while I can’t vouch for that, I can say that I love the scent. It’s got that kind of herby eucalyptus scent that spas have, and is especially strong if you cover your face with the hot cloth for a couple of minutes while in the bath – this has been my tactic the few times I’ve used it, reheating it in the bath water a few times and I definitely feel like I’m at a spa!
And the results? I would love to take pictures to show you the difference, but I’m afraid I’m not that talented and I really don’t think it would show! My skin is generally quite mixed – it has dry areas but T-zone is more oily. The dry areas are pretty stubborn ones though, particularly below my eyes on top of my cheekbones, and I’ve been struggling with various moisturisers recently to try to solve these bits. However, after using the Aldi hot cloth cleanser twice, those dry patches have completely disappeared. Seriously impressed!
I really doubted that it would make that much difference as I don’t usually get any noticeable effects from any skincare, especially so quickly. My whole face honestly feels a lot smoother, and after moisturising, it seems to have absorbed it and kept it fresher rather than it sitting on top of dry skin. Mission complete!
In fact, I loved the product so much that the one you’re seeing in these photos is actually my second one (I haven’t used up the first yet, I just got another straight away because I was so excited!) and I’m contemplating buying a third since it’s on special buy at Aldi – you never know whether they’ll come back or not, plus they’re all sold out online already – eek!
Have you tried either Liz Earle or Aldi’s hot cloth cleanser? Or maybe another brand?
