Product Reviews

I really like the idea behind this cleansing balm. Cleansing balms tend to be marketed much more towards dry skin, while oily and acne-prone skin is often pushed towards astringent foaming cleansers. But the fact is, a balm cleanser is usually the best format to dissolve hard-to-take-off makeup (at least in my experience). So having a balm specifically formulated for oily and acne-prone skin, which works well and leaves the skin feeling supple and hydrated without the risk of congesting it, just makes a lot of sense to me.
The formula contains capryloyl salicylic acid (LHA) and salicylic acid, as well as gluconolactone, giving it a combination of exfoliating ingredients that makes sense for congested skin. Then there is tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia) in several forms, which gives the formula another ingredient associated with blemish-prone skin. Obviously, these are all in a rinse-off product, so I wouldn't expect this to behave like a leave-on acne treatment, but I like that the formula is addressing the concerns of the skin type it's aimed at.
There is also parfum, which I'm less enthusiastic about, and it's relatively high up on the list. But this isn't a product that stays on the skin for long, so it's less of a concern (and I didn't have any irritation from it).
My main problem with this product is actually the packaging. The jar is enormous. If you have limited counter space in your bathroom, it's a nuisance, and the whole process of opening it, removing the little inner cap and getting the product out is unnecessarily cumbersome because the packaging is so damn big. It's not a dealbreaker, but it makes something that should be a very simple step in your routine feel weirdly inconvenient.
The other thing I've noticed is that it takes a little longer to wash off than other cleansing balms I've used. It does emulsify and you do get there eventually, but it takes more work — and therefore more time — massaging it around with water before it feels completely gone. You could argue that this gives the exfoliating ingredients a little more contact time, but for me and my skin, I'm not convinced that's enough of a benefit to make the extra effort worthwhile.
And those two things are really what's keeping this from being a great product (rather than just a good one) for me. I love the concept, and I love having a cleansing balm that feels much less likely to be a problem for oily or acne-prone skin. If you have acne-prone skin, I definitely recommend it. Personally, I'm unsure if I'll repurchase - if they change the packaging or sell it in a smaller format, then I most certainly will.