Worth the Hype? Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm Review

For years the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm has been on my to try list, I had a sample of it around two years ago and it was enough to get one use from and I was really excited to get sent this recently from M&S as part of their Best in Beauty selection. As soon as I’d finished up my Double Cleanse from Pixi it was an easy choice which cleanser from my collection was going to become my next test as part of my evening skincare routine.

Emma Hardie is a luxury skincare brand from the UK, with the namesake of it’s creator and experienced facialist herself. The brand isn’t cheap and one of the reasons I hadn’t rushed to keep it waiting to be used. The Moringa Cleansing Balm is a 100ml pot and comes in at £47 – so expectations for it have to be high as it’s easily the most expensive cleanser that I’ve ever tried. It’s been well mentioned and loved in the past by most predominately by more skincare focused British Beauty bloggers for years, and seems to be a product that is standing the test of time always being prominent in recommendations,

Emma Hardie’s line is all perfectly tied in as a soft champagne gold tone, with brown lettering. The box itself is a lovely soft matte feel and the pot itself is a heavy plastic pot. It’s bulkier than it needs to be which doesn’t make it travel friendly, but overall it feels like product which is worthy of the price tag it holds. The box doesn’t just hold the cleansing balm, but also has one of the Emma Hardie Professional Cleansing Cloths inside too.

When I saw and opened this when I did the post showcasing M&S’ beauty heroes, I presumed that it was a muslin cloth, as it was all wrapped up in tissue paper I didn’t unwrap it until I was ready to put it onto my bathroom shelf. The Cleansing Cloth is a two sided skin cleaning assistant – these are sold individually at 3 for £18, which after a few uses and washes is something quite reasonable .

One side of this cloth is a soft muslin cloth, higher quality than a lot of ‘freebies’ that come alongside cream and balm cleansers, featuring a tag in the corner and a loop in one corner so you can leave to hang and dry out if needed. The reverse is a microfibre cloth, but unlike a lot of these microfibre cloths (which I do love) it has a more flannel like texture creating loops in the fabric that give it a best of both worlds feel. This is a lovely quality cloth and one I’m thoroughly enjoying accompanying the balm. Whilst a white cloth is very satisfying to look at it didn’t take long before it wasn’t pure white any more, a beige cloth which would have tied in nicely with their soft gold packaging would have been a better choice for me. I would however consider getting these again in future, they’re lovely.

From a luxury facilaist you’d be expecting a range with the best ingredients, and that’s exactly where the good news starts with this as it’s formulated without a lot of the ‘nasties’ – No parabens, silicones, synthetic colours or fragrances, petrochemicals, mineral oil or sulphates. The product does contain a lot of essential oils, so much so that when mine was cracked open at the height of the heatwave about a month ago it was starting to rise to the top…

The products is a rich and smooth balm that has a more creamy, buttery finish than most. The closest I’ve tried that I can compare it to is the Elemis Pro Collagen cleansing balm. After the end of a long day this is perfect for removing all traces of makeup in a breeze, at the beginning I found I was really taking too much product and not appreciating too far that it does spread and how little is needed for it to be effective, a small dollop on the end of a finger, is enough for the whole face.

As it’s massaged into the skin it adopts a more emollient consistency which clean. It easily rinses away with the aid of the cloth, or just using the hands with water and the skin is left feeling thoroughly cleansed but not stripped, adding moisture back into the skin leaves me walking away feeling like I’ve just had a treatment. Every last stubborn spot of mascara, foundation and super pigmented eyeshadow is shifted so easily with this, without effort or scrubbing.

It goes one step further as the scent alone gives me spa like vibes, the product smells gorgeous thanks to the mix of essential oils of Jasmine, Rose, Orange, Bitter Orange Flower, Neroli and Mandarin. It does contain Linalool which is an essential oil mix containing lavender, but so far so good the quantity is quite low and I’ve had no reactions!

Breakouts have been kept well and truly at bay since I’ve been using this, whilst the product is very rich Moringa is a great anti-sceptic and anti-inflammatory, so it calms and cleanses as it goes. The Samphire/Sea Fennel has repairing qualities whilst the Vitamin E adds moisture back into the skin too.

Ultimately I guess you’re wondering…

Is the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm Worth the Money?

Probably the key question that you’re all wondering, personally I think the answer is it depends. If this cleanser is out of your price range ultimately there are products out there that will work just as well at removing your makeup and cleansing your skin, it’s not worth over-stretching yourself for. If you have a bit more free-reign with your money and want a touch of luxury or a treat, then yes, absolutely it’s a gorgeous product, that does last as a little does go a long way. It feels luxury. I’m using this most days, but not all days in an attempt to spread the enjoyment out into a few extra weeks.

I can see why this cleanser has been standing the test of time in reviews. It’s worth the investment if you’re able to afford it and I see it being a product that will last me well over the next few months.

Have you tried this before? 

The Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm is available from M&S here for £47.

PR Sample of Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm sent in exchange for the consideration of an honest review.

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