Whether it’s a hectic work schedule, home life pulling you in a million directions or the dreaded cold and flu season taking its toll, there are times in all of our lives when ‘self care’ seems to take a back seat.
For me, the pinnacle of this was five years ago, when I had my first baby. Bringing a life into the world is a wonderful, magical experience that brings you to new levels of love you never knew you could feel. It’s also awful for keeping up with your skincare routine – or indeed, any semblance of cleanliness, am I right?
My brother’s very wise and very kind partner knew this all too well, so her ‘happy new baby’ gift was the best one we received: the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (sorry, singing Ollie Owl).
The cleaner itself is rich and creamy, so smoothing it on felt like the most indulgent and nourishing experience. And its richness, for me, is the key.
While my expert beauty colleagues will no doubt assure you that yes you really should be using the full arsenal of the best cleansers, best toners, best moisturisers and more, I found that when I only had two minutes to spare between feeds, the Cleanser & Polish was enough to effectively remove any scraps of makeup I’d slapped on that morning and leave my skin feeling soft rather than parched.
You simply massage it into your face and neck, including your eye area, then wipe off with the included cotton cloth dunked into warm water. It takes under a minute. In a sea of soggy nappies and yellow baby grows, I felt more confident about my skin after using it, and it took so little time that I didn't have to forego precious sleep or Netflix minutes.
A little goes a long way with this one, so much so that I was still using my tube when said baby was onto solids. I can safely say it can clean whizzed-up beetroot from your eyebrows without any trouble, if that's what you're after. It's gentle enough to use everyday, morning and night. And it will continue to deliver smooth skin results for weeks.
Now, whenever a friend or loved one has a baby, I remember how the kind gesture of a product that felt indulgent yet took me no time to use was just perfect, and it’s become my go-to gift to give to new mums.
I'd argue it's also ideal to gift to anyone who has a busy schedule; those women who you know would appreciate a minute to treat themselves and their skin, but who may not think to stock up on the right products to do so.
And as I write this with a telltale sniffly nose and a stuffy head, I'm also giving you full permission to treat yourself in time for cold and flu season, as on those days where all you want is a bit longer in bed, perhaps having a speedy way to cheat at skincare will make all the difference. In fact, I'm going to replenish my supplies now.
