Better than Diamonds: Rodial’s Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm

I am religious about my skin. I have expectations. I have a routine. I have standards. And we all know the cardinal rule : always wash your face at night. It's key to keeping the skin bright, to regulating breakouts, to having a healthy complexion.

Yet ... we do not always follow the rules.

Sometimes it's a lazy night. Sometimes it's a late night. Sometimes, it's because our cleanser leaves our skin feeling tight and dry and more irritated than fresh and clean. That's me : dedicated to cleansing my skin, yet sometimes hesitant to do so because my skin already feels stripped and in distress after consistent daily washing. When this happens, I find myself splashing my face with water when the night ends ... but not really cleaning it.

That all changed when I was gifted Rodial's Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm.

I've tried and enjoyed cleansing balms and creams before. They are especially effective when removing the days makeup - it breaks up product quickly and easily. But some cleansing balms and creams tend to leave a "film" after rinsing the skin. Many would suggest a "double cleanse" and follow a cleansing balm with micellar water or cleanser wash. But again, that just leads to overdoing and over-processing the complexion. I found over the winter months that this had been happening to me : overworked skin!

Rodial's Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm is a totally different beauty beast. A little bit warmed up on the finger tips smoothes easily over the skin and breaks up makeup product almost instantly. Instead of sinking quickly into the skin like its a moisturizer, it feels like its actively sitting on the skin working to remove dirt and grime. I take a good two minutes massaging it all over the skin until I see my day's face falling away.

To remove and finish cleaning the skin, you have two options. I choose the simple route : rinse away the balm and reveal clean skin that's soft, free of irritation, and free of redness. The second option is to gently remove with a cloth : the tube comes with a muslin cloth which helps you to wipe away the balm from the face but also offers a gentle exfoliation. After wiping the balm away, you can rinse with warm water to finish.

Since discovering this product, I have been alternating it with my current cleanser of choice. The result is skin that is softer, less flaky and dry, and always properly cleaned and cared for every night. I've experience less irritation within two days of use.

Rodial products are available at your local Shoppers Drug Mart!