Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm

I bought the Merumaya Moringa Cleansing Balm after there was a flurry of interest on the internet, and primarily after a post by facegoop in the Guardian  - I think what really appealed to me was its extremely reasonable £14.50 for 100mls (at the time) and the fact that it came in a tube. The Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, had to get in on the action as seen above, for a comparison.

It indeed comes in a squeezy tube, and the instructions are essentially apply with dry hands to a dry face, massage to allow for makeup and grim breakdown and then add water to emulsify and ultimately rinse away, so far, so any other cleansing balm.

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm on left and Moringa Cleansing Balm on the right on an extremely dehydrated hand.

To me, the Merumaya Balm is a light gel texture, whereas the Moringa Balm is more of an oily buttery texture.

When water is added, the Merumaya Balm becomes a thin milk and the Moringa Balm becomes a thick milk.

The product removes makeup easily, its texture does afford a massage, and it does not irritate my skin at all.

As with any product it is ultimately horses for courses. I find the Merumaya Balm has a somewhat medicinal scent which coupled with a thinner texture means that my pm cleanse where I can massage away in a reverie of thick textures and gentle scents, becomes somewhat fraught with an almost Vick's like invigorating smell, and I am instantly on the alert as my fingers skid around my face and up my nose and in my eyes as the thinner texture needs less pressure than I am used to. I also find that when I add water the product has run off my face, onto my hands and up my arms in a flash which is irritating to say the least.

Ingredients; INCI - CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, GLYCERIN, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, AQUA (WATER), SUCROSE LAURATE, GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE, ECHIUM PLANTAGINEUM SEED OIL, PHENOXYETHANOL, SUCROSE PALMITATE, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), SUCROSE COCOATE, SUCROSE STEARATE, CITRONELLOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, GARCINIA MANGOSTANA FRUIT EXTRACT, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CHLORPHENESIN, TETRASODIUM EDTA, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, HEXYLENE GLYCOL.

Currently £15.50 for 100mls