Not to be put off, I've tried other oil based cleansers with varying degrees of success (Vaishaly is lovely, but stings the eyes, Ren is not good, and clogged my pores more than Eve Lom, Neal's Yard rose one is not a good cleanser; I think they now market it as a treatment instead, I liked Spieza but didn't adore it.) I was browsing on a beauty e-tailer one day, as you do, and came across Saaf. The Saaf cleanser has no mineral oil, and the ingredients are:
Jojoba oil, Safflower oil, olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, natural vitamin E, grapefruit seed oil, geranium oil, lavender oil. The ingredients are 98.5% organic.
I use this with the hot cloth method - apply cleanser to dry skin, massage in to emulsify make up and grime. Take a muslin cloth, soak in warm water and ring out, then use to remove the cleanser. Rinse the face with lots of cool water. I find this cleanser removes every last scrap of make up, including tough to budge mascara, without making my eyes sting. It also leaves my skin feeling comfortable, but without a filmy layer. If I'm occasionally feeling particularly lazy or tired, I can just use this cleanser and an eye cream without having to go through the rigmarole of a whole evening routine.
The Saaf cleanser is £25 for 35g, and I bought mine from Beauty Expert. It's also available at Content Beauty.

I love the spiezia , actualy is my fav for eye make up, gentle and fast. For all over face is very strong. The REN N1, hummm!!! not good, I agree with you, and very expenssive for bad product.
ReplyDeleteBut, what are the big diferences? SAAF/SPIEZIA??
I thought they were similar, maybe diferent in smell and composition, but very similar in results.
Thanks
Hi Gabriela
ReplyDeleteI found the Spiezia a little more astringent than the Saaf - the Spiezia left my skin feeling a bit tighter. I liked it, but I prefer the Saaf. They are quite similar in texture, I think the main difference for me is in the essential oils used, and the effect of those on my skin.
Thanks for your comment. x
Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI've been using Neal's sweet almond oil to remove eye make up, is only £7 for 100ml, very good price in my opinion for a eye cleanser, is good but I miss a good balm. Is a huge diference in price but I want to try SAAF for so long...
I will for sure.
Thanks again. xx
I don't like the Eve Lom either, I actually preferred the Boots rip-off version that they used to do ...
ReplyDeleteNude Cleansing Oil is my favourite "natural" cleanser. For budget version, sweet almond oil does a great job removing eye-makeup, including waterproof mascara. On its own almond oil is too heavy to be used all-over face, mixing it with castor oil seemed to do the job better.
ReplyDeleteHi Luce - glad to know it's not just me. It seems like the Eve Lom is universally loved in the beauty press. x
ReplyDeleteHi Music - how could I forget Nude? I love their cleansing oil too; I find that it is a fantastic makeup remover, just like you, and I like the smell of it too. Thanks for your comment. :)
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI have only recently dscovered your blog & it is truly wonderful! And you are freakily like me in your likes & dislikes....so often I have sat here vigorously nodding my head when you express surprise at disliking a universally 'loved' product! I am SO with you on the Eve Lom. Tell me, have you been using Saaf for a while? Long enough to work out if it is truly break out safe? Bizarrely I have just requested & received a wee sample of this cleanser from Content.
Victoria :0)
Green People cleansing balm is worth a try too - not as rich but good for the price!
ReplyDeleteI adore Saaf cleansing balm and have used it for a couple of years....no matter what else I try, I always end up coming back. In winter I take it off with an organic cleansing water or toner if my skin is dry and it just leaves my whole complexion totally supple and comfortable. I've also used Saaf hair oil and Saaf footbalm...both fabulous, but the stand out is definitely this cleansing balm. Saaf isn't stocked in enough places in the UK - would like to see it available more readily. x
ReplyDeleteHello Victoria. I've been using it for about a year-18 months now. I don't always do the whole face (although I always use it for eye make up removal.) I do the whole face 2-3 times a week and it hasn't caused any clogged pores used that often. Thanks very much for your comment :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mimi - I love the Green People sunscreen (it was a big hit with the whole family this summer) so I'll have to have a look for the cleansing balm. Thanks for the tip. x
Hi BBB - Saaf is a great line; I like that the founder is a woman too - it's always good to support female business owners. I'd like to see it get more press, because I also think the cleansing balm is excellent. x
ReplyDeleteYep, I met her when she first started with Saaf and she is now a really good friend! If you ever want to meet with her, let me know xx
ReplyDeleteI love this product too and was an Eve Lom-er for 9 years!! I wanted to try something natural and after a false start with the Ren balm (simply awful and thick) tried the Saaf after reading about it on this very blog! And also saw it on BBB's blog. :) No breakouts for me either and I have super sensitive 41 year old skin...
ReplyDeleteSo thanks!
I also love Nude Cleansing Oil and use that in the morning.
Agree that Saaf should be more widely available and wish that etailers had better options for mail order abroad...
Hi Jo - thanks very much for your feedback. The Ren was so disappointing, wasn't it? I remember us both being less than thrilled with it at around the same time. x
ReplyDeletePeople are different, skins are different (thank god). I used & loved the Eve Lom cleanser for years, it changed my skin to better (tremendously). I moved on because my skin changed (to older, drier, etc., etc.). I wanted to like Saaf - but I have the feeling that I can't get it off my skin, that there is a smeary residue. Then again, I like their oils...
ReplyDeleteI had a great experience with the Saaf cleanser too, though had no joy getting it stocked on my site a couple years back. It's definitely one of the best. Emma Hardie and MV Skincare just sent through their cream/balm cleansers so I'm giving those a whirl this week. Look promising. Also, have you tried evolve beauty's new cleansing melt? I'm keen to get my hands on that one too.
ReplyDeleteHappy you found Saaf. xx JT
Hi Lady Jane Grey - nods - what works for one person doesn't always work for the next. I think Eve Lom is either absolutely miraculous for you, or not at all, and sadly my skin disagreed with it (I'm dry and breakout prone, so difficult!) Thanks for your comment :)
ReplyDeleteHello Jessica - I have the Emma Hardie to try, it smells lovely in the pot. I've not heard of the Evolve at all - will be v interested to read more if you try it :)
I love the fact that it's called Saaf. That's Punjabi for clean.
ReplyDeleteI use a Boots oily cleanser which suits my skin perfectly, it's by Time Delay.
Hello Rhamnousia - I didn't know that's what it means - I do like that! Ren is Swedish for clean, I think - it's a good concept for a skincare line.
ReplyDeleteI've heard good things about the Time Delay range; glad it is working for you. Thanks for visiting my blog. x