Mir Skincare review - Cleansing Gel and Skin Silk Lotion

Gisele Mir is one of those friends that is a bit annoying because you know she's right, but you don't want to admit that she's right. She will quite often throw her metaphorical hands up in horror on Twitter at skincare brands that use exotic ingredients and charge an arm and a leg for them, and we've had some pretty frank exchanges of views in the past because I'm someone who would happily buy that sort of skincare.

I finally bit the bullet and ordered the Mir Cleansing Gel and Skin Silk Lotion in desperation because I'd really riled my skin up. I'd used a trial kit of products including AHAs and some quite strong essential oils, and my skin had thanked me by developing dry patches on my chin and cheeks and red raised bumps on my forehead (a sure sign that skincare is irritating my skin).

Mir's skincare ethos is very much based around the principle of 'First, do no harm.' This means she has formulated her products to avoid potential irritants and pore-clogging ingredients from her line, and not just the usual suspects like mineral oil and artificial fragrances; she also leaves out essential oils and certain heavy vegetable oils which she believes can congest the skin.

I've used these every night since I received my order in April. I experienced relief almost immediately, with the rash going away within 48 hours and the dry patches resolved within a week. My skin has been soft and well-behaved for the month and more I've been using it, with no random spots or dry bits. There are no collagen-building-magic-pixies in the formulas, but they respect and support the natural balance of  the skin.

The Cleansing Gel is a non-foaming gel cleanser. It feels very cooling on the skin, and leaves skin feeling clean but not stripped. It takes off very light eye make up, but if I'm wearing any mascara I do need to use a separate eye make up remover. I rarely wear foundation, but I applied some to see if the Cleansing Gel could remove it and found I needed to use a muslin cloth in conjunction with the Cleansing Gel to remove foundation completely.

The Skin Silk Lotion is a rich lotion texture that absorbs quickly and leaves the skin feeling comfortable but not greasy. An extremely dry skin might need to cocktail this moisturiser with a couple of drops of the pure Argan Oil in the line, but it is sufficient on its own for my normal to dry skin in Spring and Summer.

Cleansing Gel ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Sucrose Cocoate, PEG-75 Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate.

Silk Skin Lotion ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glyceryl Stearate SE, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ceteareth-20, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

My skin is naturally quite well-balanced: it's not oily and does not break out randomly, although it tends towards dryness. It's also quite reactive; it'll break out in full-on spots or under the skin bumps with the wrong skincare. Mir is a very good fit for my skin, leaving it comfortable and clear without irritation. The cleanser is £19.50 for 200ml and the skin silk lotion is £33 for 50ml, and I'm not quite half way through both products after using for 6-7 weeks. I estimate they will last me about 4 months.

Mir Skincare can be purchased from www.mirskincare.com. There are trial packs available to buy to test the range before buying full sizes.