Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter Cleansing Oil-Balm Review
Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter Cleansing Oil-Balm ($32) is a new cleansing oil-balm that contains sunflower oil and black and white charcoal to remove makeup with minimal effort. I was drawn to this because I really like cleansing balms such as Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, It Cosmetics 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm, and Banila Co Clean It Zero.
But unlike these formulas, Boscia’s Charcoal MakeUp Melter Cleansing Oil-Balm actually starts out life as a balm but turns into an oil which was one of the things I was most curious about.
I was actually terribly disappointed with this at first try. The formula is very thick and resembles softened candle wax. During the rinsing process it was not emulifying or breaking down correctly and in some ways reminded me of the horror show that was Equate Wipe the Day Away Cleansing Balm! I realized later that I was not using it correctly! I’ll get into my cleansing method in a second.
First off, this comes in a 3 oz jar which makes it a little smaller in size than Clinique’s version which is 3.8 oz. The formula was created for use with all skin types and it has a light fragrance that reminds me of Lush Dark Angels Cleanser or even Freeman’s Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask. This contains charcoal which is a popular ingredient in many cleansers and skincare products lately. Charcoal actually acts as a magnet to draw out makeup, dirt, and oil.
At first try, I applied this the way I use any cleansing oil! Typically this means massaging on my dry face and rinsing with water. This didn’t quite work out well when using this method. The formula broke down badly and I had to scrub off chunks of the balm. The best way to use it is by warming it up in your hands before applying it to your face. This is thicker and less soft compared to Clinique’s formula and it has a waxy texture. When you warm it up between your fingers and apply to your skin this makes it easier to remove. Once you apply it to your skin you won’t rinse right away, add a little water just like you would a cleansing oil and allow it to break own and emulsify. At this point, it’ll go milky and you can go ahead and safely rinse it all off. When using this method it rinsed clean away. It also did a fine job removing my makeup and didn’t try my skin out while doing so. I liked it because my skin felt squeaky clean after I used it and not necessarily hydrated but very smooth and soft.
Boscia Charcoal MakeUp Melter Cleansing Oil-Balm isn’t a traditional cleansing balm formula but once I got a knack for using it I really enjoyed it. It did a fine job whisking away makeup, dirt, and oil and didn’t strip my skin while doing so.
This one is available now at Sephora and Sephora.com.
Tried it?
Do share your thoughts!