A new cleansing balm with an added boost

It’s no secret I love (scratch that—NEED) a cleansing balm in my life, so when my last jar’s contents began to dwindle I was on the hunt for a new one. As timing would have it, Drunk Elephant introduced their take on this essential at right about the same time, so I reached out to see if I could give it a whirl. Just a few days later, I had a Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser with Bamboo Booster of my own, and I didn’t hesitate to bust it open.

I was greeted with two surprises beyond the balm-based cleansing formula when I did do… First, it has an adorable scoop (so you don’t have to dip your fingers in the tub) that magnetically affixes to the lid—genius! Second, it comes with a little vial of bamboo exfoliating powder that you can mix into the balm a few times a week for extra skin-smoothing—also genius.

Then it was time to put it to the test, because (as you may know) I’m rather particular about my cleansing balms in that they MUST transform into a milky texture upon adding water so it easily rinses away. I’m happy to report that the Slaai did indeed slay in this department, leaving my skin soft, smooth and free of residue following my usual rinsing method. (This is thanks to a blend of antioxidant-rich marula, baobab, kalahari melon, mongongo and ximenia oils from Africa.)

As an added plus, the addition of this Drunk Elephant cleansing balm has taken my routine to the next level of “green” since the brand is devoid of what they call the “Suspicious 6” (i.e. essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical-based sunscreens, artificial fragrances and dyes and sodium lauryl sulfate). In a nutshell, you get all the cleansing-balm benefits without any of the potential skincare pitfalls—and amazingly hydrated, supple skin.