I've tried dozens of cleansers for mature skin, but this luxe Estée Lauder balm is the one I always come back to

As someone with a very basic skincare routine, I was late to the party in discovering cleansing balms. For my birthday this year, my lovely friend gifted me the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Cleansing Balm after swearing by it. And it's since become a skincare must-have.

The revelation of not having to use harsh soaps on my face led me to try several other brands' cleansing balms over the course of the year. And notable mentions go to the Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm (which is fantastic for its £9 price tag), and Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, but neither top Estée Lauder's offering.

Having suffered with adult acne previously, my now 46-year-old skin is very sensitive, and so I try to avoid anything with harsh ingredients that might irritate or dry it out. I was a little hesitant before using Estée Lauder cleansing balm - I had a preconception that the 'oil' part would make it greasy and unpleasant to use, and make my skin break out. But I couldn't have been more wrong, it's so gentle on my skin - without a doubt one of the best cleansing balms on the market.

It is no exaggeration to say the Estée Lauder cleansing balm is like spreading liquid(ish) silk on your face. The butter-like balm's scent reminds me of a spa and the product melts into an oil, which I spend a joyous few minutes massaging into my skin while breathing in the delightful smell.

If that isn't nice enough, the way it makes my skin feeling after wiping off with a warm towel is one I will never tire of. It's gentle, soft and feels really premium – a five-minute slice of luxury skincare that I look forward to every single day.

It fully removes any makeup or dirt on my skin at the end of each day, and leaves my face feeling soft, smooth and hydrated. In the morning my skin has a distinct added brightness to it too. It's at the more premium end of the price scale compared to similar products, but totally worth it. You only need a small amount to clean your entire face, so it lasts a while - my last pot got just past six weeks before running dry.

Being that bit more expensive, I always look to stock up in the sale, and the Black Friday beauty deals are a great time to do just that. At full price it's great value, but I always like to have a full tub on standby, so bulk buying in the sales can save a lot. Right now it's £32 a pot - that's an impressive £14 saving – so I'm off to stock up.

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