Five years in the making, it could be the shower gel upgrade you've been looking for
If you were to ask any beauty editor about the products that have really left their mark on the industry, Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish is certain to come up time and time again. However, in the past, it’s largely been designed to be enjoyed from the neck up - until now that is. Cleanse & Polish Body has landed and looks set to follow in its predecessor’s highly successful footsteps.
Five years in the making, it claims to provide all of the benefits of the original but with some souped-up extras to make it better suited for skin from the neck down - an exfoliating shower mitt most notably. Created to smooth over rougher areas such as knees and elbows, it has a little more grit to it than the facial version’s muslin cloth, with its flat, oven glove design able to cover a larger surface area at any one time.
Its formula is also a little different than the original - rather than cocoa butter as one of its main ingredients, you’ll find a range of other plant oils on its label. These include fatty acid-rich sunflower seed oil, apricot kernel oil and rice bran oil. Texture-wise though, it’s very similar - creamy but perhaps a little gel-like, a combination that equips it well for gliding over dry limbs very smoothly indeed. It’s also certified cruelty-free too.
Another similarity is its scent thanks to the inclusion of eucalyptus pure essential oil. Uplifting, it definitely helps wake up the senses after a bad night’s sleep. It is rather strong though, so if you’re sensitive of nose or skin, you may well want to proceed with caution and make sure to patch test first.
On the whole, my skin’s pretty unreactive (touch wood) and so I was happy to slather myself in the stuff from top to toe. Like a cream cleanser, it had a lovely rich texture to it and my legs and arms felt smoother and more moisturised afterwards. Its mitt provided an extra exfoliating treat which was great for tackling the little bumps on the backs of my arms and rougher areas of dry skin around my elbows and knees. While effective though, I personally found it a little too rough for daily use. Much like its facial counterpart, I’d prefer to use it say, once a week instead of every day. I can imagine it’ll come in particularly handy for my lizard limbs in the winter months too.
It certainly delivers on its claims though - smoother, softer and moisturised post-shower skin that doesn’t feel greasy. If you’re a fan of the cult facial cleanser, you’ll love the body version.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Body Gentle Mitt Cleanser, £19 for 200ml. Buy it online here .
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