Splurge vs Save: Cleansing

Since graduating as a Beauty Therapist and Makeup Artist over 10 years ago, along with two of my besties, Eli & Lisa, the 3 of us have gone down very different paths within the industry. Along the way we have waxed, peeled, injected, applied, sprayed and tested a ridiculous amount of products and treatments. We have learned best through trial and error, and can definitely look back and laugh (and cringe) at many of our mishaps along the way. Notable mentions include:

• One of us volunteering to be the model for one of our waxing classes and ending up losing her pants, her pubic hair and her dignity whilst kneeling on all fours on a table in front of a class of 15 students
• Accidentally piercing a rubber glove to one of our ears 
• Applying a chemical peel that produced Freddy Kruger-like results for the week following
• Deciding on a whim to have our lips injected with filler the night before my 21st party
• Spending hundreds of dollars and the better part of a Saturday applying hair extensions that were to last months, only for them to start falling out after one wash

I love to share my tips and tricks with my friends, and don’t believe you have to spend a fortune to look good. In this ongoing series, I want to share the products that won’t cost the earth, and why you should use some of those savings to invest in better quality products in other areas of your routine.


I’m going to kick things off with a basic – cleansing. This is the perfect place to start your savings. Why spend $50 on a product you use twice a day that is full of scientific ingredients you’ve never even heard of? For starters, it’s only applied to your skin for a matter of seconds before being washed off with water – do you think that’s enough time for your skin to absorb the fancy schmancy ingredients?

What you should look for in a cleanser is something that effectively removes all traces of oil, dirt and makeup without stripping the skin of moisture and disrupting its ph. level. No matter what style of cleanser you like, I’ve got you covered:

Cleansing Oil/Makeup remover – you can’t go past coconut oil for its ability to remove all traces of makeup gently from your face whilst keeping it hydrated

Cloths – There is a top selling cleansing cloth that you can buy from Mecca for $45 that is made from muslin. Or do what I do and head to ebay and get a pack of 6 for $2, or to your nearest spotlight to buy a metre of muslin and cut your own. These cloths are brilliant for getting into every nook and cranny, like your chin and your nose and will gently exfoliate your skin every time you cleanse. All you do is use it in the shower to remove all traces of your cleanser. You can even wash and reuse them. Winning!

Foaming Cleanser – Australian Pure Lilli Pilli & Wattelseed Face Wash $5 from Coles/Woolworths/Priceline
You can’t beat this plant based face wash which contains no harmful chemicals and is still suitable for sensitive skin. Best suited for those with oily or combination skin.

Cream Cleanser – Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser
$12 from Coles/Woolworths/Priceline
This has been around for decades and achieved cult-like status for good reason. The dermatologist tested formula gives a deep clean without clogging pores. Best suited for Normal through to Oily skin types.

Dry/Mature skin cleanser – Sukin Cream Cleanser $10 Priceline/Pharmacies
This Australian brand ticks all the boxes with this cleanser – sulphate and paraben free, gentle, nourishing and effective.

Cleansing Emulsion – Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser $8 Supermarkets/Pharmacies
I cannot speak highly enough of Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser. Whether you have eczema, acne, dehydrated or normal skin, this is the best all-rounder and a product I continuously keep coming back to. It is a very mild soap free cleanser perfect for first thing in the morning. For those of you who are used to using foaming cleansers, it may take a while to get used to Cetaphil, and may even feel like you haven’t properly washed your face, but stick with it, both your skin and your wallet will thank you later.

Toner – Gone are the days of the three step cleanse, tone, moisturise routine that has been instilled in all of us for many years. Toner was originally an alcohol based product designed to remove leftover traces of cleanser, when most cleansers were the cold-cream type that you just wiped off with a cotton pad. In my opinion, if you are using the right cleanser for your skin type, and an appropriate moisturiser, than a toner is just a waste of time, money and cupboard space