Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser

RRP: from £2.48/75ml online

--What does the promo say?--
"A regular cleansing routine is one of the key steps to keeping facial skin looking young and healthy. Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser is a rich facial cleanser that deep cleans pores to remove stubborn dirt and make up - even waterproof mascara. The special blend of ingredients softens the skin as it cleanses, to leave it feeling soft, smooth and radiantly clean."

--Packaging--
A pleasantly serene-looking and simply designed screw-top glass pot, which also comes in a relatively sturdy white cardboard box with teal-green strips and the Pond's logo. The only drawback is the shape - you have to really bend your fingers to get into the corners of the jar for the last dregs.

--Application--
Smear liberally onto face, and either wash off immediately or leave on for 2 minutes as a mask before rinsing with a damp flannel.

--Appearance--
A very stiff, luxurious-looking cream that bears a resemblance to very well-beaten egg whites. Leaves no visible residue on the face after use.

--Scent--
A very clean, just-hung-out-on-the-washing-line type smell. Very fresh and quite universal (everyone from teens to grans could use this and have no problem with the scent).

--Texture/consistency--
Very rich and quite unlike any cleanser I've used before as someone with oily skin. Absorbs quite well, but there is a slight residue left after rinsing. If you have normal to dry skin you can leave this on to sink in; if, however, you're a bit of a toning junkie or have oily skin, rinsing again or toning as normal will get rid of this easily.

--Effects on skin--
Even though you'd think that this would be quite unsuitable for someone with oily skin, I saw a positive effect on my skin in less than 2 weeks: skin felt immediately softer and over the days and weeks skin seemed calmer and with fewer spots. While it unfortunately cannot withstand the monthly hormonal onslaught on my skin caused by the time of the month, as a general everyday product it works well.

--Value for money--
You can't argue with the price of this surprising success; it's arguably the best 'cheap' cleanser I've ever used. Just make sure, if you're female, that you keep something a bit stronger in the cupboard for the runup to your period.

perfect partner
Pond's Light Day Cream, from £2.99 online