Advertisement info: This blog post contains affiliate links. I received no money to write it. Please read disclaimer.
Growing up, Oat Meal was the epitome of boring. Plain oat meal for breakfast. Oat meal colored hair. Whichever context it appeared it, there was nothing exciting about it.
Until skincare lovers learned about the soothing properties of colloidal oat meal, and suddenly products like The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm made oats glamorous and the thing to have.
But is this cleanser really as good as everyone says? Let´s find out!
What The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm claims
This luxurious cleansing balm gently dissolves make-up, cleans and nourishes the skin, making it ideal for sensitive skin types. Combining soothing colloidal oatmeal with ceramides to support skin’s natural protective barrier, it’s also formulated with oat kernel oil.
Facts about The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm
Prize and size
One tube (yes, despite being a balm cleanser it does not come in a pot) contains 150 ml and is available for 9,99 GBP on the website here.
Texture and smell
Not as firm as other balms I have tried (it probably wouldn´t come out of the tube if it were), but still far away from a cream texture. It has a faint scent (Warm? Nutty?) and feels slightly grainy when it comes out of the tube.
The graininess disappears when massaged onto the skin, the warmth of your face makes it feel more like an oil and it rinses clean with just water.
It has happened a few times when squeezing it out though that the oil came first, as if it had slightly separated inside the tube.
How to use The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm
I (as always) recommend applying it to dry skin and taking your time to massage it in. It takes off your makeup without stinging the eyes and without rubbing and rinses clean with just water.
When I touch my face afterwards, it feels like it has a light hydrating layer on top, something you can get rid of (but why would you want to?) by using a wash cloth to remove it.
I really enjoy it when my skin is irritated from Tretinoin (read here if you want to know how to deal with retinol irritation).
The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm Ingredients
Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
The great thing about The Inkey List products is that they offer you percentages of skincare ingredients to take the guesswork out of reading the label. In this case we have 3% Oat Kernel Oil, an oil good for dry skin (and nails) and 1% Colloidal Oat Meal.
Other than the Oat Meal you find in your kitchen, the Colloidal form is shredded into such tiny pieces that you get the great things it contains like anti-inflammatory Beta-Glucane, making it soothing on irritated and eczema prone skin.
There are also a few other oils and emollients as well as Vitamin E that will benefit the skin.
Does it live up to its claims?
Yes.
It feels as luxurious as other balm cleansers do, dissolves makeup and contains soothing ingredients.
How does The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm compare to…
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm
My (former) favorite balm that I want to replace because it still contains microplastic. It is firmer in texture and lacks the slight graininess, but has a similar efficacy and is also amazing for sensitive skin.
Read my full review of the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm here.
The Inkey List Oil and Water Double Cleanse
Another cleanser from The Inkey List that I really enjoy and recommend for sensitive skin, but a liquid biphasic one. The Oat Cleansing Balm is much better at taking off makeup, something the Oil and Water Double Cleanser struggles with, and is easier to handle.
The advantage of the Double Cleanse one though is that it is a tad gentler, simply because it has no tiny grains (even if they dissolve quickly).
Read my full review of the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm here
Would I repurchase?
Yes.
I do love a good balm, and this one is perfect for my Tretinoin skin in the colder months.
Whom do I recommend The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm to?
People with sensitive and irritation prone skin that need a thorough cleanse due to SPF and makeup.
It is a great cleanser if you are using strong retinoids and if your skin is dry.
