Product Review | The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm

Product Review | The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm ($9.99, Sephora.com)

Product Details (from Sephora's website):  A luxurious cleansing balm that gently dissolves makeup and excess oil without stripping sensitive, irritated skin of the moisture it needs.  This gentle cleanser is the first step in a routine to reduce redness. It combines soothing colloidal oatmeal with ceramides to support skin’s natural protective barrier. It is also formulated with oat kernel oil, a natural antioxidant that fights environmental stress for dewy, even skin with continued use. 

Highlighted Ingredients:

- Three-Percent Oat Kernel Oil: Gently supports skin’s moisture barrier. 

- One-Percent Colloidal Oatmeal: Helps to reduce the appearance of redness and soothe irritation. 

Ingredient Callouts: This product is vegan and cruelty-free.

Review:  If you follow me on Instagram (@thelovelist1) and on here for a while, you will know that the NYX Stripped Off Cleansing Balm is a holy grail item.  However, since the last time I stocked up, it seems to be out of stock every where.  It is not even on the NYX website so I had the feeling that its been discontinued.  It's such an amazing product and I wonder why they would completely take it out of the shelves for good.  Being on my last tub of the Stripped Off Cleaning Balm, I was in a panic (okay, not really but kind of) to find something comparable.  Alas, during the Sephora Fall Rouge Sale early November I stumbled upon the brand The INKEY List.  I picked up a couple of items include this Oat Cleansing Balm.  I love products that has skincare benefits so that was definitely high on my list.  This brand reminds me slightly of Deciem (the makers of The Ordinary).  The product came in a white and black box packaging with black typography.  The cleansing balm is in a large white squeeze tube with black typography and black screw cap.  There is something about the black and white simplicity of this packaging that is speaking volumes to me.   The cleansing balm is a honey colored balm.  It smells like oatmeal; hence its name.  This balm melts into my fingers and skin.  It is easy to distribute all over the face and I can feel it taking my makeup off including waterproof mascara without being abrasive on the skin.  It feels silky so I am not surprised that it leaves my skin smooth and hydrated after each use.  I was really surprised by how effective and protective of the skin this product is.  For $9.99 and 5 fl oz (the NYX Stripped Off Cleansing Balm was $14.99 with 3 fl oz), this cleansing balm is amazing and definitely replaced my NYX Cleanser in a heartbeat.  If you are looking for a good cleansing balm but also one that protects the skin, I highly recommend this product,