Jade Belly Dance

Review : Chemical Free Make up Removal

A Month long trial using the Enjo face glove for regular and stage Make-up removal.

A few months back I found that usual make up removal technique (scrubbing with a face washer) was inadequate for the task when I started to develop a dermatitis type reaction on one of my eyelids. I tried a few things to get rid of it but eventually found that if I wiped my eyelids down with a pre-moistened facial cleansing wipe (I had left over from my trip to Egypt) –  it cleared up. When I stopped it came back. This was all fine except I eventually ran out of those convenient little cloths and decided it was not an economical solution for daily use.  I then bought an off the shelf supermarket face wash. It also seemed to do the trick but when I looked at the ingredients I cringed. A veritable chemical cocktail of nasties including sodium lauryl sulphate! Yuk!

Shortly after this I found myself at an Enjo pamper party and was intrigued when the body glove was slated as good for removing make-up. Still it was pricey so I didn’t buy one but I agreed to a demo later on and was given one for free. Here are the results from my trial.

Product : Enjo face mini  –Enjo is a fibre based cleaning system

From their website :- “A gentle, caring fibre for deep cleaning all skin types. Use regularly to lift grease, remove make-up, stimulate blood circulation, improve skin clarity and as part of your acne treatment regime. Apply delicate strokes around eyes.”

Time Frame: 2 months (to account for variable results from hormonal fluctuations)

Method: I used the cloth every evening in the shower instead of my usual make up removal regime. I used the cloth gently with warm water and then rubbed sunlight soap on the cloth, rinsed and hung up to dry. After the shower I applied my usual moisturiser to my face.

Result: 

Everyday make-up: Skin clearer than usual. Make-up appears to be removed adequately. No return of skin irritation on eyelid.

(Eye shadow, light mineral foundation, blush, lippy and lip liner worn)

Stage Make-up: Make up removed mostly – a small amount of residue on eye lashes and bottom inner corner of eyelid. No irritation.

(At a minimum – I usually use a lot of eye shadow, eye liner and mascara as well as foundation, blush, lip liner and lipstick for stage )(and a few variable miscellanea depending on mood !!Lol!)

Cautions:

On my first use of glove I irritated my tear duct slightly. The sensation was gone by morning but I am very light on the eyelids and avoid the tear duct area now.

One friend I know uses the glove but finds it drying on her skin and uses it for dry skin brushing instead. I did not however find it any more or less drying than other products on my skin.

Conflict of Interest: None. I do not work for Enjo and get no benefit for posting this review. I did get the mini glove for free though as a host gift but then I probably wouldn’t have bought one as I was sceptical it could do the job.

Price: RRP $30 AUD for a mini and $55 (approx) for a glove that does face and body on each side. (Enjo is sold through distributors – I normally hate to buy things but it does make sense with these products as you probably wouldn’t believe the claims made unless you saw it with your own eyes. This also means you can get products cheaper if you host demonstrations etc)

Where to buy: Enjo distributor or sometimes new items are cleared from ex consultants on ebay. Local Bellingen distributor Jenni McLennan is very friendly you can reach her on 02 66552094 or jennimclennan@bigpond.com

Value for Money: Hmmm hard to say as its difficult to quantify the long term effects of a life time of chemical cleansers many of which have ingredients that are potentially carcinogenic. But that aside -we can use the latest Big W specials catalogue for prices of regular cheap cleansers and calculate how much it would cost to use these products for 2 years. Enjo gloves are slated to last 2 to 3 years and other users tell me they often last 5.

Neutrogena deep clean make up remover wipes on special at $2.88 for 25. 30 packs are needed for daily use for 2 years giving a total of $86.40. Garnier and Nivea wipes were much dearer again

Aveeno cleansers were on special at $9.98 for what looks to be approx 200ml. I have no idea how long this would last but I have guessed 3 bottles a year for a total 2yr cost of $59.88

Wow, I personally think enjo products are on the pricey side but had never done the maths to compare! If they last as long as they say they do then it turns out they probably are a sensible financial choice as well.

Conclusion: After I made this comparison I heard of another make-up remover you can make yourself out of witch hazel and olive oil. I have not had the chance to trial this yet or price it but it could be there are other natural choices out there that may suit you better or be a little cheaper. BUT overall I am quite impressed with the little enjo face fibre. It involves no liquids to carry with you either so it is great for plane trips as you don’t have to worry about bottle sizes with all the new regulations or leakage and the weight is negligible (so more room for all your pretties!!). I would recommend this product and intend on continuing to use it myself.

What do you think? Have you got a great natural make – up remover? Post below for your comments or ideas.