It was the first time ever I tried a cleansing balm and I kind of have mixed feelings about this. For one, I became interested in the double cleansing method that is often used in K-beauty skin care, and on the other hand I found myself struggling to find a cruelty free cleansing balm in regular beauty stores.

Rodial is a luxury beauty brand founded in 1999 by beauty editor Maria Hatzistefanis. The brand is cruelty free, but not all products are also vegan, like the case of this cleansing balm that contains bee venom (duh!)

Packaging:

The full-size product comes in a bottle, but since I had a sample size, mine came in a squeezy tube. The design is minimalist, a bright yellow packaging that is both colorful and simple at the same time.

Texture:

The cleansing balm has the consistency of a cream, like a cream shower gel or like a face cream. It has a slight yellow color and I felt it smelt a bit like honey. Needless to say it feels amazing on the skin.

Ingredients:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond ) Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Behenate, PEG-8 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polysorbate 20, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Limonene, Parfum (Fragrance), Aqua (Water), Nymphaea Alba (Water Lily) Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Linalool, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract, Geraniol, Farnesol, Citral, Bee Venom, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.

Cautions: Do not use if you have an allergy to bee stings. A patch test prior to use is recommended. If signs of irritation occur discontinue use immediately.

As you can see, the product doesn’t actually contain a lot of bee venom, since it’s one of the last ingredients on the list, but it’s enough to not make it suitable for those who are allergic to bees. It contains several plant-based oils (almond oil, jojoba oil, apricot oil, sunflower oil), plant extracts and salicylic acid.

Price and accessibility:

Being a luxury brand, Rodial products are expensive. The full size product costs 67 euros on the official website of the brand and from what I saw it’s around the same price in other places as well. Rodial products are available in Romania as well, at least in some online shops.

My overall opinion:

I enjoyed using this cleansing balm because it feels so soft and nourishing. I didn’t need to use a lot of product, and I would apply it only at night to take my makeup off. I only needed a small amount applied on the dry skin and then I felt like it would melt all my makeup away while leaving my skin smooth and clean. I also used a creamy cleanser afterwards, but I think even the balm on its own would have been enough. I liked it so much I want to introduce a more affordable cleansing balm into may daily skin care routine, but unfortunately I won’t be using one from Rodial since the brand is too expensive for my budget. I’m glad I was able to test it out, though.