The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser: My Holy Grail cleanser.

After my success with the my other Sanctuary products (see here and here), this seemed the most natural choice for my new cleanser after my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish gave up the ghost.

The Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser (PHCC for those fond of abbreviations..talking of which, how are OMG and LOL going to fake ID their way into the OED?) comes in squeezy tube giving me piece of mind that I am getting every last drop out.

Consistency wise, it's a thick smooth cream.  It's more fluid than my Cleanse and Polish (C&P) so I don't need to work it in as much.  This also makes it easier to remove.

The accompanying muslin cloth is more robust than the Liz Earle one and I find that it works better as it removes the product and my makeup in one swipe.  It feels rougher when dry but a lot softer than the Liz Earle one when it's ready to use.

The Sanctuary describe scent as being one of essential oils.  I say teabags.  Either way, a bloodhound would have a field day picking out the scent.

Instructions mandate wetting the muslin cloth in warm water, wringing it out and laying it over your face to open the pores.  I probably do it for longer than I should as it's quite relaxing.

It works brilliantly as a makeup remover as it leaves my skin feeling clean and moisturised.  It doesn't sting my eyes which is just what I want and it removes really stubborn products like the GOSH liquid liners with ease.  I just wipe the cloth around my eyes and my eye makeup just slips off.

My skin feels very soft after I've used this and it looks plumped out.  I use it at night and am always surprised at how plump and smooth my skin feels in the morning.  I didn't have the same plumpness and smoothness from C&P.

My face also feels warm after using this which is something C&P didn't do.  I asked my facial lady about this and she said it was good as it shows the blood is pumping around your face.  Thus, claims of being an at home salon treatment are correct.  I would have thought that the more you had to work a product in, the more the blood would start pumping around your face so going by that logic, the C&P would have gotten the blood pumping as it's thicker and needs more working in.  

Why do I like it more than Cleanse and Polish? 

• The smell isn't as strong as the herby scent of C&P.  With this, you have to sniff it out whereas C&P seeks out your olfactory senses.
• The packaging.  C&P has a push down spring activated dealy and it finishes abruptly.  However, if you keep it in your cupboard for a while after it's finished, more comes out.  I kept it back five times after it had "finished" and still I got little bits of product.
• The muslin cloth.  Compared to the one you get from Liz Earle, this has a bit more life about and it feels nicer. Size-wise, it's the same so no worries there.
• The consistency.  C&P is a thick, hard cleanser which needs working in.  This is softer and glides over the skin but you can still work it in.  It is easier to remove from the delicate eye area.
• The salon-y method of usage.  Putting the warm muslin cloth over my face before applying the product really makes it work better as it gives my skin that salon facial warmth.
• The end result.  My skin is soft, smooth and plumped out.  I can skip moisturising if I'm feeling lazy.
• The price.  When bought with a voucher it works out at roughly a fiver which is good value for actual spa results at home.  When bought without a voucher, it is £10.20

This is my new holy grail cleanser.  I won't be looking for anything else as my drawers are already full of things that didn't work. 

I wouldn't go as far to call it a good budget buy generally as it is only £3 or so less than the Liz Earle one and that's not really much of a budgetary difference.  However, with the Boots £5 off vouchers, it comes in a much more purse friendly £5.20 in which case, it is a budget version.  You can pick it up here and if you hurry, you get a free Sanctuary gift..