It didn’t start off smooth but now we’re the smoothest.
After months of testing the well recognized. cult-favourite cleansing balm by Drunk Elephant, it’s safe to say it’s a keeper. Although it took me a few tries to fully feel it out, I’ve grown to love it. Let’s dig into this review, shall we?
Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser with Bamboo Booster
My skin type: “Normal” to dry. I quote normal because everyone’s skin is “normal” and beautiful.
Drunk Elephant claims:
100% Free of essential oils, silicones, fragrance and PEGs. Irritant-free. Cruelty Free.
Read Drunk Elephant’s philosophy here.
Product details
A cleansing balm that melts away makeup, sunscreen and water resistant formulas. Packed with antioxidant-rich fruit extracts and oils, Slaai aims to nourish and moisturize the skin while cleansing all at once. It also comes with a powder exfoliant, Bamboo Booster, which can be used as an additive to the balm to slough away dead skin cells.
Dessey tip: Remember that a cleansing balm / oil is meant to be used as your first cleanse on dry skin with no water just yet. To activate, massage the cleanser onto your skin and to emulsify and rinse off, use warm water. It won’t be effective with cold or room temperature. (This goes for any balm / oil cleanser!)
How to use:
Apply the balm onto dry skin, massage for a solid 60 seconds and emulsify/rinse with warm water. Add the Bamboo Booster to your cleanse to exfoliate. Personally, I wouldn’t use the Bamboo Booster if it’s with taking off makeup with the balm. Use it if it’s for a simple double cleanse! Exfoliation should be its own step, and in this case its own with the balm.
Recommended for: Normal, dry, combination, oily.
*I have a few friends with acne prone skin that really enjoy this, too!
Texture and scent:
The texture of Slaai is very rich and balm-y. The Bamboo Booster is gritty. Scent wise, the balm is unscented but for me, has odd notes of Play Dough or even a light grass-y scent?
Ingredients
Slaai
— Nourishing Fruit Salad Blend: Fruit extracts from blueberry, kiwi and strawberry along with fruit oils from cranberry seed oil, acai fruit oil and watermelon seed oil help nourish, comfort and moisturize the skin. They are replenishing and non-fragrant.
— Marula Seed Oil: High in antioxidants and omegas 6 and 9 to restore glow and moisturize the skin.
— Baobob Seed Oil: With its high fatty acid content and deep moisturizing properties, this oil will deeply moisturize the skin.
— Kalahari Melon Seed Oil: A lightweight oil to restore elasticity.
— Mongongo Oil: An oil with a rich fatty acids that protect the vital lipids in skin.
— Ximenia Oil: Rich in Vitamin C with moisturizing and nourishing properties.
Bamboo Booster
— Bamboo and Charcoal Powder: Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Charcoal Powder, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Potassium Sorbate.
Please view the full ingredient list(s) here.
My experience + thoughts
The third time really was a charm…
I’ve grown to love this product gradually. As someone who prides in putting a ton of importance in double cleansing, I always love trying new makeup removers, especially cleansing balms.
The first time I used it, I wanted to give up on it. The scent threw me off even if it’s unscented. Do you know what I mean? I’ll talk about the packaging in a bit, but what I do love is that it comes with a magnetic scoop that sticks to the lid which makes the experience of using the product that much easier. Scooping out some of the balm, I was in awe of how rich the formula was and how thicccccc the balm actually is.
Definitely a user error, I applied the balm directly onto my face without warming it up in my palms first which is why I probably didn’t like it at first. It was chunky, piece-y and just blah. I usually don’t have to if it’s a creamier balm like Farmacy’s, but you should always try to melt a balm cleanser in your palms first for easier application when massaging it onto the skin. As I started to warm up (literally) to the balm, I fell in love with it very quickly. I love how rich it felt on my skin and how it glided effortlessly. I don’t wear much makeup, but wow oh wow does it melt every inch of everything off. What I’ve learnt with this one is that you really have to make sure you warm it up in your palms well and cleanse for a solid minute, even two.
When it came to rinsing it off, I was a bit sceptical at first because I heard from many that it left a thick film, almost buttery. For me, it didn’t. Most people probably experienced it leaving a film either because a) they didn’t cleanse with warm water or b) they didn’t cleanse for long enough. For me, it leaves my skin so soft and moisturized after rinsing it off. As it's a first cleanse, following with my double cleanse (water based cleanser) feels great because my barrier doesn't feel dry from the beginning of my routine.
With the Bamboo Booster, it’s a cute little accessory to the balm but in my opinion, unnecessary. I’m a physical exfoliant kinda gal, especially with powders, but I find this one to be average. Very surface level, to say the least. It’s not too abrasive so if you’re more on the sensitive side, you should be fine with it. If anything, I like using it on my nose when I’m removing my makeup to really go in and clean my pores. I know I said I suggest not to use it with makeup, but the nose doesn’t matter to me. When I do use it, I’ll rinse off to 50% of the balm and then add it in.
Overall, a winner for me.
Packaging pros:
Solid jar, magnetic scoop? I’m in. Drunk Elephant has beautiful, sturdy packaging, so no complaints here!
Overview
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Price: C$45.00 / USD $34.00 for 3.88 oz
Since I’m in Canada, I review my products with a Canadian price tag / conversion in mind.
Does a little go a long way? Yes, which makes it even more worth it!
Would I repurchase? Yes! Although this product has been kindly gifted by Drunk Elephant with no expectation to post, I’d gladly purchase it with my money to have it in my stash again.
Do I think it’s worth C$45.00? Absolutely! Like I said, I really emphasize the importance of a solid double cleansing routine, so a cleansing balm with solid ingredients / formulations is worth it to me.
Available for purchase: drunkelephant.com or sephora.com
Have you tried Slaai yet? Let’s talk cleansing balms! Meet me over on my Instagram @desseydoll to continue the conversation or in the comments below!