When I first tried this product, I was really confused! Despite having read a number of reviews, I thought that what I’d ordered was a cleansing balm, and so I felt a little short-changed by the tiny pot it came in – surely I would use that up in a couple of weeks! It didn’t really work as a cleansing balm, my skin just didn’t feel clean…. and that is because I was entirely mistaken and using it for the wrong purpose!

Darphin Aromatic Purifying Balm is actually a super-luxurious overnight treatment, not to be wasted as a sub-standard cleanser. The first few times I used it (properly!) I didn’t really see the difference – I’ve realised since that this was because my skin was actually in a pretty good state at the time as more recently I’ve used it when I’ve had more ‘troubled’ blotchy skin or burgeoning breakouts and the difference the next morning has been really noticeable.

For me, this is not something which I find myself using every week, but it’s not a product I’d want to be without – for those times when your skin is stressed, hormonal or has been treated to a few too many nights out and is showing its displeasure there is nothing better at telling it to “shh, calm down”.

Darphin Purifying Balm – £45 from Escentual here

Ingredients – Corylus Americana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Beeswax, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Copaifera Officinalis (Balsam Copaiba) Resin, Ferula Galbaniflua (Galbanum) Resin Oil, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Farneso