A buzzy drugstore find: Is the 399-peso Pond’s Cleansing Balm your next HG?
I grew up seeing Pond’s being used by my female relatives. My mom would talk about how Pond’s was a luxury back in the day, and how they had to source the famous Pond’s Cold Cream all the way from Hong Kong! Today, Pond’s is one of the most accessible and affordable beauty brands around - you can find their products pretty much anywhere you go. And it’s that accessibility and pocket-friendly price tag that made the PV team excited to hear about the new Pond’s Cleansing Balm.
Available in two sizes, the tubs are just P399 for 44ml and P649 for 100ml - quite a bit cheaper than the K-beauty balms I’m used to! We purchased the big tub (it comes out more sulit per ml), and found that it comes with a mini spatula to keep application hygienic. I immediately noticed the sweet floral scent as soon as I opened the tub. I really like it and actually wish there was similar-smelling perfume, but those with sensitive noses might not enjoy it as much as I do.
The texture of this balm is different from the Korean cleansing balms I have tried. Usually, Korean cleansing balms are solid when you scoop it out then turn into oil after a bit of massaging. The Pond’s version is soft with rice grain-like hard bits. It melts almost immediately upon contact with my skin, so less effort is needed to spread the product on my face.
The balm melts all my makeup quite easily, even the waterproof ones. I didn’t need to massage it much to break down the makeup. The balm doesn’t really emulsify when water is added, but it quickly washes off on the bigger areas of like my cheeks and forehead. The challenge was using the balm on my eye area - it gets in and clouds my vision for a prolonged time. It doesn’t sting but it feels uncomfortable so I recommend using a separate eye makeup remover.
I find that wiping the balm off with tissue or cotton is enough to remove all traces of makeup, and it’s not difficult to remove from my skin. It doesn’t feel too greasy, though there is a tiny bit of an oily residue. As always, we recommend double cleansing with your favorite facial wash afterwards to make sure your face is really clean!
If you’re conscious about how your beauty choices affect the environment, it must be mentioned that this balm contains polyethylene, which is a type of microplastic that is said to negatively impact the environment. The Heimish balm also has this microplastic, but the Banila Co cleanser has since reformulated to remove this ingredient and the Yadah Green Tea Pure Cleansing Balm doesn’t have it either. I find that cleansing balms without this microplastic don’t perform any less compared to those that do, so I hope Pond’s will consider removing it from their formula.
The Ponds’s Cleansing Balm removes makeup super easily and is also quite easy to remove from the skin. It’s a more affordable and accessible alternative to its Korean counterparts, and its performance is comparable as well. It’s a pretty good drugstore find!
What do you think? Have you tried this cleansing balm yet?
Ingredients: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyethylene, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Ozokerite, Polysorbate 80, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydroxystearic Acid, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Octyldodecanol, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/ Leaf/ Vine Extract, Tocopherol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Perfume, Citric Acid, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Potassium Sorbate
