Worth the $$? Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm Review
Then I Met You is the newest skincare line by Sokoglam's founder Charlotte Cho! If you're not familiar with Sokoglam, they're one of the largest K-beauty e-commerce sites in the US and curate many popular K-beauty brands like Banila Co, Missha, Cosrx, and more.
Then I Met You initially released two products-- the Living Cleansing Balm and Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel. Sokoglam has always promoted double cleansing so I think the duo made sense as a first release. I was a little bit shocked at the price points because Sokoglam curates a lot of mid-tier products-- they have plenty of cleansers under $30 and $20.
But alas, I love a good cleansing balm so I decided to take one for the team and try it out! I justified it by telling myself I would review it for the blog, and here we are.
Price, Size, & Availability
$38.00 for 90 g / 3.17 oz via Then I Met You (they offer free shipping on all orders in the US)
Ingredients
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-8 Isostearate, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax/Cire Microcristalline), Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Ceresin, Synthetic Wax, Orbiignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer
Packaging
Before I get into the product itself, I have to take a moment to talk about the box it came in. I wish I took photos of it because it was very extra and very wasteful tbh. It was about triple the length of the product, and because it was so large there was more cardboard inside to prevent it from moving around. From a visual standpoint it was pretty, but from a practical standpoint, it just created unnecessary waste.
The product itself is in nice packaging. It's a plastic jar with a screw on lid. It comes with a spatula which I always appreciate! The spatula says "glow deeper" which is a nice touch... but also low key a pain when the balm gets stuck in it and I have to scrub it out with an old toothbrush.
Scent
It has a slight citrus scent. It's not very strong, but is noticeable when I'm using it. It doesn't contain any synthetic fragrance but it does have some fragrant EOs, in case you're sensitive to that sort of thing.
Texture
The texture is hands down my favorite part of this balm. It's quite firm, so you have to scrape it out. And when you apply it onto your skin it melts into a rich oil. Sometimes I'll leave it on my skin for a few minutes because I love how it feels. It's a very luxurious experience!
As you start to emulsify it, it thins out and turns milky. It also retains its yellow color when you apply it.
How Do I Use It?
Last year I wrote a blog post all about balm cleansers. I use them as my first step in cleansing. Applied to a dry face, I'll the balm in so it can break down my sunscreen and makeup. Then I'll wet my hands so I can emulsify the balm and rinse it off.
Sometimes I'll also use them in the morning!
Emulsifying Power
Emulsification is a biiiiig deal for me. When I add water to my oil/ balm cleanser, ideally I want it to easily wash away. If I had to rate the emulsification status of this cleanser, I'd give it a 3.5/5.
Because it does have a thicker, oilier texture, I do have to use more water + time to make it emulsify. BUT once it emulsifies, it rinses off clean. There's no waxy film or oiliness leftover.
Makeup removal?
It does an okay job at removing makeup. It doesn't get all my waterproof eyeliner, waterproof mascara, and full-coverage foundation off. But if I go in with a micellar water before using this, the combination remove all traces of makeup.
But my everyday makeup is very light, so this is good enough at removing it. I always follow up with a second cleanser anyways, so minimal residue following a first cleanse isn't a huge issue for me.
Results
Like I said above, it doesn't remove heavier/ waterproof makeup. It does wash off clean without leaving any oily residue or waxy film behind. My skin feels soft and hydrated afterward! There's absolutely nothing stripping about this cleanser.
Final Thoughts
To sum up my feels: I like this cleanser... but I don't $40 like it.
It rinses off makeup okay, and delivers a somewhat luxurious experience. Texture? Absolutely luxurious. But packaging and scent and overall experience don't really read luxury to me.
So essentially, it's a mid-tier priced balm but the efficacy and experience of using it don't match up with the price point for me. I will say it has beautiful ingredients tho! If they had priced this around the $25 mark, it would have been repurchase worthy for me.
