Review - Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser

This product was sent to us free of charge for review.

The phrase "cold cream" probably occupies a similar place in most people's minds to "girdle", "curling tongs", "Epsom salts" and "hairpiece". It is at the very least a definite "blast from the past".

However, we were prepared to be convinced that Ponds Cold Cream had a place in the beauty regime of the 21st Century, and we put it through its paces in the four ways suggested to us by the manufacturers.

First and foremost - as a cleanser and makeup remover, Cold Cream does an excellent job of gently dissolving eyemakeup, foundation and lipstick. Applied liberally to the face, the oil-based cream formula happily obliterates all cosmetics in its path. It is removed with cotton wool (or tissues in your gran's day) and takes your makeup straight off with it. For a more indulgent experience, it can be removed with a warm damp facecloth - feels lovely!
The skin is left with a slight oily residue. I would definitely use this as a skin-friendly way to take off heavy slap, but I'd also follow with an alcohol-free toner to "tidy up".

Used as handcream, Cold Cream is definitely serviceable. I wouldn't use it as a day to day desktop-type hand cream because it is greasy as all heck on your hands if you're actually trying to do something with them! As a nourishing "mask" type of application, I think it would be a great way to nurture wind-chapped hands and sore knuckles, especially at this time of year.

Which brings us to the third use, as a mask. Gemma has been the guinea pig on this one and she found that it was a great saviour for her dehydrated post-holiday skin. She also loves the rosy scent of it and plans to keep a jar of it handy in future.

So I think it's fair to say that overall we are rather impressed by this vintage item - humble though its £3.99 price-point may be, it's a great fail-safe for heavy-duty makeup removal, general cleansing and a bit of budget facemask luxury.

Verdict - we gladly join our forebears in the noble Cold Cream tradition!

Buy Ponds Cold Cream from Boots, Superdrug, Wilkinsons, John Lewis, Asda and most supermarkets and chemists. You can order it online from Boots too.