Index / Dr. Althea / Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Dr. Althea

Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm.

Dr. Althea
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Cleansers

About this product

A cleansing balm with a twist-scoop dispenser designed to remove makeup and sunscreen as a first cleanse step.

Cleansers

The Guru Index verdict

70%

Approved

Approved · 70%
2Reviewers
1Approved
1Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus consistently praise the innovative packaging for keeping hands clean and mess-free, and confirm the balm effectively breaks down makeup and sunscreen. The core complaint is that the formula itself is average compared to competing balms and even Dr. Althea's own Pore Refresh variant, which reviewers found superior in both performance and ingredient quality. The clever packaging appeals to those bothered by traditional scooping, but doesn't compensate for a formula that feels generic.
Synthesized from 2 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Fragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Synthetic Wax, PEG-10 Isostearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Madecassoside, Centella Asiatica Extract, Asiaticoside, Water, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"I'm always really intrigued by seeing new innovation in packaging, specifically for any type of cleansing products because cleansing products like cleansing balms, cleansing oils, micellar waters, they just tend to be really really messy. So I love that this makes it a lot easier and mess-free. I've been using it consistently for like the past week, week and a half, and it always does a really good job of breaking up my makeup, tinted sunscreen and powder. It does a really good job of removing my makeup and my sunscreen, breaking up everything on my face to then follow up with a good water-based cleanser. Honestly, no complaints when it comes to this one. I also like that it does have some good ingredients like madecasside and Centella asiatica which are great for calming down redness and sensitivity. Overall, I feel like it's just kind of like a good staple simple cleansing balm. I feel like this is a really good formula. I really enjoy this type of packaging."
All 2 takes from Hyram
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"I hit empty on this one and I got to admit I didn't love it. Like it was fine. It's definitely a good cleansing balm, but I don't know if I would repurchase it because the next empty is also from Dr. Althea. It's also a cleansing balm and it is their pore cleansing, what is it called? Pore refresh grinding cleansing balm. Not only is this better for me, someone who has very visible and oily pores, but the ingredient list on this one is far superior to the ingredient list used on their pure grinding cleansing balm, which is so bizarre to me because this one, for whatever reason, is a lot more popular. I personally think this is far superior."
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"I'm always really intrigued by seeing new innovation in packaging, specifically for any type of cleansing products because cleansing products like cleansing balms, cleansing oils, micellar waters, they just tend to be really really messy. So I love that this makes it a lot easier and mess-free. I've been using it consistently for like the past week, week and a half, and it always does a really good job of breaking up my makeup, tinted sunscreen and powder. It does a really good job of removing my makeup and my sunscreen, breaking up everything on my face to then follow up with a good water-based cleanser. Honestly, no complaints when it comes to this one. I also like that it does have some good ingredients like madecasside and Centella asiatica which are great for calming down redness and sensitivity. Overall, I feel like it's just kind of like a good staple simple cleansing balm. I feel like this is a really good formula. I really enjoy this type of packaging."
~Mixed
"The technology here in terms of packaging is phenomenal if you're somebody that really doesn't like digging your fingers into your cleansing balm. You like something that's easy, you just twist scoop, great mess free. However, I'd say the cleansing balm itself is pretty average. It's not bad but it's not great either. It's a good quality mid-range cleansing balm with some nice packaging. Personally, I still prefer other cleansers which I think work better. So for me I would rather have better quality balm, less fancy packaging. But if you're someone that hates hates scooping out cleansing balm and you want something like this, it's a nice product. It's innovative in terms of its packaging and it's a nice one that you might want to try."
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