Aldi have a bit of a thing for creating dupes - from good and drink to homeware and beauty. The latest edition to their beauty line has created quite the stir because it is claimed to be a £6.99 dupe of this much-loved Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, which just so happens to be my favourite cleansing balm ever, so how does this version compare?
The Aldi description of their Lacura Cleansing Balm. reads:
"Try an alternative luxury way of taking off your make-up with the Lacura Cleansing Balm. The lightweight formula is enriched with moringa oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. It transforms from a solid balm into a silky smooth oily texture to remove make-up and dirt leaving your skin deeply cleansed. Implement into your daily routine to help your skin feel balanced, refreshed and hydrated."
From the description alone it sounds pretty much like my beloved Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm with its Moringa Oil, the ingredient that gives the balm that most incredible scent. It is also a solid balm, like Emma Hardie and again when it comes into contact with water it transforms into a silky smooth oily texture - but this part is where Emma Hardie wins hands down because the formula is similar but it is not as good. From Aldi you get a texture which is much more oily and the balm isn’t as solid, the Moringa scent which is clearly noticeable when the lid of removed from the pot isn’t as strong but, and this is a big but, the Aldi Lacura version does do a pretty good job at removing that dirt, grime and other detritus from your skin, especially when used as a first cleanse and this includes waterproof mascara - including the most difficult to budge!
The hero ingredient, as you might expect is moringa oil and it is worthy of a mention because lol it is best known for its anti-inflammatory and collagen-building properties as a start and added to that, it is also said to help fight fine lines and wrinkles, it is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive of skin and if that’s not enough it is also a great oil that addresses other skin issues such as pigmentation, soothing sunburned skin, healing scrapes, and burns. Aldi’s version also includes both Shea and Coconut Butter which leaves the skin feeling smooth, hydrated and nourished.
How to use it? Massage a small amount into the palm of your hands and apply directly onto dry skin before rinsing off with water and removing the excess product using the cleansing cloth. Speaking of cloths, this one also comes with a dual sided microfibre muslin cloth which is designed to remove the Lacura Cleansing Balm and gently exfoliate and polish the skin - again, the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm also comes with one of the best cloths I have ever used and I seem to buy them a lot, but this cloth, well I didn’t hate it, given the price tag, but it isn’t as good, the texture of the cloth from Aldi isn’t as good on the skin, but it is a great back up to have if you should ever need a cloth and you’ve run out of your favourites.
Aldi beauty dupes have been some of my favourite discoveries - from Laneige and Elizabeth Arden to Nip + Fab and Pixi Aldi has offered similar products of the much loved iconic and cult brands and their products at a fraction of the cost and they sell out super quick, this Cleansing Balm sold out as quickly online as it went live and even finding it store has become quite tricky.
The Lacura Cleansing Balm is priced at £6.99 is definitely not something to sniff at, it does an alright job, you would absolutely love it without question if you haven’t tried Emma Hardie, but I’m an Emma Hardie fan and for me that cleansing balm cannot be duped or replaced, it is a firm favourite from the scent and the feel of the balm to being something I just want to bathe in from head to toe.
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