Planted Oil Cleanser with Black Cumin and Raw Honey – A New Favourite for Sensitive Skin

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I have dry skin with rosacea – a combination that demands a very selective and gentle skincare routine. Over the years, I’ve tested countless products, and it’s rare for something new to immediately earn a spot on my re-buy list. But the Planted Oil Cleanser from Planted Bioavailable Skincare? It's absolutely made the cut.

There’s something particularly reassuring about skincare created out of necessity – especially when it's born from personal experience. That’s exactly how Melissa Chartan developed Planted. Having battled eczema, psoriasis, and persistently dry skin, she sought solutions that worked where conventional products hadn’t. After finding relief through the use of plant oils, she created Planted – a brand rooted in efficacy, simplicity, and skin-kind ingredients.

First Impressions: Texture and Performance

The texture was the first thing that won me over – a dreamy blend that sits somewhere between an oil, a balm, and a gel. It’s officially described as a gel-to-milk hydrophilic cleanser, and that’s exactly right. Applied to dry skin, it glides on beautifully, melting away dirt, makeup, and the day’s residue. Add a little water, and it emulsifies into a light milk – not too thin, just enough to rinse away cleanly without leaving a film.

It removes every trace of makeup effortlessly, making it ideal as the first step in a double cleanse, if that’s your thing. But honestly? It performs so well, it works well solo which is how I use it. My skin feels thoroughly cleansed – something I can confidently say, as my LumiSpa never picks up any leftover residue or base in the morning. There’s no tightness, no dryness, and crucially, no irritation or dragging – a huge win if you’ve got sensitive or rosacea-prone skin like mine.The brand claims it works for all skin types, and I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case. I haven’t tested it on oily skin yet, but in my experience, oilier skin types often respond well to oil-based cleansers. As always, it's worth checking the ingredients list in case something doesn’t agree with your skin.

Results

Since incorporating this cleanser into my routine, I’ve noticed a genuine improvement in my skin’s softness and comfort. I wasn’t expecting visible results from a cleanser, but this one has surprised me – in the best way.

Skin Type Suitability

The brand says it’s suitable for all skin types, and from what I’ve seen, I’d agree. While I haven’t tested it on oily skin personally, oil-based cleansers are often well tolerated by oilier complexions – they can actually help regulate sebum production. As always, it's worth checking the full ingredients list if your skin is reactive or acne-prone.

Ingredient Highlights

Now, onto the formulation – which is thoughtfully crafted and genuinely impressive. While I adore essential oils in daily life, I approach them with caution in skincare due to my sensitivity. That said, I’ve had no issues with this blend. Here’s a closer look at the standout ingredients:

• Raw Honey – A natural humectant that attracts and retains moisture. It also gently exfoliates, offers antimicrobial benefits, and helps protect against transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

• Macadamia Seed Oil – Rich in oleic and linoleic acids, this oil supports barrier repair, softens skin, and reduces inflammation.

• Black Cumin Seed Oil – Known for its potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps balance the skin and improve tone and texture.

• Apricot Kernel Oil – Soothing and vitamin-rich, it calms inflammation while deeply nourishing the skin.

Together, these ingredients create a formula that supports a healthy skin barrier, locks in moisture, and offers gentle but effective cleansing.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a cleanser that’s both effective and gentle – particularly if you struggle with dryness, sensitivity, or reactive skin – I wholeheartedly recommend giving Planted Oil Cleanser a try. It’s nourishing, thoughtfully formulated, and – most importantly – it works.

I was sent this and other Planted products to test but the choice to review them was mine and all opinions shared are true and I would happily buy this product myself

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel - LMB Cult 60 Products

Why I think you should know about it? - my ride or die cleanser, this one suits the majority of skin types and works well at either end of the day. 

Best Bits - a cruelty-free UK company this is a hit of antioxidants for your face. A lovely gel like formula this works even on the most sensitive skins. 

Pros - fantastic blend of ingredients, the only cleanser you need (if you are only after one cleanser), UK brand, antioxidant and radiance boosting. Removes all makeup and sunscreen without irritating the skin. 

Cons - I don't love the packaging as I feel like brands need to be moving towards something more sustainable. That being said it's one of the few products that I've bought religiously since I started using it and I have never had a faulty one. 

Who's it for? - everyone except those with really oily or really active acnaic skin - even then it would probably work but wouldn't target the problems. If you have sensitivity this is definitely worth a try. 

Where to get it -  Oskia, Cult Beauty, Space NK, Beauty Bay, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic 

Read my full review here

                                                        These products are in no order. 

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself. If it is an affiliate link it usually means I've taken the time to find the best price available at the time of posting

Come and join in the conversation on Facebook at the Corinna Harrod Beauty Group - just send me a request and I'll add you.

Top Cleansers for Dry Skin

Let's not limit ourselves, these cleansers would work for all but oily skins, but dry skin recommendations I get asked for a lot so that's where I thought I would start. All three of these I use myself regularly, I have dry, sensitive, often reactive skin. This is not in order though possibly it accidentally is.

1. Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Balm
I love this though I can't exactly pinpoint why. Full of antioxidants, brightening but not astringent, easy to use. Good value for money, cruelty free. I'm 90% sure this would also work on oily skins but I haven't tried it on a client with oily skin so I can't confirm. Good enough for make-up and grime removal I mostly use this in the morning to prep my skin with antioxidants and because it has never caused a reaction and works well under make-up. £31

2. The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter 
When people finally want to move away from a foam cleanser (step away from the foam cleanser people) this is the place I send them. It's affordable, easy to find and use and feels great on the skin. Once they have tried this there's no turning back. I've yet to find someone who doesn't love this. Use morning and evening I like to use as my PM cleanser as it's sooo easy and not too expensive so I can wearily slap it on without being too frugal. £10

3. Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm
This used to be my number 1 and I still love it but of late Oskia has slightly edged it out of the running. A tub of this will last you a long time. It feels incredible on the skin and gets all the make-up off. But this has made my skin react when it is at it's most sensitive, not irrevocably, I carried on using it once a day and it is, for me, the original balm cleanser. The one that really changed my skin and made me realise that what you use on your skin really can make a difference.

What's your skin type?

Blog Favourites

My readers are not commenters. Yes I'm talking about you. This is fine. I know you are there and frankly, I'm not a commenter either. But you do send messages and it is so nice to know what products I've recommended that you've bought and loved. I really appreciate this as I find the business of recommending things for people to spend their money on a bit worrying. I mean what if you hate it? Luckily that is yet to happen but I though it might be nice to give a mention to the products that I consistently get messages about. Those products that have made their way into readers routines and stayed there.

These are in no particular order except for the first one. When it comes to feedback the first one in this line-up is the one that I hear most about people loving and repurchasing. This isn't a competition but if it was then entry number 1 would be the winner - by far.

The Body Shop Sumptous Camomile Cleansing Butter - Quick Review

A lot of you are using this and loving it but I always think it helps to see it in action if you are debating whether to make a purchase. I thought filming part of this on my phone was clever until I realised the quality just isn't that great but hopefully you can see that it gets all the make-up off - I wear a lot of black liner and mascara.

I will be rebuying this.

Read my full review here

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter 

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

This was supposed to be a review of something else but I thought I wouldn't start 2018 on a bad review so instead I'm going to tell you about the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop. Ideally I wouldn't review any product with the word 'Sumptuous' in the title but needs must.

I received this as part of a goodie bag from a Body Shop event with Alessandra Steinherr about 7 months ago. I wouldn't have chosen it for myself, Camomile in any form (especially tea) does nothing for me and though I do love a balm cleanser, this sat unlooked at in my skincare stash for quite a while. In fact it was only when I had a post-baby sensitivity flair-up (again!) that I thought I would give this a go. And I'm glad I did.

I really like that it comes in a tin, slightly annoying to put the lid on if you've got the cleanser on your hands but yay for no plastic and doesn't take up a lot of room in your washbag if you are travelling. Not sure how well this would do if it got really hot though - could leak.

Oskia Ranaissance Cleansing Gel

Lean in close, I'm going to whisper this, but I may have a new favourite cleanser. I still love the Emma Hardie Amazing Face cleansing balm but the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel is giving it a run for its money. The first thing I've noticed about this is that its one of the few skincare products that while it claims to be illuminating does not make my sensitive skin tingle or go bright red. I've been using it for about 4 months and on those weekends when I've been away and have wanted to just take easy to use, hero products this has been the only cleanser I take with me.

Ideally I would use this as a second cleanse but when needs be this works well as a first or only cleanse, it gets make-up off an my skin is left feeling incredibly clean and soft. I genuinely believe that there are products in here that are working on my skin - and I don't get that very often.

Pumpkin Enzyme gently exfoliates the skin, Vitamin A Palmitate which is a derivative of Retinol but slightly gentler making this cleanser great for sensitive skins, though whether in these amounts it will have any of the desired effect (gentle resurfacing and promotion of elasticity) is unlikely. Vitamins C and E are great for deal with free radicals and pollution, which is great for us city dwellers. My skin feels firm but not tight, clean but not irritatingly so and really soft and smooth.

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser

An impulse purchase from a brand I'd wanted to try for a while. It was a toss up between this and the Rosehip Cleanser but frankly, I don't seem to have much luck with Rosehip on my face so I went with the Brightening Cleanser. And I'm kind of into orange at the moment.

I don't like to overload my skin. In the morning I usually cleanse, acid tone (sometimes) and moisturise. I sometimes use a Vitamin C serum if I have one. If I do too much my skin gets cross and then I have to wear more make-up when I actually want my skin to be good enough to wear less. Are you keeping up? I've been after a good, fairly basic, easy to use cleanser for the morning for a while - one that would play nicely with my other products. This does just that.

Morning Cleansers

The move to our new bathroom made me realise that I probably have a bit too much skincare. I tried to rationalise it but really I like to use products depending on what I feel my skin needs at the time. I love cleansers and sort of feel like I could never have too many. Here's a look at my current favourite cleansers to use in the morning and a little bit on why I like them. My skin type is combination normal/dry/dehydrated. It's in fairly good nick at the moment as I've been testing lots of lovely oils and serums. Still not drinking enough water though.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser
Really lovely as a gentle exfoliating cleanser. Has never irritated my skin even when it's been feeling sensitive and just nice to have something effective that doesn't make me a tomato. I haven't tried the other cleansers from Tata Harper but I want to based on this. Read my original review here.

Evening Skincare

A month or so ago I did my morning skincare routine, this is my evening one. As I explain in the video I go for it a bit more in the evening, partly because I have more time and partly because I have make-up to remove and my skin will have more time (i.e. overnight) for the products to do their thing without having any make-up, pollution etc over the top of it.

All products are linked below as are any full reviews of products from the blog. If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel and if you haven't already seen my morning skincare video you can watch it here.

Coconoil
Nude Perfect Cleanse Cleansing Oil
Lush Ultrabland Cleanser
Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse
Emma Hardie Amazing Face cleansing balm
Darphin Intral Toner
Origins Mega Mushroom Skin Relief
Amelia Moss Rosehip Oil
The Ordinary Lactic Acid
Aurelia Night Cream
Origins Make A Difference Plus
Sukin Purifying Masque
Neutorgena Norwegian Formula Moisturiser
Mama Mio The Tummy Rub Oil

Clarins Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream

Another skincare product that made it's way into my bathroom during the dark days of post-Jim tomato face. And another that, at the time, got relegated for not immediately fixing my face. This is partly down to cleanser snobbery as I am a balm gal, will I ever love a cleanser that's not a balm? Well it would have to be bloody good and this one is pretty great.

I feel that the first thing I should mention, because it's the first thing you notice, and I notice it every time, is the smell. This smells amazing. Well, I love it. I've read some reviews that don't like the smell - if you are buying this in store you can have a whiff of a tester before you buy. It's fragranced but doesn't irritate.

Another thing worth mentioning is that a lot of the reviews for this are from those who have used it for years when it used to come in a tub and be a slightly different consistency. I never used it then so I can't comment on that - maybe if you were one of those people you could let us know in the comments which you prefer and what the differences are (from what I can tell it seems to be smell and consistency). 

Pixi Double Cleanse (with Caroline Hirons)

I have been meaning to review this for a while but as you know I like to be thorough. I have to confess I assumed when I bought this that there would be no point reviewing it as it would just a flat out rave on how great a product this is. It is, but not without a few things worth commenting on.

As you may or may not know the Double Cleanse is a product developed with skincare queen Caroline Hirons, a woman who has worked in skincare for decades, knows what she's talking about and isn't afraid to voice her opinion. You know that if she has collaborated on and/or put her name to a product it's going to be good and it's going to do what it needs to do. And the double cleanse, does. But it's not a simple review. I've been using this about 5 times a week since February 2017 and I think I will probably be re-buying when it runs out. I'm about halfway through I think.

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser

Always on the quest for my next favourite cleanser that won't irritate my skin I requested, and received, the Ultrabland Cleanser from Lush in my stocking. One of the appealing things about this product is it comes in four sizes the smallest being 45g (£7.95) so you can try it before you commit to buying a larger size.

What I was looking for was a good, reliable cleanser for when my skin was really acting up - something to take it back to basics, without spending a fortune. The nice, soothing cleanser to remove your make-up after a day of testing products. This was recommended to me and it does just what I want it too.

I generally use it at the end of the day on those days when I need something kind and gentle on my skin. It's great as a first cleanse if you want to add a more beneficial cleanser after or as an only cleanse if that's your jam. If my skins needing TLC this will often be what I cleanse with as soon as I can at the end of the day before doing a second cleanse later on in the evening. If you are someone who wants one product for AM and PM this would be a good one to try.

This Works Clean Skin Gentle Cleanser

I've been using this every morning for a couple of months. I'm still using Coconoil in the evening to remove my make-up but as I use retinol at night I wanted a gentle, non-greasy, quick cleanser to use in the morning. This Works Clean Skin Gentle Cleanser... well it pretty much has it all covered in the name so I thought it was worth giving it a go.

It's pretty much just what I was needing though it's one of the least exciting cleansers I've used - that's no necessarily a bad thing. Two pumps into my hands, rubbed onto my face and rinsed off with a warm flannel and that's it. My skin is always completely cleaned and although there is occasional redness it does not sting or stay red and my skin does that for everything at the moment but it's rare for it to not burn - and it doesn't burn when I use this.

While it's not deeply moisturising it's in no way drying, as a lot of cream cleansers can be, and you don't get any tightness after using. All of this makes it a very nice morning cleanse - it's not adding too much to your face pre-make-up though some may want something a bit more moisturing - i.e. those people who love a balm/oil cleanser.

In the Kit - Cleansers

I carry two types of cleanser in my kit; a misceller water to remove make-up quickly and clean up after application and a lovely balm to prep the skin properly before application and to give whoever is in the chair a bit of a pamper too.

My misceller water of choice is Bioderma Sensibo H20. In all my years of using this, from back in the day when you used to have to bulk it when in France, I've never found anyone who has had a bad reaction to this. It removes make-up really well and dries quickly making it the perfect thing for ensuring your flicks and lips are really precise and any drop-down from shadows or glitter is removed. If you don't have time to cleanse with a balm cleanser this will get every scrap of make-up off the face without you having to scrub - it's also great for waterproof mascara. Would I use this on myself everyday? No, although I do have some for tough make-up removal and a quick first cleanse but repeated use causes irritation on my skin (that's when I use it every day for years...)

LMB Turns 10 - April Giveaway (NOW CLOSED)

Well, that March Giveaway had to run itself in the end. We moved house on 10th March and as I write this on 30th March we still have no Internet which is a massive pain. Anyway, there were a huge amount of entries to win the Louise Young Blushers which was wonderful but if make-up is not really your thing but you are into skincare then April could be the month for you. I have two amazing prizes up for grabs this month. Neither of which need any introduction for regular readers but for those who are new to the blog there'll be more on both throughout the month - Internet permitting.

Elemis Anti-ageing Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm – The Civilian Report

If there's anyone who's going to give an honest opinion about a product its Bree. I'm constantly asking her what she's using and what she thinks of it. This honesty makes her my go to guinea pig when I get sent something that I just can't try myself. That being said she's always banging on about the Elemis Cleansing balm so I asked her for a review. Here it is...

I must confess right up that I love Elemis stuff, without exception. It's just so damn pricey. Their Papaya Enzyme Peel is dreamy. Recommend. Anyway, when I made the move from my long-standing Deralogica habit to something else, Elemis was where I went. This Pro-Collagen stuff had lovely things said about it all over the Internet, like some hit HBO series, and so I took the plunge and bought a small jar. I now use it once daily before bed (in the interests of economy, using the very reliable Philosophy 3-in-1 cleanser in the mornings).

The Sunday Spend - January 17th 2016

We may be midway through the hardest month of the year but in all this abstemiousness don't you think you deserve a little treat? I actually think that the sales is the perfect time to restock on your favourites and try those products that you're never going to pay full price for. It's worth mentioning that if you are a user of a Clarisonic or other such face machine then now's the time to see if you can get discounted heads.

• ASOS - great for a variety of brands. The LMB picks are... the Lulu Guinness make-up bag (because it reminds me of this Jenny Lewis video and I love Jenny Lewis), the Hipstar or Stained Glass mask from Face.Lace (sometimes I struggle to think of a better make-up artist than Phyllis Cohen the creator of Face.Lace. Kylie as Marlene anyone?) and the Velvet waterproof eyeliner from Daniel Sandler (I've yet to try a product of Daniel's that I don't like and who doesn't need more black liner?)

• Feel Unique - now this is the one I'd really go crazy on. There is something for everyone on here and it's great for fans of Origins, Estee Lauder, Nudestix, First Aid Beauty and Clinique but these are my picks.  There's a lot of them. First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (a constant in my skincare regime), Ole Henriksen Truth Serum (a great all-rounder serum for all skin types), Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour (one of my favourite eye products), Estee Lauder Even Effect Skin Corrector (one of my favourite tinted moisturisers for giving glow), Amazing Concealer (which I've wanted to try for an age), Clinique Take the Day Off Balm, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer 

•  Selfridges - have some great 'electricals' on sale hair straighteners, curling wands etc. There's not a huge amount of variety here but fans of Sisley should definitely check this out. If I were going for a splurge I'd either get the Black Rose Oil or Black Rose Cream Mask

• Space NK -  not as amazing this year as usual but still I'd go for... Dancing Queen from Lipstick Queen (want to try these out), Ren Instant Beauty Booster Kit (great for anyone wanting to try Ren out), and the Smokey-on-the-Go Kit from Laura Mercier because I love this brand. 

The Sunday Spend

Some deals so good it would be rude not to...

• The Ultimelt from Soap & Glory (and in fact a lot of Soap & Glory products) are 1/3 off at Boots right now making it £6.67 instead of £10. 
• Cult Beauty have some very tempting promotions worth looking at 
• As do Escentual - worth looking at if you want 1/3 off Bioderma, Vichy Aquila Thermal Dynamic Serum and La Roche Posay.

Soap and Glory The Ultimelt Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser

I was a bit unmoved by this when I was first using it. It had a lot of things that were good about it but it didn't set my world on fire. That is until 90% of my skincare products started to set my face fire post the birth of my second baby. Then all my trusted products turned me to a burning tomato.

I'm hoping this is temporary but until then how was I supposed to clean my face? Well I went to go old Clarins - the saviour of many an allergic reaction or sensitive bout. £25 later and I was burning again. Not as bad but still definitely burning. Then I realised - there was one cleanser that wasn't having this disastrous affect on my skin and that was The Ultimelt from Soap & Glory. I used it again. No burning. No redness. No despair.

So why didn't I originally rave about this?