Kat Burki Vitamin C Nourishing Cleansing Balm

*Warning - make a brew. Describe the brand in five words? New. Interesting. Green. Bio processing. What is it? Repairs, renews and illuminates skin. It's a stretch calling this a 'balm'. It's a 'bitty' gel consistency that reminds me somewhat of tapioca (that's a first in my descriptions dictionary).

Who is it for? Everyone - but especially those with pigmentation issues or dull skins. Basically, use this if you're over 30 and are noticing it.

What’s in it? KB5™ Complex, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe), Bio-Processed Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Mangiflora Indica (Mango Butter), Bio-Processed Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Beeswax, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Carrageenan Gum, Bio-Processed Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Bio-Processed Rosa Canina (Rosehip Seed) Oil, Cucumber Hydrosol, Bio-Processed Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter (Kokum Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Camu Camu, Bio-Processed Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry Seed Oil), Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola), Wildcrafted Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail), Wildcrafted Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion), Wildcrafted Geranium Maculatum (Wild Geranium), Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

What's not in it? Kat Burki has a brilliant visual of her ingredients policy on her site here: katburki.com/the-story

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients? This has shea butter halfway down the inci list, but you'd never know it to feel it - just avoid if you're allergic, not necessarily if you're spot-prone.

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan? Natural

Tested on animals/sold in territories that advocate testing? No/No

How does it smell? To me, it smells a little of vanilla and coconut, but not the fake super-sweet vanilla. It's subtle. Lovely.

How does it feel on the skin?/Absorption rate? It feels soft and light. Not in any way greasy or heavy.

How do you use it?/Where to use in your routine? There is no way in high heaven that this is being used to remove my makeup. This is a second cleanse/morning cleanse/skin contact cleanser.

How long before you should see results? Well for the cleansing, immediately, obviously.

How long did I test it for? I've only had this for a month or so.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage? £68.00/$65.00 for 60ml. Quite possibly the worst exchange rate I've seen in a long time (more of which later). You see why I'm not using it to remove makeup now?!

What’s good about it? I love it. My skin loves it. It almost absorbs like a face cream. Washes away clean, no residue. Smells beautiful. It's honestly all good. Kat Burki's USP is that everything is bio-processed under 120 degrees, meaning no nutrients are lost in the manufacturing process. A bit like the raw food diet. You know when you've had an oil for only a short while and it seems to go off/rancid? It's probably heat-treated. Common in cheaper products. That does not happen here. I really love this product and am now going to make sure I use the rest of the range. I tried to order the Tubereuse perfume from Nordstrom but it won't let me which means the UK retailer has exclusivity even though they don't sell said perfume. *head, desk* Don't think I'm not tempted to rope in my mate Jordan for some cross-Atlantic shipping action again.

What’s not so good about it? That exchange rate. But honestly, the price is the only negative.

Works well with? If this was a kids' school report it would say 'plays well with others'.

What’s the website like? You can tell that Kat Burki used to be a designer - her website is quite possibly the best I have ever seen in beauty, if not in general. It's detailed, beautiful, easy to navigate. It draws you in and makes you want to read and purchase more. Others could look and learn. Shop by category/collection/concern. I can even forgive them the 'Influencers' (couldn't hate that word more than I do) tab. katburki.com Would I purchase/repurchase? Rant incoming: I've been working in cross-Atlantic beauty for nearly 20 years. You can always expect to pay extra get ripped off when you buy a product from a brand outside of their home country, but this is on another level. It hardly ever used to be like for like or higher in the UK. Today's exchange rate for example, puts this product at £45.12. (Imagine how many she would sell if she was the same price as Emma Hardie?) It also puts the RRP of £65.00 at $93.63 going back the other way. So in short, I would definitely purchase - in the US. Out of principle, I wouldn't buy it in the UK unless I was desperate. This is happening more and more lately. It happened with Kypris when they first launched in Selfridges and they altered their pricing because so many of us complained. Score for Kypris. In a lot of cases it's not the brand's fault. Retailers whack up their margins, and make the brands pay for shipping and staffing, meaning the brands have to take less of a cut and meet all the costs, hence the higher costs outside of their own country. In some cases, where the brand is sold in the USA and the UK in the same retailer, the brand only gets paid in US dollars for all purchases, meaning the retailers rake it in selling outside US territories, i.e. buying in dollars and selling in pounds. Kerching. That can leave some (ill-advised) US brands selling in dollars but paying staff in Euros/Pounds. Nightmare. Oh and you think we've got it bad? Speak to Australian beauty lovers. I know that Kat Burki will be a brand that I will use and love, and I will continue to review the brand, but I'm fortunate enough to travel to the US a lot for work, if you have no way of getting it other than through their UK retailer, it's going to cost you. And being fair to Kat Burki, I'm adding exchange rates to all future reviews, including AUSD (if I can find it). This is the tip of a big rip-off iceberg. At least we're not in Levi's territory. Yet.

Similar products? It's honestly hard to pick anything a similar texture, and I mean that as a compliment.

• Cleansers
• Skincare