Drugstore Cleansing Balm Smackdown: BEAUTYCOUNTER Versus Boots Botanics

Drugstore Smackdown is a new series where we put drugstore products up against their more spendy versions and see if we should spend the money or just save the money!

Whether you are looking to save money on products you already love, or you want to try a type of product for less… and we all want to try products for less… then this is the series for you! So much fun to be had trying to save money!!!

 

1dec90ef-e804-4973-8f6d-c569d7aacf44

In this Drugstore Smackdown we have two Cleansing Balm’s that have a lot of organic ingredients. I fell in In a deep like with Beatutycounters Cleaning Balm when we received them in Popsugar Must Have. The jar looks a little different but it is the exact same product. I checked the ingredients to be sure. Anyway at $80 there was no way I would be able to keep the habit up! I needed to find out if I could get something less expensive but still nourishing enough to soften my skin while taking the grime off.

Not gonna lie, I gotta a lot of grime on my skin

 

During a sale at Target I came across Boots Botanics Cleaning Balm and it looked pretty similar. It was during the one day 20% off beauty sale and it stacked with their current (at the time of posting) sale of buy 1 get one 50% off. Fancy! At full price $8.49 isn’t bad if the product works. However if you jump on the current sale you can snap these up for $12.74 for two or $6.37 each!

Obviously the chance to find a deal was so alluring I could not help but jump on the deal. I know I am swimming in beauty products but I told myself that I would write a post about it. Unlike most times I do this, I actually am doing it! Yay!

I ended up getting 20% off of $6.37 making each jar $5.10!

 

 


b0638c14-e11d-4c91-a875-8d286ffab8cd

 

e6d260c1-c397-4de7-b451-df1e735613ab

6644b696-1e74-4638-b4ef-05fdd408e161

2060fcf9-4e95-40d2-bdc6-c8ba4abb67db46bc6241-f670-47d2-a222-bc447193b899

4a89b852-2040-4176-98a2-9c68358220b2

Beautycounter Cleaning BalmLets take a closer look at the more expensive version. As you can see there is no color and the balm is solid without being really waxy. The muslin cloth is large and made really well. It is thin and see through like a hot nightie on date night! The directions are to apply an small amount of balm to your face and neck in circular motions and then using warm water and the cloth to remove.  Then rinse with cool water. They say you can do this every night! Fancy!

 

f613423b-13d0-4be1-87ea-a74c58834b7a

e7674b27-daab-4b33-acb8-10f2b6817f84

b8eda218-6be4-4046-a711-8519bc1a9768

5bb92c74-d191-40f4-b08f-09c237f3f437

2e0751ec-e248-43b6-afb6-120b5244748d

6a4f7cab-3921-402f-9d7a-d80214873733

Boots Botanics Cleaning BalmThe jar feels less luxurious and I won’t be Getting any ooks of envy having this out in the bathroom. The consistency is very close to that of the more expensive version. It has a color though, but it must be from the green ingredients as there is no fragrance or color added to this (again like the expensive version). The directions are similar. You put it on your dry face, rub in a circular motion, then take off with a the cloth in warm water. They do say you can put the warm cloth on your face and let it sit there, and then use cold water and the cloth to remove.

 

SMACKDOWN TIME!

  Beautycounter Boots Botanics
Price: $80.00 $8.49
Size: 1.5 oz. 2.1 oz.
Cost Per oz.: $53.33 $4.04
Certified Organic Ingredients Yes, not all Yes, not all (97%)
Made in: USA UK
Cloth: Yes, Muslin Yes, Muslin
Scouper: Yes, Plastic No, use your paw
Jar Material: Glass Plastic

b55122d2-971a-4f20-bee4-ae280ea1e915

f819b7af-d2d4-4c54-8cc4-2c4c93142cd4

4d487f4d-6c36-495e-9bea-1fff03be8751

61eb35df-55b2-4968-8601-18a825573911

0a25ff91-bbfa-468b-b614-a04254159cb8

 

Beauty Balm Shared Boots
Caprylic/Capric Triglceride Olea Europea (Olive) Fruit Oil
Prunus Armenaca (Apricot) Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Cera Alba (Beeswax)
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Wax Prunus amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Cetearyl Alcohol Cetearyl Alcohol Prunus amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Glyceryl Stearate SE Cetearyl Alcohol
Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate Rosa Canina seed oil
Silica  Silylate Limonene
Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter Citrnellol
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil Pelagronium Graveolens Leaf Oil
Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil Geraniol
Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Oil Citrus Aurantium Sinensis Peel Extract
Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil Linalool
Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit oil
Aqua (Water) Citral
Tocopheral (Vit E) Citrus Limmon (lemon) Peel Oil
Tetrahexldecyl Ascorbate
Alchohol
Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract
Artemisia Pallens (Davana) Flower Oil
Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Oil
Prunus Amygdalis Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil Note: Rose Flower Oil Contains Citronellol, Citral, Carvone, Citronellyl Acetate, Eugenol, Ethanol, Farnesol, Stearpoten, Methyl Eugenol, Nerol, Nonanol, Nonanal, Phenyl Acetaldehyde, Phenylmenthyl Acetate and Phenyl Geraniol.
Magnolia Champaca (Magnolia) Flower Oil
Phenoxyethanol

 

 

 

1dec90ef-e804-4973-8f6d-c569d7aacf44

And The Winner Is…… Boots Botanic Cleansing Balm!!!

 

Both work at cleaning and making my skin soft. Beautycounter’s cleansing balm is just not $70 better than Boots. They both use a lot of organic and healthy ingredients. II did a test between them a few times testing each on one side of my face. After I could not tell the difference between them (don’t worry I wrote on my hand which side I had put what!). BEAUTYCOUNTER is a great brand but way out of my budget for most items. If you are looking to try a cleaning balm that is super close to the expensive stuff then Boots is a great option!

 

I hope you enjoyed this series and feel free to email me at subscriptionista@gmail.com if you have your own smackdowns or dupes you want to share with the rest of us! 

No affiliate links in this post! 

 

  28 comments for “Drugstore Cleansing Balm Smackdown: BEAUTYCOUNTER Versus Boots Botanics

  1. AngelaR
    July 3, 2016 at 9:13 am

    Awesome post!

  2. July 3, 2016 at 9:25 am

    I love this idea! I found that the Burts Bees cleansing balm from the Target box in May has a really nice smell and works just as well.

    • July 3, 2016 at 11:21 am

      Thanks! I bet you could do some amazing head to heads! If you should ever wanna write one!

  3. Holly
    July 3, 2016 at 10:50 am

    Very helpful! Thank you for laying this out for us!

    • July 3, 2016 at 11:21 am

      Thank you so much and thanks for reading it! I was worried it would be boring.

  4. sdbear
    July 3, 2016 at 11:27 am

    Great comparison! I hope to see more like this in the future. And I’d pick Boots just because it’s a good name for a kitty!

    • July 3, 2016 at 12:43 pm

      Thank you sdbear!!! I like the name “Boots” as well. I also like to say things are “bootsy”

  5. Sub Bella
    July 3, 2016 at 11:57 am

    I love it! Awesome post.

    • July 3, 2016 at 12:42 pm

      Thank you so much for reading is Sub Bella! You and Mailbox Junkie are pretty much my favorites for natural beauty reads so it means a lot! 🙂 Remember when you told me about parabens?!? hahaha I was like “Wait why do people care?”

  6. July 3, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Ah-mazing post! Dont judge me but I was shoveling cheesecake in my mouth while I read this being like, uh-huh yes. . .
    I think this a great comparison because if you notice Beauty Counter actually has ALOT more synthetic ingredients so just from a natural perspective I would say Boots wins!

    • July 3, 2016 at 2:23 pm

      Thank you so much!!! I was anxious because I am not as into organic stuff or whatever and I am always afraid I am going to miss something big. But I did notice that there were a ton of stuff in BC’s that Boots didn’t have and that while I would like more fancy oils, I don’t want them $70 more. I use it for cleaning and to help with dryness. Not so much anti aging…

  7. July 3, 2016 at 2:33 pm

    Awesome post and great series idea!!!

  8. July 4, 2016 at 12:44 am

    Love this kind of post! I’m not very diligent about using all natural things, but I fell in love with that balm! I’m almost finished with it, so I will definitely be running out to buy the Boots! I hope that you do more posts like this in the future!

  9. LC
    July 5, 2016 at 12:01 am

    Great post! Very detailed and informative! I lol’d at the scooper comparison.

    • July 5, 2016 at 6:56 pm

      Thanks LC! I think this will be a fun series we can all get in on!!!

  10. bad kitty
    July 5, 2016 at 10:14 am

    This is great to know! The Beauty Counter balm works great (although I never got the cloth), but $70 more great? I think not! Thank you for the comparison!

    • July 5, 2016 at 6:55 pm

      Thank you for reading and that sucks you didn’t get the cloth… did you get the dipper at least so that you didn’t have to sully your paw?

  11. Dayle
    July 7, 2016 at 6:16 pm

    What a great post! I love it! Thanks.

    • July 10, 2016 at 11:23 am

      I think I have to get myself excited enough to write out ingredients because I found mistakes on websites when doing this and was like whoa, I am glad I looked at the actual package!

  12. Heat7918
    July 8, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    I love this post too! More comparisons!! <3

    • July 10, 2016 at 11:22 am

      🙂 I am looking for some and am thinking something sassy…

  13. Tammi Hefley
    October 21, 2016 at 8:28 am

    Wow! Thank you so much! Have you compared any other products between the two that you can blog about?

    • October 22, 2016 at 1:56 pm

      Thank you!!! I have so many to get done but yes I will have some more for sure. Let’s just say I have soooooooo much to review heh!

  14. March 13, 2018 at 5:57 am

    This is awesome I really appreciate this break down! Do you have more Beauty Counter comparisons? I want to find something that is similar to their Countermatch intense Moisturizer.

  15. Emily
    July 1, 2018 at 11:37 am

    Disclaimer: I am in no way posting this to discredit you or your research. And I totally agree that $80 is a rather steep price.

    I simply just wanted to mention that you actually have the travel size Beautycounter Cleansing Balm in your pictures. The travel size is indeed 1.5oz but it is not regularly sold on Beautycounter’s website. They had it available to purchase during the holidays as a gift set for $38. The $80 version of the Cleansing Balm that is always for sale on Beautycounter’s website is actually 2.75 fl. oz. That is all and thanks for reading!

    • July 1, 2018 at 11:41 am

      Hey Emily! WHOOPS lol I guess I kinda screwed that up. I think Popsugar told us at the time of getting this that it was full size. I have no idea now. I think you make a great point and thanks for correcting an error in a thoughtful and helpful way!!!

      I can’t say that it’s still worth the money but I can say that my Beautycounter one did last a really long time. 🙂

      Thanks again!

Leave a Reply to Subscriptionista Cancel reply