Over the past year or so I’ve learned to treat my skin more carefully, with a special emphasis on gentle cleansing. My current regimen includes a spritz of rosewater and a tiny dab of LUSH 9 to 5 in the morning and my trusty Victoria Lanolin Ägg-Tvål Eggwhite Facial Soap in the evening. Once a week or so, I give myself an extra treat with Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip cleaner.

Ceramic Slip’s name refers to the liquidy mix of clay and water called “slip” that is used in making pottery. It’s a gel-liquid product that contains French green clay, along with other ingredients intended to purify and soothe the facial skin.

Ceramic Slip is packaged in a plastic bottle with a pump applicator. I’ve found that a quarter-sized amount of product is enough per use: I apply it to my face in a thin, overall layer and massage it with my fingertips for thirty seconds or so, creating a mild lather before I rinse it off. (I usually follow with a little of my Eggwhite Facial Soap, just to make sure that all my makeup is removed.)

Ceramic Slip has a natural scent of black pepper and jasmine, which I find very pleasant and subtle. (Some reviewers at Sephora.com seem to dislike it, but tastes always vary with fragrance.)

For me, the real proof of Ceramic Slip’s quality and effectiveness comes the next day: the morning after I’ve used it (and followed my cleansing with my usual nighttime serum and moisturizer), my face feels noticeably softer. Bonus: it seems to tame mild breakouts, especially if I’ve caught them early.

Sunday Riley products are definitely high-end, which is why I’ve been reserving Ceramic Slip for once-a-week use (and occasionally twice-a-week, if I think my complexion needs a little extra help). The upside of this stinginess is that one bottle lasts for months and months. My fussy skin really seems to like Ceramic Slip, so I’m glad I invested in that bottle.

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip sells for $45 (4.2 oz.) at the Sephora website, Barneys stores, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Product source: I purchased this product at Bergdorf Goodman.

Images: product photos by Tinsel Creation; Woman at a basin, c. 500 B.C., attributed to Douris and to the Euphronios Potter, via Wikimedia Commons.