9 Best Cleansing Balms to Wipe Away Makeup With Ease

Ask any expert, and they’ll tell you that skin care’s cardinal rule is a thorough cleanse—a process made all the simpler with the best cleansing balm. Unlike the serum-gels and plush cream washes you’re likely accustomed to, these balms whip botanical oils into a semi-solid mixture (think a cleansing oil but more solid) that can slough away dirt, oil, impurities, and makeup. There is a catch, though. Cleansing balms are best used as a first step in a double cleansing, rather than as a one-and-done step in your face-washing ritual.

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Vogue’s Favorite Cleansing Balms

Best for Sensitive Skin

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

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Best for Mature Skin

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

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Best Affordable

Juno & Co. Clean 10 Cleansing Balm

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“As a first step, cleansing balms help remove oil-soluble skin-care products, like makeup, while a regular water-based facial cleanser will remove residual grime, sweat, and dead skin cells that remain on the skin surface,” double-board-certified dermatologist Brendan Camp, MD, tells Vogue. Below, a look at the best makeup-melting cleansing balms, according to experts and editors alike, for skin that is cleaner—and softer—than ever.

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Best for Sensitive Skin: Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

• Why We Love It: This creamy balm transforms makeup removal from tedious task to effortless ritual. Its saffron seed oil base cuts through even stubborn waterproof formulas while imparting a luminous, hydrated finish. “I love how this melts makeup quickly and leaves the skin soft,” pro makeup artist Brielle Pollara previously told Vogue. For optimal results, professional makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio Ventre suggests warming the balm between your fingertips before applying it to your face, then working it in using gentle, circular massage motions. Contact lens wearers can use this product with confidence—it’s ophthalmologist tested and approved, all while being dermatologist tested for sensitive skin.
• Editor’s Experience: “This is the option I whip out for heavy-duty cleansing. Take the Day Off cleansing balm does exactly that—rids skin of dirt, oil, and debris with ease and without risk of irritation.” —Kiana Murden, beauty editor, shopping
• Key Ingredients: Safflower-seed oil, tocopherol
• Fragrance: No
• Size: 200 ml/6.7 oz, 125 ml/3.8 oz, 30 ml/1 oz

Best for Mature Skin: Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

• Why We Love It: Elemis’s luxurious balm combines botanical algae and essential oils—and the antioxidant-rich ingredients boast anti-aging benefits. While it’s particularly well suited for mature skin, its appeal extends across different skin types. The formula transforms upon contact with water, shifting from a cream to a silky oil texture that effortlessly dissolves impurities. Ventre counts it among her favorites, praising its indulgent feel. “Elemis’s cleansing balm delivers more of a spalike ritual,” she previously told Vogue. “It transforms from a rich balm into oil and then emulsifies into a nourishing milk, dissolving stubborn makeup while also conditioning the delicate eye area.”
• Key Ingredients: Padina pavonica (brown algae), elderberry oil, starflower oil, sweet almond oil, lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus
• Fragrance: Yes (naturally derived)
• Size: 100 g