Best Cleansing Balms (2026), Sorted by What You Need to Take Off

Key Takeaways

• Think of a cleansing balm as a solid oil cleanser: it melts makeup and sunscreen, then turns milky with water so it rinses away. The right one depends mostly on what’s on your face at the end of the day.

• For long-wear and waterproof makeup, Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm leads, Banila Co Clean it Zero Firming Cleansing Balm follows, and U Beauty’s The MANTLE Cleansing Balm sits at #3, built to double as your face wash.

• For sunscreen and light makeup, Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm and The INKEY List’s oat balm keep things simple, and the INKEY tube costs $17 for 150 ml.

• If drier or changing skin reacts to scent, read the list before you buy: Six balms here list a fragrance ingredient or essential oils (Farmacy’s Original among them, though it also comes Fragrance-Free), while Garnier, The INKEY List, and Glow Recipe list none.

Cleansing balms make similar promises, but their labels differ: plant oils in some, lighter esters in others, mineral oil and lanolin in one, and essential oils in several. This guide sorts nine balms by the job you’re asking them to do, from waterproof mascara to a bare-faced evening, with each formula’s emulsifiers and fragrance read from its ingredient list. Everything here was compared on brand pages and labels, not tested on skin.

What Makes a Balm Rinse Clean

A balm works in two stages. First, its oils and esters dissolve oily things, such as long-wear foundation, mascara, and sunscreen filters. Then water meets an emulsifier in the formula, and the oil turns into a milky liquid you can rinse away. Without that second stage, you’d be wiping oil off with a cloth.

You can spot the emulsifier on most lists. PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate turns up in four balms here. Others use sugar-based esters (Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Laurate), Sorbitan esters, or Polyglyceryl esters. U Beauty uses Sucrose Polystearate alongside Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, an amino-acid-based ingredient. If a balm leaves a film after rinsing, a quick second cleanse with a gentle water-based cleanser usually clears it.

The American Academy of Dermatology’s face washing guidance suggests a mild cleanser without alcohol, used with lukewarm water and your fingertips, and warns that a washcloth or mesh sponge can irritate skin. That’s worth keeping in mind for the one balm here built around a cloth.

Drier or changing skin often finds a balm kinder than foam, since most of the jar is oil. Still, it rinses off within minutes, so any firming or hydrating language on a cleanser deserves a light touch. Judge a balm on how cleanly it removes what you wore and how skin feels afterward.

Which Balm Suits What You’re Removing

• Long-wear or waterproof makeup: A balm the brand describes for waterproof makeup, massaged for a full minute before water touches it.

• Daily sunscreen and light makeup: A gentler, simpler balm, often fragrance-free, that rinses to a milk.

• A slower evening cleanse: A balm used with a warm cloth, if your skin is comfortable with the friction.

• Bare skin at night: You may not need a balm at all. A water-based cleanser is enough when there’s nothing oily to lift.

At a Glance

1. Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm: best for long-wear makeup and sunscreen together

2. Banila Co Clean it Zero Firming Cleansing Balm: best for waterproof makeup on drier, mature skin

3. U Beauty The MANTLE Cleansing Balm: best one-jar cleanse for makeup nights and bare mornings

4. Garnier SkinActive Erase It All Hyaluronic Acid Makeup Cleansing Balm: best budget balm for eye makeup

5. Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm: best for everyday sunscreen, with a fragrance-free option

6. The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm: best for sensitive-feeling skin on a budget

7. Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm: best for a smoother-looking finish

8. cocokind Oil to Milk Cleansing Balm: best short-ingredient-list balm

9. EVE LOM Cleanser: best for a slower cloth cleanse

How We Compared These Products

Nothing here was tested on skin. We read each brand page and ingredient list in October 2026 and compared five things:

• What it’s made to remove: Waterproof makeup, long-wear makeup, sunscreen, or everyday grime, as each brand describes it.

• How it rinses: The emulsifier on the INCI, and whether the brand describes a milky rinse, a second cleanse, or a cloth.

• Base: The oils, esters, or waxes that lead the list.

• Fragrance: Fragrance, essential oils, or fragrance allergens on the list, or the brand’s statement where no full list was shown.

• Price and size: As each brand page listed them.

Cleansing Balms Compared

1. Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm: best for long-wear makeup and sunscreen together

Then I Met You’s balm opens with Olive Fruit Oil and Grape Seed Oil, with Sea Buckthorn Oil seventh. The brand credits sea berries and citrus for the balm’s marigold color. PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate fourth and PEG-8 Isostearate fifth handle the rinse. In its FAQ, the brand says the balm is designed to melt away long-wear makeup and sunscreen “without stripping the skin or irritating the eyes.”

The directions are typical of a first cleanse: a dime-sized amount on dry skin, a splash of warm water to emulsify, then a rinse before a water-based cleanser.

Key features:

• Plant-oil base: Olive and Grape Seed Oils lead the list.

• Two PEG emulsifiers: Fourth and fifth on the INCI, so it turns milky with water.

• Designed for a double cleanse: The brand pairs it with a water-based second step.

Best for: Evenings with long-wear makeup and a full layer of sunscreen.

Tradeoff: Rosewood, Grapefruit Peel, and Rosemary Leaf Oils are on the list, with Limonene last, and the brand notes its citrus scent can fade over time.

Price: $39 for 90 g; $15 for a 20 g travel size.

2. Banila Co Clean it Zero Firming Cleansing Balm: best for waterproof makeup on drier, mature skin

This is the Clean it Zero version Banila Co pitches at firmness. Banila says plant-derived Moringa Ceramide “helps to firm, moisturize, and strengthen skin,” and calls it suitable for all skin types, “especially mature, dry, and sensitive.” On the INCI, Moringa Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Panthenol, and Sodium Hyaluronate sit in the back half, after Jojoba, Evening Primrose, and Argan Oils.

The front of the list is all esters and emulsifiers: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, then PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate and PEG-10 Isostearate. Banila says it removes “even the most waterproof makeup.”

Key features:

• Waterproof makeup: In Banila’s own description.

• Balm to oil: It melts into an oil on skin, then emulsifies when you add water.

• Lipid-minded extras: Ceramide NP and three plant oils on the list.

Best for: Waterproof mascara and long-wear base on skin that feels dry by evening.

Tradeoff: Fragrance is ninth on the list. A rinse-off balm spends a minute or two on skin, so treat the firming language as the brand’s claim rather than a reason to choose it over a leave-on product.

Price: $25.

3. U Beauty The MANTLE Cleansing Balm: best one-jar cleanse for makeup nights and bare mornings

U Beauty sells The MANTLE Cleansing Balm under the line “Double Cleanse in One Step,” and the label shows how it skips the PEGs used by four balms on this list. Its rinse comes from Sucrose Polystearate, fifth, and Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, sixth, with Glycerin just ahead of them in fourth place. Two Hyaluronic Acid forms appear further down, and no sulfate cleanser is listed.

In a consumer perception study of 30 volunteers using it daily with a cloth for seven days, U Beauty reports that 90% agreed waterproof makeup was effectively removed. You work it over dry skin for up to a minute, wet your hands, and keep massaging until the balm turns milky before splashing it off. A cloth is optional for heavier makeup.

Key features:

• Makeup remover and face wash: U Beauty designs it to do both.

• No PEG emulsifier: A sugar ester and a glutamate-based ingredient handle the rinse.

• Hydrating extras: Glycerin fourth, plus Sodium Hyaluronate and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid.

Best for: Readers who want one cleanser for makeup nights and bare-faced mornings.

Tradeoff: Methyldihydrojasmonate, a fragrance ingredient, sits eighth, and the list carries bilberry, lemon, orange, sugar cane, and sugar maple extracts, which U Beauty groups as Fruit Alpha Hydroxy Acids. At full size it’s one of the pricier balms here; the 50 ml jar is $38.

Price: $78 for 150 ml; $38 for 50 ml.

4. Garnier SkinActive Erase It All Hyaluronic Acid Makeup Cleansing Balm: best budget balm for eye makeup

Garnier describes a “3-in-1 solid balm” that melts makeup, “including waterproof,” and lifts SPF, moving from balm to oil to a milky lather. The list opens with Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, and PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, with Shea Butter fourth and Jojoba Seed Oil later. Sodium Hyaluronate is near the end.

Garnier calls it fragrance-free, sulfate-free, and silicone-free, and directs massaging it over the face, eyes, and lips before rinsing.

Key features:

• Fragrance-free: By Garnier’s statement.

• Eyes and lips in the directions: Useful for mascara and long-wear lipstick.

• Low price: $14.99 MSRP for 4.2 oz.

Best for: Eye makeup on a budget.

Tradeoff: Garnier suggests following it with a water-based cleanser, so plan on two steps.

Price: $14.99 MSRP for 4.2 oz.

5. Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm: best for everyday sunscreen, with a fragrance-free option

Green Clean is sold in Original, Fragrance-Free, and Honey Vanilla versions, and Farmacy describes it as a “makeup + SPF melting cleansing balm.” Sunflower Oil, Papaya Extract, and a Super Greens Blend are the ingredients Farmacy highlights. On the Original’s list, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate leads and Sunflower Seed Oil is second, with Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate third and Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate fifth handling the rinse. Its directions cover the eye area (eyes closed) and give two ways to finish: rinse, or wipe with a damp cloth.

Key features:

• Three versions: Including a Fragrance-Free one for scent-sensitive skin.

• Sunscreen and makeup: Both named on the page.

• Milky rinse: It emulsifies with warm water.

Best for: Everyday sunscreen and light makeup.

Tradeoff: The Original lists Ginger Root, Orange Peel, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, and Lime Oils, with Citral, Limonene, and Linalool, so choose the Fragrance-Free version if scent bothers your skin.

Price: $39 as listed; sizes run between 30 and 200 ml.

6. The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm: best for sensitive-feeling skin on a budget

The INKEY List builds this balm on Sweet Almond Oil, then PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, then Oat Kernel Oil, which the brand gives as 5%. Sorbitan Olivate and three Polyglyceryl esters back up the emulsifier, and Seaberry Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, and Ascorbyl Palmitate close the list. No fragrance appears.

INKEY says it melts makeup and SPF in 30 seconds and calls it a “balm-to-milk” cleanser. INKEY also says the balm has the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance. It comes in a squeeze tube rather than a jar.

Key features:

• Oat Kernel Oil third: At 5%, per INKEY.

• No fragrance listed: Nothing scented on the INCI.

• Tube packaging: No spatula needed.

Best for: Sensitive-feeling or drier skin that wants a plain, low-cost balm.

Tradeoff: INKEY pitches it at makeup and SPF in general, without the waterproof claims some balms above make.

Price: $17 for 150 ml; $9 for 50 ml.

7. Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm: best for a smoother-looking finish

Glow Recipe calls this a “PEG-free” balm. Cetyl Ethylhexanoate leads, Sorbitan Oleate is second, and Apricot Kernel Oil third. Papaya appears three ways: Papaya Seed Oil, Papaya Fruit Extract, and Papain, an enzyme, ninth. Glow Recipe calls its papaya “actively smoothing,” and that the balm dissolves waterproof makeup and sunscreen.

The brand suggests massaging for a full minute per cleansing step, then emulsifying with lukewarm water into a milky texture before rinsing.

Key features:

• No PEG emulsifier: Sorbitan Oleate does that job.

• Papain on the list: An enzyme, ninth.

• No synthetic fragrance: Per Glow Recipe, and none appears on the INCI.

Best for: Readers who want a balm with a smoother-looking finish from an enzyme.

Tradeoff: If your skin already feels sensitive after exfoliating, an enzyme cleanser may be one step too many. Our guide to creams for over-exfoliated skin covers what to use instead.

Price: $32 for 100 ml.

8. cocokind Oil to Milk Cleansing Balm: best short-ingredient-list balm

cocokind’s balm has 14 ingredients, and the brand publishes its proportions: 80% carriers (Sunflower and Grape Seed Oils plus water), 15% Glycerin, 2% emulsifiers, and 0.1% essential oils. The emulsifiers are sugar esters, Sucrose Laurate, Sucrose Stearate, and Sucrose Palmitate, with Oat Kernel Oil and Baobab between them.

Key features:

• Published proportions: Rare on a cleanser label.

• Glycerin second: At 15%, per cocokind.

• Low price: $18.

Best for: Readers who like to know what’s in each bottle by share, not just by order.

Tradeoff: Geranium Flower Oil and Roman Chamomile Flower Oil are on the list, at 0.1% combined.

Price: $18 for 2.9 fl oz.

9. EVE LOM Cleanser: best for a slower cloth cleanse

Facialist Eve Lom created this cleanser in 1985, according to the brand, and it’s built differently from the rest of this list. Paraffinum Liquidum (mineral oil) leads, PEG-30 Lanolin is second, and Cocoa Seed Butter sixth, followed by Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Clove Leaf, and Hops Oils.

The method is part of the product. You warm a small amount, massage it onto dry skin, then press a muslin cloth soaked in hot water over the face for a few seconds. A full-size muslin cloth comes with the 100 ml jar.

Key features:

• A cloth ritual: Muslin cloth included.

• Morning and evening: Per EVE LOM.

• Richer base: Mineral oil, lanolin derivatives, and Cocoa Butter.

Best for: Readers who like a slower cleanse and whose skin is comfortable with a warm cloth.

Tradeoff: It’s the highest-priced balm here, and it lists essential oils with Eugenol and Limonene. The AAD notes a washcloth can irritate skin, so keep the cloth warm rather than hot, and skip it on days skin feels sensitive.

Price: $85 for 100 ml; $60 for 50 ml; $145 for 200 ml.

Getting a Clean Rinse, Step by Step

• Start dry: Balm on dry skin with dry hands. Water too early stops it from dissolving makeup.

• Massage for a full minute: Longer over mascara and long-wear base, with eyes closed.

• Add a little water: Keep massaging until the balm looks like milk, then rinse it off with lukewarm water.

• Decide on a second cleanse: On heavy-makeup nights, follow with a gentle water-based cleanser. On light days, one balm step may be enough.

• Moisturize while skin is damp: A rich moisturizer suits drier, changing skin. Our picks for ceramide moisturizers pair well with a balm cleanse.

• Use the spatula: Then I Met You and Banila Co both direct scooping with a spatula rather than wet fingers.

When to see a dermatologist: Visible redness, stinging, or flaking that lingers around the eyes after switching cleansers is a reason to stop and check with a board-certified dermatologist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cleansing balm?

It depends on what you’re removing. Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm suits long-wear makeup and sunscreen, Banila Co Clean it Zero Firming Cleansing Balm is aimed at waterproof makeup on drier skin, and U Beauty’s The MANTLE Cleansing Balm is designed to double as a face wash. For a fragrance-free budget pick, The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm lists no fragrance at $17.

Can a cleansing balm remove waterproof mascara?

Several here are designed for it: Banila Co, Garnier, and Glow Recipe name waterproof makeup, and U Beauty reports that 90% of 30 volunteers agreed The MANTLE removed it. Farmacy’s directions cover the eye area with eyes closed, and a slow massage over the lashes does more than scrubbing.

Do I need a muslin cloth?

No. Most balms here rinse to a milk with water alone. EVE LOM builds its Cleanser around a warm muslin cloth, and Farmacy offers a damp cloth as an option. If skin turns pink after using a cloth, rinse instead.

Are cleansing balms good for drier or mature skin?

They often feel more comfortable on drier, changing skin than a foaming wash, because the base is mostly oil and the rinse is milky. Check the fragrance and essential oils on the list if your skin is easily irritated, and follow with a moisturizer while skin is still damp.

Can I use a cleansing balm in the morning?

You can, though most mornings there’s no makeup or sunscreen to lift. EVE LOM directs morning and evening use, and U Beauty designs The MANTLE for both, since it works as a face wash too. Otherwise, a splash of water or a gentle water-based cleanser is usually enough.

Related Reading

• Best Clean Face Cleansers (2026)

• Best Exfoliants for Bumpy Skin Texture (2026)

• Best Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizers (2026)