The Meltiest, Most Nourishing Cleansing Balms You Need in Your Skincare Routine
In case you still aren’t onto the double cleansing phenomenon, well, for starters, you’re missing out on a crucial skincare-routine step. And secondly, you may have yet to tap into the wonderful world of cleansing balm skincare products, which is truly our fave. If you aren’t familiar with how cleansing balms work, then you may think that they can act as an entire cleansing routine in themselves. But nope, you’ll still need a traditional foam or gel cleanser to remove dirt and impurities, because a balm serves as more of a makeup remover than a standalone cleanser. In fact, most cleansing balms are safe for eye makeup removal. They can melt away even the most stubborn makeup (we’re talking a full face of makeup, eyeliner, waterproof mascara), with a gentle wipe from a washcloth.
Balm cleansers are widely beloved thanks to their spa-like scents and experience, along with their nourishing, hydrating ingredients that are great for dry skin and the skin barrier. They’re often a Korean skincare item, typically packed with key ingredients like jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and vitamin E. If you’re new to the game, or if you simply need a refresh, then look no further—as we’ve picked the best cleansing balms on the market below. Feel free to skip the bottomless shopping doom scroll, because you’re sure to find the right option for your skin type (yes even sensitive skin has its match) at a reasonable price point.
Meet the Expert
Kat James is a licensed esthetician and celebrity makeup artist.
The 8 Best Cleansing Balms
1. Best Nourishing Cleansing Balm:
ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
This product is the brand’s number one best-seller for a reason (we totally vouch for it!). Not only does it smell like a spa—thanks to a blend of nine essential oils, including lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus—but it gives your skin spa-level results. Its mineral oil-free formula infuses rose and mimosa waxes with elderberry, starflower, and Optimega oils, helping to leave your skin feeling soft, hydrated, and healthy.
2. Best Glowy Cleansing Balm:
RODIAL Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm
When we’re seeking that lit-from-within glow, this indulgent, pearlescent balm is where we turn. A soft-focus diamond powder offers that natural, maybe she’s born with it look that we can’t get enough of. The formula is also packed with sweet almond and rice bran oils to help keep your skin in top form.
3. Best K-Beauty Cleansing Balm:
BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Revitalizing
The OGs know! This affordable, effective formula was a gateway for many (*raises hand*) into the world of cleansing balms. It magically melts makeup and gunk off your skin in seconds, transforming from an innovative balm to an oil to a milky cleanser once water is brought in the mix.
4. Best Plant-Based Cleansing Balm:
FARMACY Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm
A little goes a long way with this bad boy. SPF, waterproof mascara, and full glam are no match for this farm-grown blend of upcycled moringa, holy basil, and arugula. And who can ignore its refreshing aroma of lime, bergamot, and orange?
5. Best Department-Store Cleansing Balm:
CLINIQUE Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
CLINIQUE is a heritage brand for a reason. If you’re looking for a balm from a brand with major history (can you say icon status?), here’s what we recommend. The Allure Best of Beauty award-winner is gentle on the skin and even nourishes the lashes.
6. Best Celebrity Cleansing Balm:
KEYS SOULCARE Nourishing Cleansing Balm
Alicia Keys (successfully) swore off makeup for years, so it’s easy to trust a cleansing product that gets her stamp of approval. Packed with charcoal for clarifying, and shea butter, sunflower seed oil, macadamia seed oil, and camellia seed oil for hydration and softness, this really is the power-packed formula to get the job done. Added bonus? Manuka honey offers antioxidant-rich properties to help protect your skin from free-radical damage while locking in moisture.
7. Best Drugstore Cleansing Balm:
E.L.F. SKIN Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm
E.L.F. COSMETICS has yet to let us down with any of their budget-buy goodness, and this baby right here is no exception. Formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides, you’re sure to get all your necessary nourishment, leaving the skin soft and smooth after melting away the day.
8. Best Scented Cleansing Balm:
GLOW RECIPE Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm
Bring the tropical vacation to your bathroom by incorporating this melty solution into the mix. “I loved the texture and the light papaya fruit scent,” one of our IPSY members commented. “I like that it comes with a scooper to get the product out so it's easier and cleaner. It's really soft and melts on my face.”
Packed with a mix of exfoliating and calming papaya seed oil, papaya enzymes, papaya extract, and antioxidant-packed blueberry, this formula is meant to leave your skin looking bouncy and glowing.
Cleansing Balm FAQs
1. What is cleansing balm?
According to licensed esthetician and celebrity makeup artist Kat James, “It’s basically a buttery little miracle that melts off makeup, sunscreen, and whatever else your face picked up during the day—without stripping your skin dry. Think: spa night in a jar.”
2. What does cleansing balm do?
“Cleansing balms break down all the oil-based junk—foundation, mascara, SPF—without tugging or drying you out,” James explains. “It leaves your skin feeling clean, soft, and like you drank water today (even if you didn’t).”
3. How do I use a cleansing balm?
While water will enter the equation eventually to emulsify the product, you actually want to apply it dry. “Scoop a bit out, warm it up in your hands, and massage it right onto the skin,” our expert says. “Really work it in—think of it like a mini facial. Then rinse with warm water or wipe off with a damp cloth. Done.”
4. Do you use cleansing balm before or after face wash?
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, using a balm (or a cleansing oil) is the first step to a double cleanse. “This step gets the gunk off, then you follow with your regular face wash to really clean things out,” James says.
5. How are cleansing balms different from traditional face cleansers?
They actually have pretty different purposes. As James puts it, “Cleansing balms are oil-based and way more nourishing than your standard foaming face wash. They don’t leave you feeling tight or squeaky—just clean, glowy, and actually hydrated.”