You're Missing Out on Glass Skin Without This Key Cleansing Step—Try These Holy Grails

This Sisley Paris decadent oil-based makeup remover and cleanser balm uses three nourishing and softening oils to revitalize your complexion. When used on the skin, the balm melts away into a delicate oil. On contact with water, the balm transforms into a milky emulsion for effortless cleansing with a soft finish.

Customer Review: "This balm is amazing. It feels wonderful on my face after a long day of work. I massage it all over my face and neck, then rinse it off with water. My makeup is removed and my skin feels so smooth and soft. Another amazing product from Sisley Paris!"

Key Ingredients: Babassu oil, shea oil, macadamia oil, mango butter, Alpha-Bisabolol

Pros: Combines three nourishing and softening oils for thorough cleansing

Cons: Luxury price point

Details: 4-ounce jar with plastic spatula applicator, fragrance-free

This transformative night cleansing balm by Estée Lauder has a formula that is infused with 25% safflower seed oil, which nourishes and replenishes the skin. The buttery balm transforms into an oil once in contact with skin, but when water is added, it shifts into a cleansing milk that washes away without residue.

Customer Review: "This cleansing balm is so good. Leaves my skin feeling really clean and removes all make up including eye makeup. It's non-drying and leaves skin feeling so soft—it's the best!"

Key Ingredients: Lipid-rich oil infusion (including 25% safflower seed oil)

Pros: Formula cleanses the skin without disturbing the moisture barrier

Cons: None

Details: 2.0-ounce jar, fragranced

I discovered this cleansing balm a couple of years ago, and I'm still hooked. It uses a formula enriched with a medley of eight flower oil extracts to melt away makeup (including long-wear and waterproof formulas) and support a healthy skin barrier. It also comes with an organic-cotton cloth that helps remove remaining product.

Customer Review: "Luxurious balm washes the day off my face. It is soothing and smooth and leaves my face totally clean of makeup. It softens and hydrates."

Key Ingredients: Eight flower oil extracts (including jasmine, saffron, neroli and damask rose)

Pros: Delivers antioxidants and minerals to the skin to encourage a strong barrier

Cons: Moderate price point

Details: 3.0-ounce jar and organic-cotton cloth, fragrance-free

When it comes to cleansing balms that have been dominating my For You page, Then I Met You's Living Cleansing Balm takes the prize. This ultra-smooth award-winning cleanser gently removes pore-clogging oils and impurities while working to quickly melt away makeup and sunscreen. My always looks so much brighter after using it.

Customer Review: "I use this every night as part of my double cleanse along with the cleansing gel. It smells great and dissolves sunscreen and other impurities with ease. It also emulates well. A little also goes a long way. Will continue to use in the future."

Key Ingredients: Seaberry/sea buckthorn oil, persimmon extract, vitamin E

Pros: Visible dissolves makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum, and impurities

Cons: None

Details: 3.0-ounce jar, fragranced

When I'm hunting for a new cleansing balm to add to my skincare routine, I gravitate toward heavily botanically formulated products like the Cleansing Oil Balm by Furtuna Skin. It uses a nourishing blend of eight plant extracts, olive oil, olive leaf water, and more to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum, and impurities.

Customer Review: "I love this cleansing oil. It is gentle and thorough, actually fun to apply. As suggested, I add water after rubbing it in, and it gets foamy. Then I wipe it off with a facecloth. It leaves my dry, sensitive skin feeling soft and moist and very clean. At night I follow up with some retinol, then [the] Furtuna Biphase Oil. My skin still feels soft and moist in the morning. Great stuff!"

Key Ingredients: Eight wild-foraged plant extracts (beet, chicory, mallow, poppy, verdolaga, white nettle, common nettle, common ash)

Pros: Decongests pores without stripping acne-fighting oils or drying skin

Cons: High price point

Details: 3.0-ounce jar with metal spatula applicator, fragranced

If you haven't already found a way to incorporate algae into your skincare routine, you've been missing out. This Kora Organics cleaning balm uses micro algae and pineapple enzymes to gently exfoliate the skin while the additions of jojoba and squalene melt away impurities while working to balance moisture and oil levels.

Customer Review: "This product is such a great cleansing balm! A little goes a long way and this balm literally melts of any makeup and leaves my skin feeling clean and hydrated. Perfect for any dry skin girls like myself."

Key Ingredients: Pineapple enzymes, jojoba, squalene

Pros: Provides gentle exfoliation for a smoother, brighter complexion

Cons: Not ideal for removing eye makeup (especially waterproof mascara)

Details: 3.0-ounce jar, fragranced

If you know me, then you know I always have Chantecaille skincare in my beauty cabinet. Its Rose de Mai Cleansing Balm especially stands out to me because it instantly leaves my complexion looking fresh, hydrated, and dewy using three of my favorite ingredients: rosehip oil, raspberry stem cell extracts, and hyaluronic acid.

Customer Review: "A wonderful cleanser that is so gentle you can use it to remove eye makeup. I usually double cleanse by following up with the Rice and Geranium Foaming Cleanser also by Chantecaille. Both gentle and effective!"

Key Ingredients: Rose hip oil, tamanu oil, raspberry stem cell extracts, plant-based phytic acid, hyaluronic acid

Pros: Purifies and replenishes the skin while plant-based oils and extracts

Cons: High price point

Details: 3.0-ounce jar with metal scoop spatula applicator, fragranced

If you ask beauty editors which cleansing balm converted them to practicing double cleansing, there's a high chance Augustinus Bader's The Cleansing Balm will be mentioned. It's crafted with vitamin E and plant-based squalane, and melts into a milky oil for an ultra-gentle cleanse that rinses away makeup and dirt.

Customer Review: "I love this cleansing balm as a first cleanse. I think I've bought five of these already and will continue to keep using. Follow it up with a water-based cleanser at night and your skin will feel clean and hydrated!"

Key Ingredients: Avocado-oil fruit oil complex, coconut oil, squalane, vitamin E

Pros: Powered by the brand's patented TFC8 complex to support cellular renewal

Cons: High price point

Details: 3.0-ounce jar, fragrance-free

Yes, cleansing balms can come in tubes. The Oat Cleansing Balm by The Inkey List is one of my go-to's because it uses a combination of colloidal oatmeal and 3% oat kernel oil to remove makeup, SPF, and impurities in one swipe. It's my top choice for cold weather since my skin needs extra hydration and comfort.

Customer Review: "Absolute best cleanser for very sensitive as well as dry skin. It made a world of difference very quickly in strengthening my skin barrier and clearing blemishes. Very moisturizing and lightweight."

Key Ingredients: Oat kernel oil 3%, colloidal oatmeal

Pros: Formula soothes and comforts dry, tight, and sensitive skin

Cons: None

Details: 5.0-ounce tube (also available in mini 2.0-ounce tube), fragrance-free

Did you know some cleansing balms are crafted with mud? Omorvoicza's Thermal Cleansing balm, for example, uses calcium and magnesium-rich Hungarian Moor mud to draw out impurities without stripping moisture. The balm also features sweet almond oil and the brand's Healing Concentrate (a potent distillation of Budapest's thermal waters).

Customer Review: "Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm is an absolute game-changer! I cannot recommend this product enough. It has transformed my skincare routine and my skin has never looked better. If you're looking for a cleansing balm that truly delivers results, look no further than Omorovicza—it's a must-have in your skincare arsenal!"

Key Ingredients: Hungarian Moor mud, sweet almond oil, Omorovicza Healing Concentrate

Pros: Gently and effectively removes impurities and makeup from the skin

Cons: High price point

Details: 2.0-ounce jar, fragranced

I began using the Pro-Collagen Original Cleansing Balm once I moved to New York City and had begun to notice a change in texture. Not only did the cleansing balm restore my complexion to its natural texture, but the product also gave my skin a natural glow and left it feeling soft. It also worked wonders on removing pesky waterproof eye makeup.

Customer Review: "This cleansing balm unclogs my pores and leaves my face clean at night. Melts away even the most stubborn eye makeup easily! The texture is super silky. I love how it feels on my skin."

Key Ingredients: Starflower oil, elderberry oil, Elemis Optimega oil (pressed wheatgerm and oat oils)

Pros: Removes long-wear makeup, daily grime, and surface pollutants

Cons: Moderately high price point

Details: 4.0-ounce jar (also available in 2.0-ounce and mini 1.0-ounce jars), fragrance-free

Indie Lee's Cleansing Balm is one of my all-time favorites because it melts away makeup and impurities using a formula infused with kakadu plum and acerola to boost radiance, vitamin C–rich illawara and burdekin plums, and skin-soothing abyssinian and meadowfoam seed oils.

Customer Review: "I'm a purifying face wash stan, but this balm is the silkiest cleanser I've had the privilege of trying. Indie said it was addicting and she was so right, I use morning and night. It's so hydrating."

Key Ingredients: Kakadu plum, acerola fruit, illawara plum, burdekin plum, Abyssinian oil, meadowfoam seed oil

Pros: Softens, smooths, and conditions the skin for an all-natural glow

Cons: None

Details: 3.0-ounce tube, fragranced

I've been a longtime fan of Sunday Riley's impressive skincare, but I've only recently been introduced to their Blue Moon Clean-Rinse Cleansing Balm. It starts as a solid balm that transforms into a milk-like consistency to help rid your skin of all makeup and impurities without disrupting the skin's natural oils. It's also designed to double as a hydrating face mask.

Customer Review: "This is my favorite cleansing balm EVER. Make sure to emulsify in dry hands and use on dry face. I use it as step one in a double cleanse AM and PM! Can also be used as an ultra softening, moisturizing mask for those dry days."

Key Ingredients: Sugar-based cleansers, moringa butters, cocoa butter, blue tansy, German chamomile, tangerine and sweet orange essential oils, mimosa flower wax

Pros: Oil-infused formula gently washes away makeup and impurities from the skin

Cons: Moderate price point

Details: 4.0-ounce jar, fragrance-free

For as long as I can remember, this cleansing balm has been a staple in my beauty cabinet. Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm gently removes the skin of makeup and impurities and rinses off completely. Its key ingredient, safflower seed oil, helps break up natural oil and dissolves makeup.

Customer Review: "I am so impressed by this product. It's just amazing. I wear full glam makeup, and without an issue, everything came off in one step! It's gentle and leaves my skin soft. I am 100% recommending this product, specifically if you have sensitive skin like me."

Key Ingredients: Safflower seed oil

Pros: Formula gently dissolves makeup and SPF, conditions lashes

Cons: None

Details: 4.0-ounce jar (also available in 6.7-ounce and travel size 1.0-ounce jars), fragrance-free

I love Bobbi Brown's extensive line of makeup, so it should be no surprise that I'm also a big fan of the brand's skincare. Its Extra Cleansing Balm, for example, cleanses and conditions your skin using a formula enriched with olive oil, glycerin, and orange oil. The later doubles as aromatherapy, as it wakes up the senses with its citrus notes.

Customer Review: "Bobbi Brown eye products are built to last, so I really need a cleanser to remove all the waterproof, stay-all-day beauties I put on my eyes. This cleanser starts as a balm and turns into a foam when you add water. Smells like heaven and is specially formulated with ingredients to remove all the makeup while leaving behind a cushion of moisture!"

Key Ingredients: Olive extract, glycerin, orange oil

Pros: Orange oil-infused formula wakes up the senses with notes of citrus

Cons: Moderate price point

Details: 3.0-ounce jar, fragranced

If you love Tatcha's The Camellia Cleansing Oil, consider double cleansing with The Indigo Cleansing Balm. Designed for all skin types (but crafted specifically with sensitive skin in mind), this cleansing balm is formulated with a nourishing cocktail of Japanese indigo extract, cleansing lipids, and Hadasei-3 to remove makeup while supporting the skin's moisture barrier.

Customer Review: "I have been using the Tatcha cleansing oil for years, wanted to try something new and I have not been disappointed. The balm seems a little small, but a little also goes a long way. I even like using this in the mornings for when I want a more gentle cleanser."

Key Ingredients: Japanese indigo extract, cleansing lipids, Hadasei-3

Pros: Formulated with sensitive skin in mind

Cons: none

Details: 2.0-ounce jar and round, metal applicator, fragrance-free