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9 Cleansing Balms that Gently Cleanse and Hydrate Skin

Melting away makeup and impurities, cleansing balms are the must-have beauty product you didn’t know you needed.
Heather Mikesell

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Photo: Shutterstock

Back in the day, foaming cleansers called to me. I considered my skin to be oily or combination, so a good sudsy cleanser was really the only thing that left it feeling truly clean. However, as my skin has matured, I’ve found foaming cleansers to be much too harsh for my constantly dehydrated skin. Somewhere along the way, I discovered cleansing balms and was instantly smitten. It might have been around the time K-beauty brands were all the buzz. Instead of stripping my skin of its natural oils, cleansing balms removed dirt and impurities but didn’t dehydrate my skin like other cleansers I tried. As I’m a fan of any low-maintenance regimen, I apply it to my skin before jumping in the shower. There, I’d wash it off, thereby simplifying my nightly routine. Here are seven cleansing balms you’ll want to try.

Drunken Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Cleansing Balm
What We Love
  • Comes with Bamboo Booster Exfoliant
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • 100 percent free of essential oils, silicones, fragrance, and PEGs
  • Fun and colorful packaging
Ingredients of Note
  • Virgin marula oil
  • Baobab seed oil
  • Kalahari melon oil
  • Mongongo oil

I’ve long heard people wax poetic about Drunk Elephant, but I must admit this was my first experience with the brand, and I now understand the devotion. This nourishing balm contains an African oil blend of marula, baobab, Kalahari melon, mongongo, and ximenia. It also features a mix of soothing fruit extracts, such as blueberry, kiwi, and strawberry along with replenishing fruit oils, including acai, cranberry seed, and watermelon seed. Cleansing away makeup, excess oil, debris, and other irritants, it even removes water-resistant sunscreens. When activated by water, the balm transforms into a milk that rinses away cleanly. And as an added bonus, it comes with Bamboo Booster, which can be mixed with the balm to create a creamy exfoliator. I love that it leaves my skin feeling soft and glowing.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
What We Love
  • A little goes a long way
  • Also comes in a variety of formulas 
  • How it melts away impurities
Ingredients of Note
  • Sweet almond oil
  • Elderberry oil
  • Starflower oil
  • Padina pavonica, a brown algae found on the Mediterranean coast

This nourishing cleansing balm is responsible for making me a cleansing balm convert. It was the first balm I tried, and although I was worried it might be too rich for my breakout-prone skin, I soon discovered nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, it melts away makeup and other debris and leaves my skin feeling soft and supple. It starts as balm, transforms into an oil, and then ends up a milk with the application of water, delivering a thorough cleansing experience. Free of mineral oil, the formula infuses rose and mimosa waxes with elderberry, starflower, and Optimega oils. The balm also features a blend of nine essential oils, including chamomile, eucalyptus, and lavender.

ESPA Nourishing Cleansing Balm
What We Love
  • Glass packaging and stone-effect caps, which are completely recyclable
  • Company’s sustainability pledge
  • That’s ideal for mature, dry, and dehydrated skin
Ingredients of Note
  • Grape seed oil
  • Sweet almond oil
  • Olive fruit oil

Unlike other balms I tried, this one had a grittier texture, which although unexpected, it did leave my skin feeling fresh and clean. However, it reminded me more of an exfoliator than a cleansing balm. The product comes with two 100 percent cotton muslin cloths, which can be used to remove the formula after application. I didn’t find it necessary to use them, as the product rinsed away fairly easily. It also features a subtle rose scent. Despite the more granular texture, it was still gentle on my sensitive skin, leaving it soft and nourished.   

Eve Lom Cleanser
What We Love
  • Dermatologically tested
  • Free of gluten, palm oil, and carmine
  • Vegan
Ingredients of Note
  • Clove oil
  • Eucalyptus oil
  • Hops oil
  • Egyptian chamomile

Including a blend of signature botanicals, this cleansing balm required a bit more effort, as the buttery formula clung to my skin. The cleanser comes with a muslin cloth, which was helpful in removing the product after application. Incorporating the cloth turned the cleansing process into a relaxing ritual that left my skin feeling soft and hydrated. It was also effective in removing all traces of makeup.  

John Masters Organics Cleansing Balm
What We Love
  • Gentle and effective for all skin types
  • Made with certified organic ingredients
  • No animal testing
Ingredients of Note
  • Organic sea buckthorn oil
  • Kokum seed butter
  • Rice bran oil

This solid-to-oil cleanser gently removes makeup, including water-resistant mascara, and other impurities, leaving the skin feeling soft and refreshed. It relies on organic sea buckthorn oil, a superfruit high in vitamin C, to hydrate the skin. Kokum seed butter is effective at cleansing the skin without stripping it of its natural oils. The orange-colored balm quickly transformed into an oil, which left my skin feeling fresh and balanced. I also enjoyed the subtle, yet refreshing scent.  

Lala Vie Cleansing Balm
What We Love
  • Ideal for normal, dry, and combination skin
  • Paraben-free
  • Cruelty-free
  • A refill option is available
Ingredients of Note
  • Baobab oil
  • Argan oil
  • Marula oil
  • Chia seed oil

This J-beauty brand strives to deliver a beautiful texture without leaving the skin feeling greasy. Formulated with oil extracted from four botanicals, this two-in-one cleansing balm melts away makeup, dirt, and debris, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. It’s also compatible with eyelash extensions although I didn’t put that to the test. I loved the rich and creamy texture, which didn’t feel at all sticky like some balms tend to be upon application. Instead, it went on smoothly and washed away just as easily. I especially enjoyed the herbal scent, which was created for Lala Vie by top French perfumer Alain Verjus. Using all-natural plant extracts, the scent was fresh and subtle.

Lilfox After Dark Melty Jungle Cleansing Balm
What We Love
  • Ideal for dry and mature skin as well as congested and acneic skin
  • Certified organic and cruelty free
  • Formulated without parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and sodium sulfates
  • Glass packaging
Ingredients of Note
  • Amazonian lily
  • Kakadu plum
  • White willow bark
  • Hibiscus

This indulgent balm cleanses skin with a blend of babassu, cupuacu, maracuja, and murumuru butter. The creamy concentrated yellow balm transforms into a rinseable cleansing milk when water is added to the mix. It also exfoliates skin and balances oil with hibiscus and white willow bark. Amazonian lily, camellia, and Kakadu plum help to plump the skin, leaving it looking soft and supple. I especially enjoyed the scent of this cleanser, which features a host of aromatics, including Madagascan rose geranium. The melty texture was also a welcome surprise and made applying the balm a much more luxurious experience. The purifying plant butters left my skin cleansed but also deeply hydrated.

One by One C'est Moi F(ace) Balm Cleansing Duo
What We Love
  • The price
  • Dermatologist tested
  • Environmental Working Group (EWG) verified
  • No animal testing, fragrance, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, mineral oil, propylene glycol, or dyes
  • Recyclable packaging thanks to a partnership with Terracycle
Ingredients of Note
  • Noni fruit
  • Evening primrose oil
  • Hydrogenated olive oil
  • Olive fruit oil

The packaging on this cleansing balm was unlike any other I tried. In the form of a multi-cleansing stick, it features the cleansing balm on one end and an exfoliating silicone brush on the other. I liked that I wasn’t contaminating the product by inserting my finger or required to use an application stick. I also liked that I could get a deeper cleanse by using the brush in gentle circles. The affordable price of this cleanser coupled with the fact that it relies on clean ingredients certainly made me a fan.   

Screen Shot 2021-05-18 at 10.46.12 PM
What We Love
  • That it contains healing manuka honey
  • The delicious, sweet honey scent
  • How it promotes a healthy skin microbiome
Ingredients of Note
  • Manuka honey
  • Lactobacillus ferment
  • Sweet almond oil
  • Shea butter

Containing moisturizing manuka honey sourced from New Zealand, this balm gently cleanses skin while also delivering intense hydration. Manuka honey is beloved for its superior humectant properties, and it’s thought to reduce inflammation associated with acne. The balm also contains lactobacillus ferment, a probiotic reputed to hydrate the skin, and sweet almond oil, which features vitamins A and E, known to fight oxidative stress. It also works to protect the skin’s barrier. Most importantly, I love how it left my skin feeling nourished and hydrated.

About The Author
Heather-Mikesell-author-1

Heather, co-founder of Well Defined and the former editor-in-chief of American Spa, is an award-winning journalist and content strategist, skilled in writing, copyediting, and media relations. She is also a freelance writer and has contributed to Elite Traveler, Islands, Kiwi, Luxury Travel Advisor, Organic Spa, Porthole Cruise, Travel Agent, abcnews.com, jetsetter.com, outside.com, and wellandgood.com, in addition to various custom publications. She is frequently called upon to comment on various spa and wellness trends for various media outlets.