There’s few things in life as satisfying as removing your make-up at the end of a long day. And not just removing your make-up, but doing so with an effective, melt-away type cleansing balm. Best applied to dry skin and massaged until it melts down to an oil, the best cleansing balms can also emulsify into a milky consistency to disrupt perfectly applied waterproof mascara, full-coverage foundation, bold lipstick and much more.
Cleansing balms not only make removing make-up quick and easy, but they’re also gentler on the skin than rubbing with a wipe.
The most typical format is a solid balm that transforms into a silky soft oil when warmed on contact with skin, although, a handful of brands have created more fluid formulas that are housed in tubes rather than traditional plastic and glass pots.
Once your make-up is an oily mess, you can simply swipe it off with a damp, lukewarm flannel, before following up with the rest of your skincare routine, or with a second round of cleansing with a milk, gel or creamy face wash.
While almost all cleansing balms have a luxurious feel, the price tags vary massively, with plenty of options available for less than £15 or upwards of £50. Therefore, we were keen to put as many as possible through their paces, to discover which ones are worth your money, melt make-up with ease, and leave skin thoroughly cleansed.
The best cleansing balms for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Naturium purple ginseng cleansing balm: £21, Spacenk.com
- Best budget buy – Elf holy hydration! makeup melting cleansing balm: £11.87, Amazon.co.uk
- Best luxury cleansing balm – Reome three suns balm: £55, Spacenk.com
- Best for glowing skin – Wildsmith Skin active repair nourishing cleansing balm: £58, Libertylondon.com
- Best for dull skin – Beauty of Joseon radiance cleansing balm: £16.10, Amazon.co.uk
How we tested
Each of the cleansing balms included here was incorporated into our daily night-time routine, to test how effective each formula was at removing make-up. The products were rated on efficacy, how they left skin feeling, scent and value for money.
