The best cleansing balms make makeup removal at the end of the day feel like less of a chore. While the best cleansers and micellar waters have their place in a skincare routine, there's something particularly satisfying about a balm that melts away stubborn mascara, full-coverage foundation and long-wearing lipstick with minimal effort.
Typically applied to dry skin, most start as a solid before transforming into a silky oil as you massage them in, breaking down makeup, SPF and daily grime. Add a splash of water and they'll emulsify into a milky consistency that can be rinsed away or removed with a damp flannel. You can then follow with a second cleanse, if needed.
Prices vary hugely, from budget-friendly options costing less than £15 to luxury formulas exceeding £50. So, I've put a wide range to the test to find out which leave skin feeling clean, soft and comfortable, without a trace of makeup.
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The best cleansing balms for 2026 are:
- Best cleansing balm overall: Naturium purple ginseng cleansing balm
- Best budget cleansing balm: Elf holy hydration! makeup melting cleansing balm
- Best luxury cleansing balm: Reome three suns balm
- Best for glowing skin: Wildsmith Skin active repair nourishing cleansing balm
- Best for dull skin: Beauty of Joseon radiance cleansing balm
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Naturium purple ginseng cleansing balm
Best: cleansing balm overall
Why we love it
- Silky soft
- Lightweight
- Fragrance-free
Take note
- No luxury scent
If you’re looking for a cleansing balm that has none of the hallmarks of typical skin irritants, such as fragrance, this could be the one for you. That doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the sensorial experience, however – this balm is buttery soft and doesn’t require much massaging before it melts into an oil and is removed with a towel. Despite its lovely, lightweight texture, it’s very effective at disrupting even the most matte lipsticks we used during testing. Suitable for all skin types and concerns, it’s one of the speediest ways to cleanse skin before bed.
Key specifications
Buy now £21, Spacenk.com
Elf holy hydration! makeup melting cleansing balm
Best: budget cleansing balm
Why we love it
- Super affordable
- Nourishing ingredients
It’s not often an affordable cleanser comes along to rival some of its (much) more expensive counterparts, but that’s exactly what this Elf one does. It initially feels oily on the skin, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it helps create slip, making it easier to thoroughly dissolve makeup. Formulated with a triple threat of nourishing ingredients – hyaluronic acid, ceramides and peptides – it won’t dry out skin, and instead will leave it feeling properly cleansed and supple. It really does act like a cleanser that should cost double, even triple, its price tag.
Key specifications
Buy now £11.9, Amazon.co.uk
Farmacy Beauty green clean makeup meltaway cleansing balm
Best: for heavy makeup
Why we love it
- Skin feels hydrated and nourished
- Leaves skin with a healthy glow
This cleanser starts life as a solid balm, then transforms into a silky soft oil before turning into a milky lather. It works almost instantly to break down makeup and any impurities that have collected on your face during the day, and it didn’t sting our eyes when we used it to melt away eyeshadow and mascara. Skin felt hydrated and nourished after using it, and we liked the addition of papaya extract, which works to gently retexture skin and leave it with a healthy-looking glow. We loved the smell, too – although lime, bergamot and orange essential oils are usually reserved for products used in the morning, we enjoyed the scent in the evenings, too.
Key specifications
Buy now £38, Sephora.co.uk
Muihood good chi cleansing balm
Best: for dull and congested skin
Why we love it
- Luxurious
- Suitable for all skin types
Take note
- Heavy jar
- On the pricier side
Rooted in Chinese medicine, Muihood is a newer beauty brand on the block, but one that’s well worth your time. Founder Charlotte Yau has brought a holistic health and wellness approach to high-performing skincare products, and if you only try one thing from the brand, make it this balm.
Housed in a beautiful vibrant orange glass pot, this product is every bit as luxurious and rich as you would expect, created with a blend of soybean oil, goji berry and ginseng to melt down makeup in seconds. Once applied to dry skin, add a splash of water to watch it transform into a milky emulsion that can be wiped away with ease. It instantly leaves skin refreshed, silky smooth and supple.
Key specifications
Buy now £33, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Reome three suns balm
Best: luxury cleansing balm
Why we love it
- Lightweight and fluid
- Can be used morning and night
Take note
- Pricey
This formula is the work of Reome’s founder, Joanna Ellner. As a former beauty journalist and classically trained, board-certified acupuncturist, she has poured her decades of skin expertise into a small but elegant line-up of products, including this cleanser and an ‘active recovery broth’ serum.
This product has an interesting creme-balm texture that’s lighter and more fluid than any other cleansing balm we’ve tried, which is why it’s packaged in a tube as opposed to a typical pot. This makes it easy to travel with, and we saw it sitting pretty on our bathroom shelf. The formula itself is rich but gentle and very effective at removing makeup. We also used it first thing in the morning – if you prefer a cream cleanser to a rich oil-based balm, this ticks every box. After every use, our skin felt soothed and refreshed – the perfect tonic after a long day.
Key specifications
Buy now £63, Spacenk.com
Superdrug B. melting cleansing balm
Best: for dry skin
Why we love it
- Great price
- Fuss-free formula
Take note
- Can leave behind a residue if not rinsed off properly
This is an underrated gem if you’re shopping on a budget. Part of Superdrug’s own-brand skincare line named B., for less than a tenner, you can pick up this simple, fuss-free cleansing balm that gets the job done. Perfect for dry skin, thanks to a shea butter base, it’s a solid white balm that melts down into a clear oil to shift even the most stubborn of mascaras and lipsticks. Despite a basic formula, it has never irritated our hormonal acne or rosacea, general sensitivity or stung our eyes. Cheap, cheerful and minimal, it’s fantastic value for money.
Key specifications
Buy now £4.66, Superdrug.com
Wildsmith Skin active repair nourishing cleansing balm
Best: for glowing skin
Why we love it
- Super luxurious
- Buttery soft
Take note
- Pricey
The best way to describe this cleansing balm is a spa in a jar. Wildsmith Skin is inspired by plants and botanicals that grow at the Heckfield estate in Hampshire, originally planted by horticulturist William Walker Wildsmith. The brand’s skincare line, using homegrown ingredients, is made in small batches and feels premium.
With a botanical blend of butters, waxes and oils such as rosehip, meadowfoam, argan and sweet almond, this balm cleanser smells every bit as luxurious as it feels. Formulated to target dryness, uneven skin texture and dehydration, it quickly dissolves every scrap of makeup, dirt and SPF. Our complexion was left glowy and brighter after every use.
Key specifications
Buy now £58, Libertylondon.com
Beauty of Joseon radiance cleansing balm
Best: for dull skin
Why we love it
- Doesn’t strip skin
- Fragrance-free
This is one of the best mid-priced cleansing balms we’ve tried. A solid balm that quickly melts into a cleansing oil, it cleanses without stripping or leaving skin feeling dry. It doesn’t leave your eyes stinging or blurred like some balms can, and it even comes with a little scoop in a compartment beneath the lid. While the brand’s sun cream has become a cult favourite among Korean skincare fans, this balm is well worth a spot in your routine, too. There’s no greasy residue left behind after rinsing it off, and it’s fragrance-free.
Key specifications
Buy now £12.38, Amazon.co.uk
Elemis pro-collagen cleansing balm
Best: for all skin types
Why we love it
- Luxurious
- Effective
- Spa-like scent
Take note
- Pricey
Instantly recognisable, thanks to its yellow tub, this balm is enriched with rose and mimosa wax, elderberry, omega, starflower oil and a host of essential oils. It boasts a fragrant aroma that adds to its luxurious appeal, and its buttery texture melts instantly into an oil on contact with dry skin.
Thanks to its thick consistency, a little goes a long way, and a 20p-sized blob is plenty to cover your face and neck and break down every speck of makeup. After fully removing the product with a damp flannel, our skin felt soft and smooth, with a subtle glow that you often find after having a facial. From start to finish, the experience is a luxurious treat.
It can be difficult to justify spending almost £50 on a product that will, quite literally, be washed down the drain, but we loved this formula’s performance. It does a stellar job at removing every scrap of makeup in seconds, and the lovely texture is thick but not sticky, soft but not greasy, and skin feels refreshed immediately – in short, we think you’ll get your money's worth.
Key specifications
Buy now £55, Lookfantastic.com
Your questions about cleansing balms answered
What is the best cleansing balm?
No matter what your skin type or budget, there’s a cleansing balm out there for you. Our top pick is the Naturium purple ginseng cleansing balm, which provides a satisfying and luxurious cleanse quickly and effectively, without exacerbating any sensitivity. However, if you’re looking for a more purse-friendly option, the Superdrug B. melting cleansing balm and Elf holy hydration! makeup melting cleansing balm both cost around a tenner and feel soothing on dry skin.
How we tested
Each of the cleansing balms included here was incorporated into our daily night-time routines to test how effective each formula was at removing makeup. The products were rated on efficacy, how they left skin feeling, scent and value for money. We tested each cleansing balm thoroughly, looking at four main factors:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lucy Partington is an experienced beauty editor with vast experience in testing beauty products and tech of all kinds. Whether it’s the best retinol creams and serums or the best IPL hair removal devices, she knows what works. In her reviews, she’ll always give her honest opinion and will only recommend products she believes are worth your money.
Louise Whitbread is a beauty writer who has tested countless skincare products. From an expert-led feature on minimising acne scarring to our picks of the best spot treatments, she knows what to look for when it comes to finding skincare products that actually work.
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