Hi Everyone!
Today, I’m comparing the eight cleansing balms I’ve tried so far. I have tried two others, but they are no longer available.
Previous posts on cleansing balms:
This or That | Banila Co vs Heimish
This or That | Clinique vs Pixi (no longer available)
Glow Recipe
These are the cleansing balms I will be comparing (in alphabetical order):
- Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm (Original)
- belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm*
- Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm
- Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm
- Heimish All Clean Balm
- The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm*
- Juno & Co (Juno Skin) Clean 10 Cleansing Balm*
- Youth to the People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm*
Ingredients for the cleansing balms:
Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm (Original)
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-10 Isostearate, Synthetic Wax, Onsen-Sui, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Polydiethyleneglycol Adipate/IPDI Copolymer, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/Methoxy PEG-15 Methacrylate Copolymer
belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm*
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Myristica Fragrans (Nutmeg) Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Methylpropanediol, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Nepeta Cataria Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyethylene, Peg-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Water, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol
Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbitan Oleate, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Polyethylene, Aqua/Water/Eau, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Seed Oil, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Papain, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Levulinic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Metabisulfite
Heimish All Clean Balm
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyethylene, PEG-8 Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Freesia Refracta Extract, Rose Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract, Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus (Daffodil) Flower Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Iris Versicolor Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Citral, Linalool
The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm*
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Candelilla Cera (Cire de candelilla), Silica, Sorbitan Stearate, Tribehenin, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Aqua (Water/Eau), Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Juno & Co (Juno Skin) Clean 10 Cleansing Balm*
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Synthetic Wax
Polysorbate 85, Fermented Japanese Pearl Barley (Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Water, Butylene Glycol
Youth to the People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm*
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquicaprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Water/Aqua/Eau, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Prickly Pear) Stem Extract*, Aristotelia Chilensis (Maqui Berry) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum (Goji Berry) Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera (Moringa) Leaf Extract, Opuntia Tuna (Prickly Pear) Flower/Stem Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower (Neem) Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Holy Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis (Red Algae) Extract, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene. *Certified Organic Ingredient
For me, they all performed about the same. I don’t wear waterproof mascara or eyeliner, so I can’t say how well these cleansing balms work for those. I cleanse with a regular cleanser after using the cleansing balms, so I don’t mind if there’s a film from the cleansing balm.
Texture
Youth to the People (YTTP)’s cleanser is the most crumbly and it’s not as emollient as the others. Due to the texture being more crumbly, it didn’t remove my makeup as well. I had to work it in longer than the others. The Inkey List one comes in a tube, so it’s a more runny texture. I have to make sure to massage the tube first before squeezing any out. I was sent the Juno & Co cleansing balm and it came melted . They sent me a new one, but I’m worried about how easily it melted.
Comparing the textures to food: The YTTP one is like mashed potatoes (with nothing added in). The melted Juno & Co one was like melted butter that had cooled down a bit (still runny, but not completely liquid). The new tub I was sent still wasn’t as solid as the other ones.
Packaging
The K-beauty cleansing balms come with spatulas, while most of the others don’t come with one. Glow Recipe wins for best packaging since it comes in a glass jar that closes nicely. I wish the spatula could fit inside the jar, but I understand why they have a larger one since the jar is quite deep. I keep all of my spatulas in a little glass container, but it’d be nice to have it in the jar if you travel. The Youth to the People one also comes in a glass jar, but when I unscrew the lid, it doesn’t feel as smooth as the Glow Recipe. The Clinique, Heimish and Banila Co. cleansing balms come in sturdy, plastic containers. When you open the lids of the Heimish and Banila Co balms, there is a spatula inside. The Juno & Co one is a cheaper container that I sometimes have trouble closing if the inner lid isn’t perfectly aligned. The Inkey List one comes in a tube. This is my least favourite packaging since the cleansing balm is already more emollient than the others. I would not travel with the Inkey List or Juno & Co ones. A few times, I’ve had to wash off both of them because the products got onto the packaging.
Cost
In the table below, I’ve calculated the cost per mL for the cleansing balms I’ve tried. I also added others that are available on Sephora and K-beauty ones I want to try.
| Price (CAD) | Size | Cost per mL | Packaging | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm (Original) - 100mL | 25 | 100mL | 0.25 | plastic with spatula |
| Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm (Original) - 180mL | 37 | 180mL | 0.206 | plastic with spatula |
| Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm | 24 | 100mL | 0.24 | plastic with spatula |
| belif Aqua Bomb Cleansing Balm | 48 | 100mL | 0.48 | plastic with spatula |
| Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (mini) | 17 | 30mL | 0.567 | plastic, no spatula |
| Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm | 47 | 125mL | 0.376 | plastic, no spatula |
| Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (value) | 62 | 200mL | 0.31 | plastic, no spatula |
| Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser | 45 | 110g (110mL) | 0.409 | plastic with spatula |
| Farmacy Clearly Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm (mini) | 30 | 50mL | 0.6 | plastic, mini probably doesn't come with a spatula |
| Farmacy Clearly Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm | 46 | 100mL | 0.46 | plastic with spatula |
| Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm (mini) | 30 | 50mL | 0.6 | plastic, mini probably doesn't come with a spatula |
| Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm | 46 | 100mL | 0.46 | plastic with spatula |
| Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm | 42 | 100mL | 0.42 | glass jar with spatula |
| Heimish All Clean Balm | 25 | 120mL | 0.208 | plastic with spatula |
| I'm From Fig Cleansing Balm | 40 | 100mL | 0.40 | plastic with spatula |
| The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm (mini) | 5.69 | 50mL | 0.114 | squeeze tube |
| The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm | 13.99 | 150mL | 0.093 | squeeze tube |
| Juno & Co (Juno Skin) Clean 10 Cleansing Balm | 21 | 85g (85mL) | 0.247 | plastic with spatula |
| Youth to the People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm | 45 | 100mL | 0.45 | glass jar, no spatula |
Looking at the cost per mL, I was surprised which ones were more expensive. The Drunk Elephant one actually isn’t the most expensive one on the list.
The Clinique one was the first one I tried. I finished it before trying other ones, so I wasn’t able to compare them side by side. I liked it a lot because it doesn’t have a scent and I don’t remember it having a filmy feeling after using it. I will buy it again once I’ve finished my current ones and update this post with a final verdict. For now, I will exclude it from the ranking. My favourite is the Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Smoothing Enzyme Cleansing Balm. It is on the more expensive end, so for the lower range, I would pick the Heimish All Clean Balm. It doesn’t have any added fragrances and you get more in the tub (120mL vs 100mL for most of the other brands).
Have you tried these cleansing balms? Which is your fave?
Love,
Products marked with * were sent to me for review.