I am on a journey to find the best cleansing balm. At the moment, I have a pretty strong contender with Farmacy’s Green Clean, but I’m always happy to be pleasantly surprised. A good cleansing balm makes you want to actually do your nighttime skincare routine. It easily melts down makeup and sunscreen so your pores aren’t clogged, causing skin issues.
Best Cleansing Balms of 2023
FARMACY GREEN CLEAN
When someone talks about cleansing balms, the first one I always think about is Farmacy’s Green Clean. At the moment, I can say that this is my pick for the best cleansing balm. This one is actually the product that made me fall in love with cleansing balms. I used to be team cleansing oils, but I was really just basing that off of one bad balm experience.
Farmacy’s Green Clean melts down perfectly. It feels so satisfying once it is applied to the skin. It easily melts down and emulsifies. When I rinse this off, there isn’t a film left behind. It just feels like clean skin. Personally, I would still use a second cleanse. If there was a product that I would use by itself, it would be this one.
Farmacy as a brand is actually high on my list of skincare brands in general. Other favorites from the line include their Honey Halo moisturizer and Filling Good.
Green Clean also comes in different scents, some limited edition like the Strawberry Shortcake Clean and the Tea Harvest Green Clean. I finished the Strawberry Shortcake Clean in record time because I loved the scent so much.
Available from $12 to $60 at Amazon, Sephora, and Farmacy Beauty.
The best cleansing balms on this list aren’t similar. Some of these are unique and some present an experience. When it comes to delivering a spa-like experience, the Elemis Cleansing Balm definitely delivers.
ELEMIS CLEANSING BALM
If you’ve ever tried the Elemis Cleansing Balm, you would know what I mean about how it reminds me of spa. It smells like a whole experience, which makes this cleansing balm a pleasure to use. At first, I was hesitant to use this one because it looked a little bit like a cleansing balm that didn’t work for me.
This cleansing balm is actually pretty great at breaking down makeup and sunscreen. Some people even use it ask a mask, leaving it on for a little bit. When I do get down to rinsing it, the Elemis cleansing balm actually rinses out nicely.
Just like Farmacy’s Green Clean, the Elemis cleansing balm also comes in different versions including Green Fig, Rose, and Naked.
Available from $17 to $68 at Amazon, Ulta, and Elemis.
BANILA CLEAN IT ZERO
When I first started thinking about which cleansing balms I would consider the best cleansing balms, I was in the middle of trying this out. I actually had it for a while, I just never opened it. I think maybe because I didn’t see that much hype about this one on social media in comparison to other balms. The moment that I tried this though, I couldn’t exclude it off the list.
To put it plainly, I love the Banila Clean It Zero cleansing balm. The way that it melts down reminds me of butter when it’s at the perfect temperature. It glides through makeup and sunscreen so nicely. The formula is just to die for. This one is actually a contender for the number one spot, but since I’ve emptied more of Green Clean and I’m still in the middle of using this one, I couldn’t very well give it the top spot.
If you don’t typically like cleansing balms, I would urge you to try Clean It Zero.
I haven’t really tried a lot of Korean skincare cleansing balms, surprisingly. This was my first one, which makes me curious about other Korean cleansing balms. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. There is something magical about Korean skincare and Banila’s Clean It Zero just proves my point even more.
This also comes in different versions, including the Pore Clarifying, Purifying, and Brightening versions.
Available from $19-24 at Amazon and Ulta.
RUNNER UP: VERSED DAY DISSOLVE
I had to add the Versed Day Dissolve as a runner up because it’s a good, basic cleansing balm. I feel like the best cleansing balms have an extra wow factor that differentiates them from the rest. I think that Day Dissolve is a cleansing balm that meets the general guidelines like its ability to melt down easily and to clean the face without leaving an oily film on the skin.
In the same regard, it is important to provide options that may be more accessible to individuals. For example, Versed is more accessible in the United States. You can pick it up on a Target run. And I mean, who needs another excuse to go to Target, right?
But truly, if I did use this without knowing about the ones I’ve included on my best cleansing balms list, then it would definitely be a great contender.
Available from $7.99 to $17.99 at Target, Amazon, and Versed.
(10% off at VERSED code: REALSKINDIARIES10)
SUMMARY
Cleansing balms are truly life changing. You do have to find the right one for you. One thing I learned about skincare in this neverending journey is that you should take recommendations with a grain of salt. A skincare product may work for one person, but not so much for you.
We all have different skin types and major concerns. I personally have acne-prone, oily skin that tends to be a little bit sensitive at times. It’s important to be able to try out products. Stores are at least making it easier these days to return things that don’t work for you, which is always so helpful.
This list includes the best cleansing balms based on my own personal experience.
