My Picky Skin Loves Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

I’ve always been a fan of using cleansing balms when I’m trying to remove more makeup than a wipe could handle, or stubborn waterproof makeup. But I’ll admit, they weren’t a regular part of my routine only because the ones that I had tried— while effective— were a bit of a hassle to rinse, or left a filmy feeling on my face. Honestly, I just thought that these were normal characteristics of a cleansing balm… until I tried the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.

It’s a classic, so you might already be familiar with it, but the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm is a new discovery of mine and simply blew me away. Even at $30, this is a skin care splurge that feels totally worth it because it checks all the boxes for me. The ample amount of product in the jar and the small amount you actually need to remove a full face of makeup helps justify the cost, as well.

First off, this balm has an almost whipped consistency as you scoop it— it feels much lighter and thinner than the other ones I’ve tried. With that said, it quickly dissolves as you rub it into your skin, and spreads really easily over your entire face with just a dime-sized amount. One of the first things I noticed, and appreciated, was that there is no fragrance. I’m not opposed to light fragrance in my products, but for some reason all of the cleansing balms I’ve tried are heavily scented to the point of causing irritation to my eyes. Being able to use this for my eye makeup without worrying about that was so nice. Aside from fragrance, the formula is also free of parabens, phthalates, denatured alcohol, synthetic colors, SLS, SLES and sulfates. It’s also vegan and gluten free as well!

I work the balm into my skin with my hands, and it takes no force at all to start dissolving heavy makeup. The texture quickly works itself into a silky oil as you rub it in. Even waterproof mascara and long-lasting liquid lipstick are no match for this cleanser. I swipe off the balm using a reusable cotton round from Daily Concepts, which really grabs on to makeup residue. I’ll do a quick rinse with water, and I’m left with clean and soft skin without any greasy feeling or dryness. I was actually shocked at how “normal” my face felt after removing the balm, because there was just… nothing left! As someone with combo skin, I’m very sensitive to product residue, but my skin felt completely balanced afterwards. Plus, no breakouts for my acne-prone skin with regular use, either.

Just a note: it’s always a good idea to double cleanse when wearing makeup, which includes following up your makeup removal with a deeper face cleansing.

Ingredients:

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyethylene, PEG-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Water / Aqua / Eau, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol.

Please be aware that ingredient lists may change or vary from time to time. Please refer to the ingredient list on the product package you receive for the most up to date list of ingredients.

There is one ingredient I want to mention in this formula which has actually caused a bit of controversy for the cleansing balm product category as a whole. This product, along with many other cleansing balms on the market, contains polyethylene. This is a type of micro-plastic which is used to thicken the consistency and keep it solid in the jar. While the topic is widely debated, there is no current evidence that the small amount of polyethylene used in wax form has the same environmental effects as larger microplastic particles such as microbeads. One of the more popular polyethylene-free cleansing balms on the market right now is the Banila Co Clean It Zero 3-in-1 Cleansing Balm ($19). However, I’ve read too many complaints of breakouts for sensitive skin for me to want to try it.

Skin care is personal, and the Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm is works best for me and my skin. Since it’s a pricier product, I suggest you buy the $10 travel size to see if you like it before investing in the full size.

Do you use cleansing balms?