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Want a cleansing balm to remove makeup and leave your skin soft and glowing? See our picks for the best organic cleansing balms.
There are a lot of options out there when it comes to cleansing products, and cleansing balms offer a multitude of benefits. They’re wonderful for those who need something richer in their skincare cleansing regimen that cleanses and hydrates the skin without stripping it. They restore the skin back to its natural moisture balance.
Many cleansing balms are also great at removing makeup. In that way, they’re a double-duty product. And, since they’re oil-based, they make your skin appear plump and refreshed upon usage—and who doesn’t want that?!
We’ve done the work in searching for the best organic cleansing balms out there, and here’s our list of our seven favorites. We hope you find this list helpful!
Ingredients to Look for in a Cleansing Balm
Being aware of what to look for in a cleansing balm is half the battle. Once you know what will make your skin happy, you’ll feel safer in testing out new products. Here’s what you should look for in a cleansing balm:
- Olive fruit extract: This is a terrific skin restorative, and it protects the skin from UV light. Two major wins!
- Kudzu: Although this ingredient may not be found in many cleansing balms, when you do see it on an ingredient list, consider picking it up for this: It works wonders in reducing wrinkles, therefore bring the skin back to its natural youthfulness.
- Antioxidants: These can appear in many different forms; the trick is knowing what specific ingredients contains antioxidant properties. These may include green tea extract and certain nut and fruit oils.
- Essential oils: Look for these instead of synthetic fragrances, or anything labeled as “parfum”. Along with being good for those who are sensitive to scents, they also provide some mood-enhancing effects!
Ingredients to Avoid in a Cleansing Balm
With so many cleansing balms on the market, you want to know what to put on your skin and what to keep off. Here’s what you absolutely do not want in your cleansing balm:
- Anything ending in paraben: We all hear we should avoid them, but why? For one, they disrupt hormones, leading to issues in fertility and reproduction. They’re also linked to causing breast cancer. Opt for products that are paraben-free.
- Fragrance: Yes, scents can be a delight. But anything synthetic or too strong has the potential to disrupt hormones, cause reproductive issues, and can lead to allergies. You wouldn’t want any of that.
- Retinyl palmitate/retinol/vitamin A: You may think vitamin A sounds like a great ingredient to have in your cleansing balm! But that’s not the case. These guys actually can speed skin tumor growth and cause damage to DNA.
- Synthetic colors: Be wary of colored skin care products that seem unnaturally vibrant—or anything that contains FD&C or D&C, followed by a number, in the ingredient list. These are known to cause cancer.
7 Best Organic Cleansing Balms
Want glowy, hydrated skin as a byproduct of your cleansing balm? The Goop Luminous Melting Cleanser offers promising results. A small spatula is included with your purchase, and you use it to scoop out the solid-to-cream cleanser.
This is cleanser is exceptionally rich from sweet almond and coconut oil. It also has a light, sweet scent for those sensitive to fragrances. But make sure you wash this cleanser off completely with the included facecloth; otherwise, your skin may feel too oily afterward.
Pros
- Highly effective in removing makeup and cleansing skin
- Great multipurpose skin care product
- Light scent for those sensitive to fragrances
- A little goes a long way
- Leaves skin soft and moisturized
Cons
- Expensive for a cleansing balm
- May be too rich for some
Where to Shop
Get yourself a mood lift and a thorough cleanse with the 100% Pure Blood Orange Cleansing Balm. We love the soothing yet cheerful scent of this product, due to the blood orange essential oil, as we massage it into our skin for our daily cleanse. It’s great for both morning and evening! You only need a small amount to completely work into your face.
This cleanser removes makeup and build-up from the day very well. Avocado, coconut, and olive leaf oils work their magic in replenishing the skin, while blood orange purifies the skin of toxins.
Pros
- Smells delightfully of blood orange
- Removes makeup and build up effectively
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Some people find it hard to completely wash off.
Where to Shop
Evolve's Organic Cleansing Balm truly does melt onto the skin—and that’s one reason why we love it so much! And the texture is dreamy: It has a pleasant jelly consistency that appears transparent. You apply a small amount to your face and work it in. The product turns milky as you do so.
From there—voila! Clean, supple, calm, and hydrated skin. Among the list of the ingredients is baobab oil (which is rich in antioxidants), orange fruit water, rose flower water, and vanilla. That’s quite the list of lovely ingredients.
Pros
- Prevents free-radical damage due to baobab oil
- Perfect for those sensitive to scents
- Dreamy texture
- Great price
- Rinses fully off and doesn't clog pores
Cons
- May not totally remove sunscreen and makeup
Where to Shop
You may be tempted to buy this cleansing balm for the packaging alone. But our delight with the De Mamiel Restorative Cleansing Balm doesn’t stop there. Kukui nut butter, moringa oils, and a melody of essential oils soothe and replenish skin that has seen better days.
The consistency of the balm starts off like a butter and spreads easily onto the skin with application. And, since we were so happy with this product, the only criticism we have is the price. For that reason, we’d call this more of a luxury treatment. Yet, all skin types can benefit from this heavenly product.
Pros
- Restorative, replenishing formula
- Divine scent
- Very effective cleanser
Cons
- Expensive for a cleansing balm
Where to Shop
Nourishing coconut and avocado oils draw out impurities and polish the skin gently with the Biomaze Microdermabrasion Balm to Milk Cleanser. This cleanser impressed us when we discovered absolutely no greasy residue is left post-cleanse.
If you’re looking for a cleansing balm that feels luxurious for its price, this will truly please you. Our skin felt so soft and refreshed afterward, and we’re sure you will feel the same.
Pros
- Gentle cleanser
- Rids skin of impurities
- No greasy residue left
Cons
- None!
Where to Shop
Who doesn’t want to spread a bunch of green goodness onto their face?! Mahalo Skin Care’s The UNVEIL Cleanser Milk Concentrate is fun to use and works so exceptionally well! This cleanser is high in antioxidants and provides a gentle exfoliation.
This cleanser lifts pollution, dirt, impurities, and makeup from the skin effortlessly. Because it contains fruit enzymes, the product melts away anything you don’t want on your face. It washes off super easily with just water.
[Read: Our Mahalo Reviews]
Pros
- High in antioxidants
- Gently exfoliates
- Washes off easily with only water
Cons
- None!
Where to Shop
A beautiful blend of mango butter and rosehip seed oil repair and strengthen skin, and they contain anti-aging properties.
We were very happy with how well this stripped off our makeup—it melts everything away! A cloth is included in your purchase, which is used to wipe off the cleanser from your face. The skin is left feeling incredibly silky and moisturized. To our delight, the Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm has a potent and antioxidant-rich formula.
Pros
- Melts away makeup—even eye makeup
- Rich in restorative fatty acids
Cons
- Ingredients list says, "parfum" - however Trilogy only uses natural essential oils.
Where to Shop
Conclusion
The best organic cleansing balms will be a staple in the skincare regimen of those who need a little boost of moisture with the added bonus of cleansing the skin of all makeup, dirt, and pollution.
We highly recommend giving one of these products a shot so you can see the results: Dramatically improved quality of skin, including an overall plumpness, shine, and hydrated look! You won’t regret giving any of these a shot.
Have you heard of any of these products before? If so, what are your thoughts on them? We welcome hearing your thoughts! And, if you end up trying one of these products, let us know, too! We trust your opinions!
If you have any questions, feel more than free to drop a line for us in the comments! We’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Wishing you all the best in your skincare journey
I avoid parabens but the link to breast cancer was due to a flawed study and has been debunked.
Great article you have written up here. My wife’s birthday is coming very soon and I wish to get her some nice skin products as additions to the gifts I have gotten her because I noticed some spots on her face. So, this is actually beneficial to me as it has helped me to limit my area of search in getting her no harmful product such as this organic cleansing balms. I will just go for any among the reviewed ones since all of them are organic products. Thanks
Happy Birthday to your wife! Let us know how the selection process goes and if there is anything we can do to help 🙂
My skin has been suffering lately and I’ve stopped using makeup because I couldn’t find an organic one that removed my make up effectively. I figured that this could be the reason for my bad skin. I’m going to try either the Mahalo milk concentrate or the Biomaze. The others I’d love to buy but I can’t justify the cost just now.
Thanks for another great roundup.
Cleansing balms should be able to help you remove your makeup without irritating your skin, they are so great at helping clean but also nourish the skin. I hope one of those works for you. Let us know if you have any other questions or need any help choosing a product for your skin type.
This is quite extensive. I have used a couple of cleansing balms over the past because I cherish my face so much I would think want any pollutants, some are great and some are not. Looking through your list, I have only made use of Mahalo Skin Care: The UNVEIL Cleanser Milk Concentrate and honestly, it’s one of the best. It works pretty well and didn’t have any side effects, I think I’ll try some other ones too.
Mahalo makes some wonderful products 🙂 I have used their Rare Indigo Beauty Balm Review, the Vitality Elixer, and the Pele Mask.
I like that cleansing balms can be used for also removing make-up. This is good value for money!
The paraben ingredient has really caught my attention and I shall be sure to avoid this ingredient. It is mind boggling that its effects are this serious!
I am glad that some of these cleansers come with an extra cloth to wipe it off. The Goop Luminous Melting Cleanser sounds like a good one for me. I like that it has a light scent as I am not into strong scents. I think I will give this a try and report how it works.
Than you for these suggestions.
Thanks for stopping in, and please let us know how it works for you!
Hi Andrea!
Great post and I learned so many things about taking care of my skin. I don’t do much with my skin, but just wash it and use soap sometimes. I don’t wear any make-up either, so that’s why I never needed any cleansing balms. However, maybe I should take much care of my skin.
Now I will try to find some products for olive fruit extract, Kudzu, antioxidants and essential oils. Maybe I can find similar products to what you recommended in a local store where I live because I am not sure the online shops you recommended ship for my country and if they do, the shipping would be too expensive for just a cleansing balm.
I haven’t heard of these products before, maybe they aren’t available in my country unfortunately. 🙁
Do you have any recommendations for someone who is just starting taking care of their skin?
Best,
Mariana
Hi Mariana, what country are you in? Content Beauty & Wellbeing is an online shop based out of the UK, but they ship all over the world. You may be able to find some new products there 🙂
My recommendations for starting to take care of your skin would be to first find out what your skin type is. Then I would have a look at our skincare guides.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂